Cheryl Schatz

Peter, You wrote: Finally, the SCRIPTURAL evidence for verse 37 being setting-specific and not descriptive for all time, is that it is book-ended by the use of “FOR’ at the beginning of verse 38. That link provided by John, clearly identifies the words of Jesus as having primary application to THIS situation. Bookended?? The term “For” in verse 38 is not a bookend, it is an explanation. Jesus is explaining why He will not cast out any who are coming to Him. It is because He came to do the Father’s will. That will is to give life to the world. In John 6:38 Jesus says “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus had already said in verse 33 that He came down from heaven and gives life to the world. John 6:32–33 (NASB95) 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Note that in verse 32 the present tense “gives” is said for the Jews, but in verse 33 Jesus said that the “gives” (present tense) is for the world. The world did not come to Jesus when He was here on this earth, so it cannot be limited to the time that Jesus was here on the earth. In addition, verse 40 has the same “For” (not a bookend, but a very important revelation of His reason) John 6:40 (NASB95) “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” Verse 40 is so far beyond the time of Jesus when He walked the earth, that Jesus lists the beholding as attached to the believing, and ALL of these will have eternal life and be raised up on the last day. In NO way is this limited to a specific group in front of Jesus, or a specific time period limited to His physical presence. Your “setting-specific” as “primary application to THIS situation” is invalid. Jesus’ coming to earth to give life was NOT limited to a setting-specific with a “primary application” of only Jews. What I LOVE about the Scripture is that it refutes false ideas if one keeps reading. There is no sense that Jesus is only referring to Jewish people who will be raised up by Jesus.