I don’t see how. You emphasized the part where Jesus says that he does not pray for the world, but just those His father gave Him as if that were a general principle when, in fact, the “given” He was referring to in this passage was the apostles, not all of the elect. Second of all, Jesus ends His prayer by saying that "the world may believe in Him. In other words, that that first community of faith created by the preaching of the apostles will lead to the world believing in Him. His prayer starts with the very specific (apostles) and ends with the general (i.e. world).
To be continued…
God bless,
Michael
I think you saw two groups in the passage - the apostles (in this case - those “you have given me”…although you know and I know that there are other passages that talk about those that are given to Christ aside from the aposltes (John 6)). I saw one here today while in church…
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again,
Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:12-13 KJV)
Another…
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father,
which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29 KJV)
Here he speaks of the sheep - the elect.
Regardless, again - we look at the passage that you highlighted…
Neither pray I for **these **alone, but for
them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:20-21 KJV)
“These” - The apostles
The believers - all that will ever believe…
Who is left?
It is one thing to know that Christ was sent and to “believe” that He was sent…another thing to bow before Him as Lord and Savior and persevere with fruit bearing until death.
The true children of God - those who are born of God will never fall away - Only those born again - Children of God will be saved. There are no other children of God but persevering children of God. No falling away children of God…1 John takes care of this doctrine…
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.
There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (1 John 5:13-18 KJV)
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that
every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you:
he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. **Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. **In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 2:28 - 3:10 KJV)
There are children of God and children of the devil…you cannot go in and out from these groups. Now can you read first John and say that any other person in the parable of the soils was saved but the last one? You simply cannot do it. Any other kind of “faith” is counterfeit…see James 2.
C2C