John Calvin Commentary John 6:45

"It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me." — John 6:45 (ASV)

It is written in the Prophets. Christ confirms by the testimony of Isaiah what he said, that no man can come to him unless he is drawn by the Father. He uses the word prophets in the plural number because all their prophecies had been collected into one volume, so that all the prophets might justly be accounted one book. The passage which is here quoted is to be found in Isaiah 54:13, where, speaking of the restoration of the Church, he promises to her, sons taught by the instruction of God.

Hence it may easily be inferred that the Church cannot be restored in any other way than by God undertaking the office of a Teacher and bringing believers to himself. The way of teaching of which the prophet speaks does not consist merely in the external voice, but likewise in the secret operation of the Holy Spirit. In short, this teaching of God is the inward illumination of the heart.

And they shall be all taught by God. As to the word all, it must be limited to the elect, who alone are the true children of the Church. Now it is not difficult to see in what manner Christ applies this prediction to the present subject.

Isaiah shows that then only is the Church truly edified when she has her children taught by God. Christ, therefore, justly concludes that men do not have eyes to behold the light of life until God has opened them. But at the same time, he fastens on the general phrase, all; because he argues from it that all who are taught by God are effectually drawn, so as to come; and to this relates what he immediately adds:

Whosoever therefore has heard my Father. The substance of what is said is that all who do not believe are reprobate and doomed to destruction, because all the sons of the Church and heirs of life are made by God to be his obedient disciples.

Hence it follows that there is not one of all the elect of God who will not be a partaker of faith in Christ. Again, as Christ formerly affirmed that men are not fitted for believing until they have been drawn, so he now declares that the grace of Christ, by which they are drawn, is efficacious, so that they necessarily believe.

These two clauses utterly overturn the whole power of free will, of which the Papists dream. For if it is only when the Father has drawn us that we begin to come to Christ, there is not in us any commencement of faith or any preparation for it.

On the other hand, if all come whom the Father has taught, He gives to them not only the choice of believing, but faith itself. When, therefore, we willingly yield to the guidance of the Spirit, this is a part and, as it were, a sealing of grace, because God would not draw us if He were only to stretch out his hand and leave our will in a state of suspense.

But in strict propriety of language, He is said to draw us when He extends the power of his Spirit to the full effect of faith. They are said to hear God who willingly assent to God speaking to them within, because the Holy Spirit reigns in their hearts.

Comes to me. He shows the inseparable connection that exists between him and the Father. For the meaning is that it is impossible that any who are God’s disciples will not obey Christ, and that they who reject Christ refuse to be taught by God, because the only wisdom that all the elect learn in the school of God is to come to Christ, for the Father, who sent him, cannot deny himself.