Proof-texting Presuppositions with John 6:44, 65

John 6:44 and 6:65 are commonly used as proof-texts that more often than not reveal the exegete’s presuppositions that are imposed upon the Gospel According to John than I believe John the Evangelist hoped to present in his Gospel. John 6:65 reads, "And he said, 'Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father,' " and John 6:44 reads, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

From reading these two texts, where does one find evidence from these texts to make the following Calvinist assertions?

Is predestination found in the text? No. Only if the reader pours it in.

Is individual election found in the text? No. Only if the reader pours it in.

Is eternal security found in the text? No. Only if the reader pours it in.

Dr. Picirilli thinks not. After making the point that Calvinists believe that those reprobates who hear the gospel cannot truly respond to the offer of salvation, he further observes that,

Furthermore, in the Calvinistic system, the gospel is not really offering salvation to any, since neither the elect nor the non-elect can accept the offer or meet its conditions. In fact, the “conditions” are not really conditions in the Calvinist system. They are part of the “package” of salvation benefits given to the elect by virtue of the death of Christ for them.

Without realizing it, the Calvinist is finally saying that repentance and faith (as the gift of God in the salvation “package”) are being offered to all who will repent and believe, when in fact none can do so. This reduces to pure tautology and is no offer at all. (Grace, Faith, Free Will, pp. 117, 118, emphasis his)

Calvinists will often quote Ezekiel 36:26-27 as a proof text for regeneration preceding faith. The Calvinist doctrine insists that one must be given a new heart before that person can believe the gospel. For that reason, Ezekiel 36:26-27 is often called into service to demonstrate this principle. Below is the passage with verse 25 included:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (ESV)

Does this passage give the Calvinist what he needs to defend his doctrine? Does it truly demonstrate that regeneration precedes faith and that God must give a sinner a new heart before he or she can believe unto life?

The dichotomy of the freedom and the bondage of the will is both a theological and a practical verity. We know from Scripture that the will of individuals is free to choose from two or more options (cf. Lev. 22:18; 2 Cor. 9:7), and also that it is a slave to sin (Rom. 6:17). To say that a person can only choose to do wrong or evil is a man-constructed theory ~ an effort to persuade others to embrace his or her theology; it is not Scriptural teaching (Luke 11:13; Acts 10:1-2, 34-35). Yet, no one can choose to believe in Christ Jesus whensoever he or she wants: without the working of God's Holy Spirit, no one could ever be saved. Thus the bondage and freedom of the wil.