Hi Mondar,
Actually, no the passages is not speaking of an effectual call. That is the point I was trying to make. This is what my reformed pastors did. They applied the Scriptures to their doctrines rather than the other way around. John 6:44-45 are not speaking of an effectual call either and that calling was temporary and is not happening now.
Actually, yes, the passage is speaking of an effectual call, and your reformed pastors told you correctly.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me,
except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.
Joh 6:65 And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me,
except it be given unto him of the Father.
The drawing of the father in 6:44 and the giving of faith in John 6:65 to the believer by the Father is explicit in the text. Its right there in black and white.
While it is true that God hardened the heart of Jews, and hardened Pharaoh's heart in Romans 9, that is not what the context is about.
You say the context is about Jewish people only, but the text says "no man can come to me."
Joh 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.
Joh 6:65 And he said,
For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.
Now when you see the words "no man can come to me" does that mean...
1--- some men can come to Christ?
2--- most men can come to Christ?
3--- some Jewish men can come to Christ?
4--- some Gentiles can come to Christ but he hardens the hearts of Jews?
or 5--- No man can come to Christ.
The whole context of 6:37 - 44 is full of superlatives.
See verse 37
**** Joh 6:37
All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Of the ones given to the Son by the Father, how man come to Christ?
1--- Some of them come to Christ?
2--- Most of them come to Christ?
3--- Some Jewish men can come to Christ?
4--- Some Gentiles can come to Christ, but he hardens Jewish hearts?
5-- All those given to Christ by the Father can come to Christ?
Of course the painfully obvious question in the text, is if "no man can come to Christ" in 6:44, then what is the text saying that all those given by the Father to the Son will come to Christ. Of course the answer is in 6:44 also, the text says, except the Father draw him. So then, coming to Christ (Faith) is an not a human act, but an act of the Father in drawing the elect in what Reformed theologians commonly call the "Effectual call."
There are yet more superlatives in the context. We could do the same game with verse 39.
Joh 6:39 And this is the will of him that sent me, that of
all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
Of the ones given to the Son, how many will be lost?
a few? Maybe some Jews who God hardens? OR again #5... He will loose none.
Then there is verse 40....
Joh 6:40 For this is the will of my Father,
that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Who gets eternal life? Again #5--- "everyone who beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him.
** Please note there are translations that use the term "whosoever" but the greek term is PAS--- all or everyone.
To speculate as you do that the passage is only about Jews is to avoid the grammer and syntax of the passage. The passage is not speaking of "all Jews" or "all Gentiles" but it is speaking of those the Father draws, the effectual call of the elect.
The whole context is loud and clear. This is not to deny that God hardens hearts, but that is in a different context, not this context. The point is... that... it is painfully obvious that the reformed use of John 6, is contextual, and correct in speaking of an effectual call. The Westminster is correct here.
This is not to say the Westminster is perfect, it does have one flaw I am aware of, but that is the subject for a different subject.
It will take some time to explain as you will need to look at it from a differed prospect. The first thing to note is that Jesus, when on earth said that He had only come to the Jews. This context is important. The reason no one could come to Christ unless the Father drew them was because the Jews were being blinded. This is prophesied in Isaiah.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isa 6:10 KJV)
Jesus quotes this passage when telling His disciples that it is given to them to understand but not the others.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. (Mar 4:10-12 KJV)
Paul also speaks of the blinding of the Jews.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. (Rom 11:7-8 KJV)
He's quoting Isaiah,
10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (Isa 29:10 KJV)
This blinding of the Jews was necessary to bring about the crucifixion. It was necessary that the Jews reject Jesus. Jesus said in the quote from Mark 4 that if the understood the would be converted. They were kept in the dark until after the crucifixion. Paul said that things were kept hidden because if the princes (I believe demons) of this world knew it they would not have killed Christ.
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1Co 2:6-8 KJV)
However, after the cross this wisdom was revealed. Jesus said,
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (Joh 12:32 KJV)
He said He would draw all to Himself. This shows that after the cross the specific draw of John 6 would end and a universal drawing would begin, thus the drawing of John 6 was temporary. John also tells us that Christ does indeed influence all.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (Joh 1:6-9 KJV)
Looking at these passages in the context of Jesus' ministry shows that they are not speaking of an effectual call to salvation. The call was to gather a group of men who would become disciples which Jesus could then send out to the world.