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Originally Posted by lmp
Raynor, you make a good point since Gandalf is Tolkien's truth teller. This statement of Gandalf's about Bilbo "giving it up in the end of his own accord" is interesting, and serves as an excellent example (imho) of Tolkien's realistic combining of that ever present dilemma of human existence, the interplay between free will and providence. Both are real (again imho) and it is impossible to tease them apart from each other. Gandalf is speaking to one of the two realities at the point, and being Tolkien's truth teller, is uselessly gainsaid. However, read the narrative carefully and you will still see that Bilbo needed all the help Gandalf could provide to summon the will, or should I say, be given the strength of will, to resist the allure of the Ring.
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In my opinion, Gandalf's role was more of an eye-opener than anything else. Therefore, it is conceivable that a "life situation" (I am thinking, for example, of a new and better understanding of Gollum's situation, or even of the Ringwraiths') with similar consequences on Bilbo's view of his relation to the ring, would have prompted him to take the same path. In the end, it would only be another manifestation of providence/grace, as Gandalf too is.