João 10

João 10

Vernon McGee - The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I think this is a test you can apply to a church, a religious organization, a radio or television program. Is it a religious racket? Is somebody getting rich out of it? Compare it to the Good Shepherd who came to save sinners and to give us life, abundant life. (See Thru the Bible Vol. 38: The Gospels (John 1-10) - Google Book) D A Carson - "The world still seeks its humanistic, political saviours-its Hitlers, its Stalins, its Maos, its Pol Pots-and only too late does it learn that they blatantly confiscate personal property (they come 'only to steal'), ruthlessly trample human life under foot (they come 'only . . . to kill'), and contemptuously savage all that is valuable (they come 'only . . . to destroy').....Within the metaphorical, life...to the full (LIFE...ABUNDANTLY) suggests fat, contented, flourishing sheep, not terrorized by brigands; outside the narrative world, it means that the life Jesus' true disciples enjoy is not to be construed as more time to fill (merely 'everlasting life'), but life at its scarcely imagined best, life to be lived." (BORROW The Gospel according to John PAGE 384) False teachers are thieves who may claim to offer salvation, but their intentions are not good. (Gotquestions) The verb for destroy is apollumi which Jesus used in Matthew 10:28+ commanding His disciples “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy (apollumi) both soul and body in hell." The most tragic consequence of the thieves would be that their "sheep" would be eternally destroyed in hell! In John 10:28+ Jesus, the Good Shepherd, radically contrasts Himself with the thief declaring "I give eternal life to them, and they will (ABSOLUTELY) never perish (apollumi); and no one will snatch them out of My hand." Jesus gives life which is eternal, but it begins now! I came that (hina - introduces purpose clause that) they may have life (zoe), and have it abundantly (perissos - in superabundance, more than enough) - While there is no contrast word like "but," clearly the contrast with the first part of the verse is dramatic! One brings death. The other brings life! The purpose of the coming of the thieves and robbers was to further their own ends and destroy life. By contrast, Jesus came to give life, at the expense of His own life. Both uses of have (have life...have it abundantly) are in the present tense which speaks of continual life (now and in eternity) and continually (now and in eternity) over and above life.