John 6:39 · Bible study
John 6:39 Commentary: Nothing Lost, All Raised
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus promises to lose nothing the Father gives Him. How does that stand with Judas? A close look at divine keeping and human response in John 6:39.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Father's will is for Jesus to preserve entirely and resurrect at the last day everyone given to Him by the Father.
- Key words: thelēma (will, purpose), apollumi (lose, destroy), anistēmi (raise up), eschatē hēmera (last day, unique to John).
- Main debate: How to reconcile the promise of losing nothing with the fact that Judas was lost (John 17:12). Views range from unconditional preservation of the elect to conditional perseverance.
- Theological theme: The security of believers grounded in Christ's obedience to the Father's will, with an eschatological horizon of bodily resurrection.
- Best use: Preaching comfort to those who fear they may fall away; teaching the connection between election, preservation, and resurrection hope.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.
WEB World English Bible 2000
This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.
KJV King James Version 1769
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that all that He hath given to me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And this is the will of him that has sent me, that of all that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y esta es la voluntad del que me envió, del Padre: Que todo lo que me diere, no pierda de ello, sino que lo resucite en el día postrero.
E esta é a vontade do Pai, que me enviou: que de tudo quanto me deu, nada perca, mas que eu o ressuscite no último dia.
Or, la volonté de celui qui m’ a envoyé, c’ est que je ne perde rien de tout ce qu’ il m’ a donné, mais que je le ressuscite au dernier jour.
Das ist aber der Wille des Vaters, der mich gesandt hat, daß ich nichts verliere von allem, was er mir gegeben hat, sondern daß ich' s auferwecke am Jüngsten Tage.
En dit is de wil des Vaders, Die Mij gezonden heeft, dat al wat Hij Mij gegeven heeft, Ik daaruit niet verlieze, maar hetzelve opwekke ten uitersten dage.
E questa è la volontà di Colui che mi ha mandato: ch’io non perda nulla di tutto quel ch’Egli m’ha dato, ma che lo risusciti nell’ultimo giorno.
A tać jest wola onego, który mię posłał, Ojca, abym z tego wszystkiego, co mi dał, nic nie stracił, ale abym to wzbudził w on ostateczny dzień.
Воля же пославшего Меня Отца есть та, чтобы из того, что Он Мне дал, ничего не погубить, но все то воскресить в последний день.
差 我 來者的意思 就是： 他所 賜給 我 的，叫我一個也不 失落，在 末 日 卻 叫他 復活。
And this is the pleasure of him who sent me, that I am not to let out of my hands anything which he has given me, but I am to give it new life on the last day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 6:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse focuses on the Father's will and Christ's success in preserving those whom the Father gives Him. The two parts of the will are stated negatively, Christ will lose nothing, and positively, He will raise them at the last day. Vincent's Word Studies highlights the Greek construction as "a peculiar and broken one…a very emphatic and impressive mode of statement." The phrase "that of all which He hath given me" stands as an absolute nominative, throwing the weight on all that the Father has given. Barnes and Calvin both stress that Jesus is not a temporary guardian but one who will keep His own to the final resurrection. This promise is the believer's assurance that salvation is secured by Christ, not by human effort. However, the commentators diverge on how to explain the loss of Judas, who was given to Christ (John 17:12). Clarke argues that God wills the salvation of all who believe but does not force the will; Judas sinned and perished by his own choice. Wesley adds the condition: "If they endure to the end. But Judas did not." Gill, by contrast, limits the promise strictly to the elect, Judas was never truly given. All agree that for the true believer, Christ's keeping power is certain.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Unconditional preservation of the elect: Gill and Calvin argue that the promise applies only to those truly elect; Judas was never truly given, so his loss does not contradict the promise.
- Conditional preservation through perseverance: Clarke and Wesley hold that the promise is real but dependent on the believer's continued cooperation with grace; Judas was given but chose to fall away.
- Provisional giving within corporate election: Some traditions see Judas as part of a corporate group (the apostles) but not one of the regenerated elect. The promise secures the salvation of the true church, not every individual in the visible group.
What is clear: Jesus promises that not one of those who are truly given to Him by the Father will perish; He will raise them bodily at the last day. The certainty of the resurrection for the believer is the non-negotiable of this verse.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The scope of 'all He has given me' | All traditions agree that this refers to people whom the Father entrusts to the Son for salvation. This is grounded in election and divine initiative. | Some insist it includes only the elect who are predestined to persevere (Gill, Reformed tradition). Others argue it includes all who initially respond to the gospel but may subsequently fall away (Clarke, Wesley). |
| The loss of Judas | All agree Judas was given to Jesus (John 17:12) and was numbered among the twelve. His end was perdition. | Reformed commentators hold that Judas was never truly 'given' in the saving sense; he was an instrument who was part of the apostles but not elect. Wesleyan and some Catholic interpretations see Judas as a genuine believer who fell away, proving the promise is conditional on continued faith. |
| The nature of the resurrection promised | All agree Jesus speaks of a literal, bodily resurrection at the end of the age. This is the same for believers and is a physical restoration. | No substantive debate in the supplied sources; the resurrection is universally affirmed as a future, eschatological event. |
Historical & Cultural Context
John 6 takes place in Galilee, near Capernaum, shortly after the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue (6:59) and the crowd is murmuring because He called Himself the bread that came down from heaven. The immediate context of verse 39 follows His declaration that He came to do the Father's will (6:38) and precedes a threefold repetition of the phrase "I will raise him up at the last day" (6:40, 44, 54). This refrain is uniquely Johannine, the phrase "the last day" occurs only in John's Gospel among the four.
First-century Jewish eschatology held varied views on the resurrection. Many Pharisees believed in a general resurrection of the righteous at the coming of the Messiah. Some rabbinic traditions, as cited by both Barnes and Clarke from Lightfoot and Schoettgen, held that the wicked would not be raised at all. Thus, when Jesus promises to "raise him up at the last day," He is aligning resurrection hope with Himself and identifying His followers as the righteous who will share in that final victory.
The Jewish murmuring (6:41) echoes the wilderness generation who grumbled against Moses. In that desert context, God provided manna from heaven; now Jesus claims to be the true bread. The question of losing nothing also recalls God's faithfulness to Israel: not one of the original generation entered the rest except Caleb and Joshua, yet God preserved a remnant. Jesus presents Himself as the shepherd who does not lose a single sheep entrusted to Him by the Father.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and translations show no significant textual variants affecting the meaning of John 6:39. The readings differ slightly in whether "the Father" is included or simply "him who sent me" (the phrase appears as "the Father's will" in some manuscripts, while others read "the will of him who sent me"). The difference does not alter the sense. All major sources are consistent on the key terms and structure.
Reception History
The promise of losing nothing has been a cornerstone of Christian confidence throughout the centuries. In the 4th and 5th centuries, Augustine drew on this verse in his anti-Pelagian writings to argue that God's grace is both initiating and preserving, Christ will not lose what the Father gives. This shaped the Western tradition's emphasis on the perseverance of the saints. In the 16th century, Reformed theologians such as Calvin appealed to this verse to assure believers that Christ's guardianship extends to the final resurrection, not merely a temporary safety. Wesleyan and Arminian interpreters, while affirming the promise wholeheartedly, insisted on the possibility of falling away, interpreting Judas as a warning. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the verse is read liturgically during Paschal (Easter) celebrations to emphasize the resurrection hope that completes Christ's saving work. Across all traditions, John 6:39 has been sung in hymns and recited at funerals as a confession that nothing can snatch the believer from Christ's hand.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Father's Will is the Ground, Jesus did not come to follow His own agenda but to accomplish the specific will of the One who sent Him. That will has two sides: preservation (lose nothing) and consummation (raise at the last day).
- Christ's Keeping is Comprehensive, The promise covers "all that He has given me." Not a part, not the worthy ones, but the entire gift. This is the basis for the believer's confidence through suffering, doubt, and even death.
- The Resurrection is the Goal, The keeping is not merely safety in this life. It points forward to the bodily resurrection. The same Jesus who will not lose His own will also raise them up on the final day.
Five-point outline
- The verse explains the mission of the Son: to execute the Father's will, not His own.
- The subjects of this will are those given to Christ by the Father, a divine initiative behind every believer.
- Jesus pledges two things: He will lose nothing (complete preservation), and He will raise it up (final victory).
- The repetition of "the last day" throughout John 6 ties the present experience of faith to a future, bodily hope.
- This promise addresses the deepest fear of the Christian: the fear of falling away. Christ's faithfulness secures the believer's future.
Illustration hooks
- Bank Vault: A parent deposits money for a child's future, but the child has no access until the appointed time. The deposit is safe even if the child forgets about it. Christ's keeping is like a deposit that cannot be stolen; the last day is the appointed time of withdrawal.
- Running a Relay: A runner receives the baton and must carry it to the finish line. Jesus is not a runner who drops the baton. He holds it securely to the end of the race, and the finish line is the resurrection.
- Watching over a Plant: A gardener tends a seedling, watering it, protecting it from pests, and knowing it will bloom in its season. Our weakness is like the fragile plant; Christ's tending is the promise that we will reach full bloom at the last day.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Jesus promises to lose nothing, why did Judas get lost?
- Does this verse mean if I backslide I was never really saved?
- How can I be sure I am part of "all that He has given me"?
Leading a Discussion
Jesus speaks these words in the middle of a hard teaching. Many in His audience are already turning away (6:66). This verse is an anchor for those who stay. It declares that the Father's deepest intention in sending the Son is to preserve and resurrect a people. As you discuss this passage, consider both the comfort of Christ's keeping and the sober reality of human responsibility seen in Judas.
Discussion questions
- Read John 6:37-40. What does Jesus say the Father's will includes? Break down the two parts of the will.
- The word "lose" (Greek apollumi) can mean destroy or perish. How does this amplify the promise? What is the alternative Jesus is preventing?
- Why does Jesus mention "the last day" three times in this chapter? What does that emphasis tell us about the Christian hope?
- Verse 39 says "of all He has given me." Compare with John 17:12, where Jesus says He lost none except the son of perdition. How do you understand the relationship between these two passages?
- Some Christians read this verse as teaching that once a person is truly given by the Father, they cannot be lost. Others see it as a conditional promise requiring perseverance. What does each view have to offer? How do both seek to honor Scripture?
- How does this verse shape your confidence when you struggle with doubt or fear of falling away?
- If Jesus is committed to raising us at the last day, how should that change how we live today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 25:29 | Though men may rise up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies as from a sling’s pocket. |
| Matthew 18:14 | Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. |
| Luke 12:32 | “Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. |
| John 5:28 | Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice |
| John 6:37 | All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. |
| John 6:40 | This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” |
| John 6:44 | No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day. |
| John 6:54 | He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that God wills every believer's final salvation, but He does not force it. Judas was given to Christ yet perished because he failed to cooperate with God's grace. God saves rational beings, not stones, so a person's free response determines whether they persevere to the resurrection.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes the absolute security of every believer: because the Father wills their salvation and Jesus came to execute that will, Jesus will faithfully keep every person given to him. He notes that among some Jewish writers, resurrection at the last day was considered a privilege reserved for the righteous, so Jesus promises this as the certain destiny of all who believe.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that Christ's guardianship of believers is not temporary but lasts from the start of faith until the final resurrection. This assurance, grounded in the Father's will, sustains believers through their weakness and gives them confidence that Christ will not abandon them before that last day.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary argues that the discourse cannot refer solely or primarily to the Eucharist, yet any reading that excludes the Eucharist entirely is equally improbable. Rather, the passage encompasses all the channels of grace by which Christ imparts Himself to the believing soul, with the Eucharist as a specific and concrete means. The key is Augustine's phrase "believe and you have eaten."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that the Father's will is for Christ to lose none of those given to Him. This includes raising them up at the last day. The focus is on the certainty of preservation and resurrection for all believers.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the Father's will covers every detail of the elect's salvation: Christ is to lose none of them, not the least part of their souls or bodies, and must raise every dust of their bodies on the last day. He draws on a Jewish source to confirm that nothing belonging to them will be lost, but all will rise.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Christ's charge is not merely to preserve the elect unharmed. Because they were perishing sinners, saving them required Christ to give His flesh, keep them from falling, and raise their bodies in glory—a complete salvation from start to finish.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the contrast between the
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent observes that the proper reading is the will of Him, not the Father's will, and highlights the broken Greek construction where all that He hath given stands as an absolute nominative, making the statement emphatic. He also notes that the phrase at the last day is unique to
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp distinction: Jesus speaks of those the Father has given Him, but the promise holds only if they endure to the end. Judas received the same gift yet did not persevere, proving that being given to Christ does not guarantee final salvation without continued faithfulness.