On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here is a question from a commenter named Debra:
Question: 25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” [John 10:25-30]
How come it says, “you don’t believe because you are not my sheep,” instead of, “you are not my sheep because you do not believe?”
Answer: Ben pointed Debra to this excellent, fundamental article that addresses the question: Robert Hamilton, “The Order of Faith and Election in John’s Gospel: You Do Not Believe Because You Are Not My Sheep” http://evangelicalarminians.org/robert-hamilton-the-order-of-faith-and-election-in-johns-gospel-you-do-not-believe-because-you-are-not-my-sheep/.
We would add, that after reading that article, readers should read an article that Ben himself wrote that fleshes out the perspective of the first article and applies it more with special reference to John 6: Ben Henshaw, “Various Thoughts on the Use of John 6 and Related Passages from John’s Gospel to Support Calvinism” http://evangelicalarminians.org/ben-henshaw-various-thoughts-on-the-use-of-john-6-and-related-passages-from-johns-gospel-to-support-calvinism/.
