John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" Jesus is speaking to His Apostles, Jesus chose them for that Apostolic office they did not chose that office for themselves..see also John 6:70; John 13:18. Calvinists misuse Jn 15:16 to teach the idea of Calvinistic election. Truth is ANYONE can be saved by choosing to obey the gospel not just those lucky enough to be unconditionally, randomly chosen by Christ to be saved. If Calvinists were correct and you were not chosen then you cannot be saved even if you wanted to be saved, there would be respecter of persons with God for those who were chosen over those not chosen and how could you rightly just be condemned for a choice God made for you against your will? God will condemn you for His choice in not having chose you.
Yes, I agree.
The key words are
the ones the Father gave me. For all those who believe this also applies to you, study it for yourself. Look at
John 17 and 10 again. Here:
John 17:
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received
them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom
You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those
whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We
are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom
You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father,
are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples Again
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom
You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare
it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 10:
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and
My Father are one.”