Calvinists often point to John 6:37 — “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” — as a definitive proof of unconditional election. They argue this means only those God sovereignly selects are “given” to Christ, and that these elect individuals will inevitably believe. But a closer, contextual reading of Scripture undermines that conclusion.
Let’s harmonize Scripture — not isolate it.
In John 17:12, Jesus says, “Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition.” Judas was among those the Father “gave” to Jesus, yet Judas was not saved. He was never born again, never a true believer. As John 6:64 confirms, “there are some of you that believe not… for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.”
Judas was chosen — not for salvation — but to fulfill prophecy (John 6:70). His inclusion proves that being “given” to Jesus cannot automatically mean being eternally elected to salvation. It may refer to those placed in proximity to Christ, in His care or under His teaching, without implying their salvation status.
In Matthew 23:37, Jesus cries out over Jerusalem:
“How often would I have gathered thy children together… and ye would not!”
This is not the cry of a Savior executing a hidden, immutable decree. It is the anguished plea of one who desired their repentance, yet was resisted. Their unwillingness, not God’s sovereign withholding, was the barrier.
Likewise, John 5:40 shows the same dynamic:
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
Jesus didn’t say, “You can’t come because you weren’t chosen.”
He said, “You won’t come.”
The issue is not inability from lack of election, but willful rejection.
John 6:45 gives us a vital key to understanding what it means to be “given” to Jesus:
“Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
Jesus explains that those who have listened and learned from the Father — those who are already receptive to God — are the ones who come to Him. These people are “given” to Christ because they’re already responding to divine truth, whether through the Law, the prophets, conscience, or conviction.
They are not arbitrarily chosen. Rather, they are drawn through a process of exposure, understanding, and response.
Romans 8:29 sets the order clearly:
“Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate…”
Foreknowledge precedes predestination. God predestines based on prior knowledge of who will respond to Him in faith.
Ephesians 1:13 confirms the same sequence:
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth… after that ye believed, ye were sealed…”
No one is sealed (saved) before they believe. There is no secret regeneration that forces faith. Faith comes first — the sealing follows.
In John 15:19, Jesus says, “I have chosen you out of the world.”
Who did He choose? John 17:6 answers:
“They have kept thy word… they have believed that thou didst send me.”
Jesus chose those who had already believed — not unbelievers destined to later be converted. Judas was the sole exception, and his “choosing” was not for eternal life but for the fulfillment of betrayal prophecy (John 6:70).
“Given” Refers to the Willing — Not the Preselected
Jesus does not elect people to believe. He calls all, but chooses those who do believe.
He does not grieve over those who were never invited — He weeps over those who refuse Him.
So what does John 6:37 really mean?
It means those who are open to God — those who hear, learn, and respond to the Father’s truth — are then entrusted to the Son. The “given” are not randomly pre-selected souls, but sincere seekers who were already turning toward God.
That’s why Jesus follows with:
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45)
This is not regeneration preceding faith, as Calvinism claims. It is teaching leading to understanding, and understanding leading to faith — the same pattern seen with Cornelius in Acts 10.
And the invitation still stands:
“Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17, KJV)
The “given” are those who come. If you will not come, you will not be given. It’s not that the given come — it’s that the coming ones are given.