Sorry. I did not get home till late. I compaired this to other greek sources. As usual. They highlight the one word. But do not show the others, or put them in the background. to get the authors opinion of what he thinks it means.
Original Word: ἑλκύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: helkó
Phonetic Spelling: (hel-koo'-o)
Short Definition: I drag, draw, pull, persuade
Definition: I drag, draw, pull, persuade, unsheathe.
hi EG.
how can you say that? the words are right there.
and you severed half the original post which gave more detail.
1. Drag is one defenition. Drag by force.
2. The other is used in a metaphorical way, it means to draw, pull, lead or pursuade. Just like in the verse. The Holy Spirit pulls, leads, directs and persuades those whom God sent him to to come to truth. (One example given in a greek text was someone saying they would use love to persuade people to follow them) .
right.
that's what i posted.
it's quite a bit stronger than that EG.
we are talking about God pulling leading persuading, dragging.
He has a deliberate intent.
John 6:37
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
this is straight-forward.
the Father does the giving
the Father does the drawing (dragging)
ALL the Father give WILL go the Jesus
ALL who go to Jesus (are dragged, drawn) will NEVER be cast out
this looks like a very serious endeavour on the part of the GodHead to bring a man to glory, and all of it appears to be His Sovereign work.
Of course, Since God already knows that person and everything about him. God also knows WHAT it will take to get them to come to truth. If it takes more than just a gentle persuasion. God will use more. (see Jonah and the whale) Jonah resisted, But God knew what it would take to get him to comply.
does God plan to save all men?
because according to what you wrote above, if He planned to save all, He is perfectly able to use varying degrees of effort or persuasion or whatever you wish to call it.
if, as some tell us, by misunderstanding 2 Peter 3:9, that God really wishes all men would be saved, but He can't persuade them, why can't He?
Ephesians 2 is razor sharp and totally clear that men dead in trepasses and sins are called out, given faith, and by Grace are saved, it having absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with them. they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, as a signet or mark of ownership and downpayment on the future delivery into the kingdom.
men are bought by Christ, sealed by The Spirit, and delivered (led, escorted, even arrested) by the Spirit as they are transformed and groomed for the eternal Kingdom, to which they already belong.
does any of this have much to do with those men?
their new birth was like the wind:
John 3
You Must Be Born Again
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2This man came to Jesus
a by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again
b he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
c 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You
d must be born again.’
8The wind
e blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
~
Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
Solus Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone
Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature ... God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace. We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.
- Cambridge Declaration