John 17

Below is part of John 17.

The issue is those whom the Father gave to Christ. Verse 2 says Jesus should give eternal life to those the Father gave him.

We will call these the given.

But, who are they?

17 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:1-3

...

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Here, in John 17:6, Jesus speaks of the given in the past tense, not the future tense; "they have kept thy word." Also Jesus says, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me ..." referring to actions in the past involving these given men. This means the given had been born before Jesus was speaking in John 17. The given were alive when Jesus was on earth in the flesh, so the given would not include any of millions of believers born after the time when Jesus spoke in John 17.

So, we have point 1 about the given: the given could not be anyone born in the last 2000 years or so (born after Jesus ascended).

7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

Here we have more in the past tense about the given. They knew, past tense, that Jesus came out from the Father. They knew this, past tense ("have known"), at the time when Jesus spoke - about 2000 years ago. So we see more evidence that the given were alive long ago. 

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

This tells us the given are not the world. Were they the saved believers, even the saved believers of today? How could they be saved believers of today, if they were born back when Jesus was speaking?

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

More past tense - Jesus was - past tense - with the given. Also he kept the given, again past tense. He is not talking about people born in the 20th century, for they were not around back when Jesus prayed this prayer. So the given are not anyone born in the past century - or the past 1000 years, and even longer into the past.

Also we might see that Judas, one of the 12 disciples, was one of the given: "the son of perdition."

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

More past tense  - "I have given" and the world "hath hated them." These given were hated before Jesus said this, so they had to be born and alive when Jesus spoke this (that's the meaning of past tense); they were not born anytime later. This pretty much rules out the given being saved believers of today, and as well as saved believers from lots of past centuries.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Again, more past tense - Jesus sent the given.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

This verse teaches that the given will present their word, through which others ("them also which shall believe") shall believe. These who will believe through the word of the given obviously are not the given. Thus the given cannot refer to future believers.

Like the 12 disciples, the given were close to Jesus. In fact, one of the given was a disciple - Judas (John 17:12). Perhaps the given were the 12 disciples. 

This fits the verse saying that Jesus "sent them into the world," which he did do (Mat 10:5-8).

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, ...
...

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.