Cheryl Schatz

Peter, You wrote: I am failing to see how this is not a contradiction. How is that (in view of verse 37) Paul is one that the Father “gave” Jesus? Either he was a believer and was given – or he was not… Paul was not a believer that was given to Jesus. Paul came to faith because he was deceived and lived in unbelief. John 6:37 says “all that the Father gives Me will come to Me”. It doesn’t say that ONLY those given to Jesus can come to Him. Paul was an unbeliever who had an encounter with Jesus as an unbeliever that turned his life around to faith in Jesus. Paul was not one who belonged to the Father as a believer and thus as a believer was given to Jesus. No. Paul was a murderer, a blasphemer, a violent aggressor. Yet God saw fit to have mercy on Paul. Paul came to Jesus not because he was given, but because he was convicted of his sin. Those who are given to Jesus as ones who have belonged to the Father are not convicted of sin but are convicted of the truth of who Jesus is. These ones WILL come to Jesus because they already believe God. They have listened to the Father and learned from Him. I hope this helps.