John 15:16
John 15:16, 19 (see also Acts 9:15)
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. … If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”
This is in reference to choosing disciples, some of whom were already saved (to the extent that someone under the Old Covenant could be saved), being former disciples of John the Baptist. This has nothing to do with salvation, unless Calvinists wish to suggest that this means that God had chosen Judas to salvation (which no Calvinist will agree to). Calvinists wish to suggest that if God chooses His disciples, then surely He must also choose whom that He wants to save. But why infer that?
This also applies with Paul, when Jesus said to
Ananias: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of
Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and
kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him
how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
(Acts 9:15-16)
Most Calvinists agree that John 15:16 refers to an election to discipleship, rather than salvation, especially since Judas was included, but Calvinists insist that this is also how it goes with salvation too:
Calvinist, John MacArthur: “Again, the choice is always with God. Men don’t choose God; God chooses men. His is the choice.” (Understanding Election, emphasis mine)
Laurence Vance: “Judas was chosen as one of the twelve, ordained, and called with the other eleven disciples. Was he one of the ‘elect’ chosen and ordained to salvation by a sovereign, eternal decree and called by Irresistible Grace? The result of reading Unconditional Election into these verses is a sovereignly elected, irresistibly called, ordained devil (John 6:70).” (The Other Side of Calvinism, p.351)
Even John Calvin conceded the point:
John Calvin: “True, this does not refer to the ordinary election of believers, by which they are adopted to be the children of God, but to the special election by which he appointed his disciples to the office of preaching the Gospel.” (John: Calvin, The Crossway Classic Commentaries, p.360, emphasis mine)
John Calvin: “Yet I agree that he is talking specifically about the apostolate; his intention is to move the disciples to perform their office diligently.” (John: Calvin, The Crossway Classic Commentaries, pp.360-361, emphasis mine)
In other words, John 15:16 has nothing to do with Calvinism & Arminianism.
The rich young ruler: “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21) However, “when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.” (Matthew 19:22)
The formerly demon-possessed man: “But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:38-39)
Here we find that while one was invited for ordination into discipleship and refused, the other begged for discipleship, but the Lord refused because He had a different need for him.
One member of The Society of Evangelical Arminians: “What Jesus is highlighting is the initial call. And we see this played out dramatically in John chapter 1. In John 1, John the Baptist points his disciples to Jesus (John 1:29-34, 36), and they begin to chase after Jesus. But in John 1:37-42, Jesus makes it very clear that He is the caller, in order to demonstrate His initiative in the calling. He responds to two would-be followers by making it clear that they follow Him, because of His invitation to ‘come and see’ (v.39). He does the same thing to Simon, who is curious about Jesus, because his brother Andrew tells him that they have found the Messiah (v.41). When Simon comes to where Jesus is residing, Jesus tells Simon that his name will be Cephas/Peter (v.42). Here, we see again that Jesus is deconstructing the eager seeking of the disciples, not to demean them, but to emphasize His own authoritative choosing. Jesus had to do this, since their messianic expectations were not in line with the reality of what God had in store, in and through Jesus, the true Messiah. The same is true for all humankind. Because of our depravity, even our most sincere seeking, cannot properly anticipate or arrive at the fullness of what God has in store for us, in and through Jesus. God has chosen all who follow Jesus, but this is on the basis of our response to God’s call and our perseverance.”
