João 10
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 10
Barclay comments that "Pastor is the Latin word for a shepherd. At this time the Christian Church was no more than a little island in a sea of paganism. The people who came into it were only one remove from their heathen lives; they were in constant danger of relapsing into heathenism; and the duty of the pastor was to shepherd his flock and keep them safe. Dictionary articles on Pastor Poimen - 17v - Matt. 9:36; Matt. 25:32; Matt. 26:31; Mk. 6:34; Mk. 14:27; Lk. 2:8; Lk. 2:15; Lk. 2:18; Lk. 2:20; Jn. 10:2; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:12; Jn. 10:14; Jn. 10:16; Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25 William Barclay's description of the EASTERN SHEPHERD - (SUGGESTION - AS YOU READ THIS DESCRIPTION THINK OF YOURSELF AS THE SHEEP AND JESUS AS YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD! I THINK YOU WILL QUICKLY SEE THE SPIRITUAL PARALLELS!) - His life was very hard. No flock ever grazed without a shepherd, and he was never off duty (cf Ro 8:34+, Heb 7:25+, Heb 13:5b+). There being little grass, the sheep were bound to wander; and since there were no protecting walls, the sheep had constantly to be watched (cf Ps 121:7, 8+). On either side of the narrow plateau, the ground dipped sharply down to the craggy deserts, and the sheep were always liable to stray away and get lost. The shepherd's task was not only constant but also dangerous, for, in addition, he had to guard the flock against wild animals, especially against wolves (cf Mt 7:15+, Mt 10:16+, Lk 10:3+, Acts 20:29+), and there were always thieves and robbers ready to steal the sheep. George Adam Smith, an Old Testament scholar who travelled in Palestine, writes: 'On some high moor across which at night the hyaenas howl, when you meet him, sleepless, far-sighted, weather-beaten, armed, leaning on his staff and looking out over his scattered sheep, every one of them on his heart, you understand why the shepherd of Judaea sprang to the front in his people's history; why they gave his name to the king and made him the symbol of providence; why Christ took him as the type of self-sacrifice.' Constant vigilance, fearless courage and patient love for his flock were the necessary characteristics of the shepherd (ED: BELOVED IS THAT NOT A BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF OUR JESUS!). In the Old Testament, God is often pictured as the shepherd, and the people as his flock. 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want' (Psalm 23:1). 'You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron' (Psalm 77:20). 'We your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you for ever' (Psalm 79:13). 'Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock' (Psalm 80:1). 'For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand' (Psalm 95:7). 'We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture' (Psalm 100:3). God's Anointed One, the Messiah, is also pictured as the shepherd of the sheep. 'He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep' (Isaiah 40:11). 'He will be shepherding the flock of the Lord faithfully and righteously, and will suffer none of them to stumble in their pasture. He will lead them all aright' (Psalms of Solomon 17:40-41). The leaders of the people are described as the shepherds of God's people and nation. 'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!' (Jeremiah 23:1). Ezekiel has a tremendous indictment of the false leaders who seek their own good rather than the good of the flock. 'Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?' (Ezekiel 34:2). This picture passes over into the New Testament. Jesus is the good shepherd. He is the shepherd Who will risk (GIVE) His life to seek and to save the one straying sheep (Matthew 18:12; Luke 15:4). He has pity upon the people because they are as sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34). His disciples are His little flock (Luke 12:32). When He, the Shepherd, is smitten, the sheep are scattered (Mark 14:27; Matthew 26:31). He is the Shepherd of human souls (1 Peter 2:25), and the great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20). (NUMBERING ADDED) Just as in the Old Testament picture, the leaders of the Church are the shepherds and the people are the flock. It is the duty of the leader to feed the flock of God, to accept the oversight willingly and not by constraint, to do it eagerly and not for love of money, not to use the position for the exercise of power and to be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:2-3+). Paul urges the elders of Ephesus to take heed to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers (Acts 20:28+). It is Jesus' last command to Peter that he should feed his lambs and his sheep (John 21:15-19+). The very word pastor (Ephesians 4:11+) is the Latin word for shepherd. (John 10 Commentary) John 10:3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. BGT John 10:3 τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει καὶ τὰ πρόβατα τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούει καὶ τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα φωνεῖ κατ᾽ ὄνομα καὶ ἐξάγει αὐτά. KJV John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. NET John 10:3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. CSB John 10:3 The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ESV John 10:3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. NIV John 10:3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. NLT John 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. To him the doorkeeper opens: Isa 53:10-12 1Co 16:9 Col 4:3 1Pe 1:12 Rev 3:7,8,20 the sheep hear his voice: John 10:4,16,26,27 6:37,45 Song 8:13 he calls his own sheep by name : John 10:14,27 Ex 33:17 Ro 8:30 Php 4:3 2Ti 2:19 Rev 20:15 leads them out: Ps 23:2,3 78:52,53 80:1 Isa 40:11 Isa 42:16 Isa 49:9,10 Jer 31:8,9 Jer 50:4-6 Eze 34:11-16 Rev 7:17 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 33:12+ Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ Numbers 27:16-17+ (MOSES PRAYED) “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (ED: GOD ANSWERED WITH JOSHUA - HIS NAME MEANS JEHOVAH SAVES AND IS TRANSLATED IN THE SEPTUAGINT WITH IESOUS THE NT WORD FOR JESUS!) Isaiah 40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 49:9-10 Saying to those who are bound, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. 10 “They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water. Ezekiel 34:11-16 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 “I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord GOD. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment. Revelation 7:17+ for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” SHEEP KNOW THEIR SHEPHERD & HE KNOWS THEM To him (the shepherd) the doorkeeper (thuroros) opens (anoigo) - The porter or watchman is the one who guarded the door of the sheep pen at night and would open it in the morning, opening it only for the true shepherd. This is why the thieves and robbers must gain entrance some other way. Keep in mind the picture of the ancient sheepfold near a village or city. The doorkeeper was usually paid a fee by all of the shepherds who would put their several flocks in the pen overnight. Ostensibly this would create a problem because how could each shepherd owner collect his own sheep in the morning? The key is the in this verse. The individual sheep knew their owner's voice and responded only to him. God had created or "hard wired" this trait into sheep and it now became the foundation for the wonderful teaching by the God-Man, Jesus! And the sheep (probaton) hear (akouo) his voice (phone) - Remember that hear means much more that just hearing sound waves, but means to listen attentively so as to obey. Hear and heed is the idea (cf Jn 10:27+ - hear and follow) If you don't obey, you really did not hear! Every Near Eastern shepherd had a unique call that his sheep recognized. They did not just hear the sound of his voice, but they knew the sound was his voice being able to distinguish it from all others. Note that voice (phone) is a key word in John 10 occurring 5x - John 10:3, 4, 5, 16, 27. It is fascinating that shepherds to this day will give particular names to their sheep. THOUGHT - How do we hear our Good Shepherd's voice today? We hear by reading His living and active Word. This begs the question -- Are you having difficulty hearing His Word (and receiving His guidance)? While sin certainly can impede hearing His voice, the simple fact of not reading His Word will result in difficulty in hearing His voice. As an aside, I think this is one of the great advantages of memorizing His Word, for then we have it in our mind and heart so that His Spirit can use it to guide us and guard us (cf Ps 119:9-11+). See Memorizing His Word and Memory Verses by Topic. One other practical point is the better we know His voice in His Word, the better trained our ears will be to recognize words that are not in agreement with His Word. Have you ever listened to a sermon or teaching and something in you said "That just doesn't sound right?" I would submit that just might be Spirit enabled "voice recognition." Hebrews 5:14+ says "solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained (gumnazo in perfect tense) to discern (diakrisis) good and evil." How's your spiritual training going dearly beloved of Christ? Bob
João 10
Barclay - He began by saying: 'I am the door.' In this parable, Jesus spoke about two kinds of sheepfolds. In the villages and towns themselves, there were communal sheepfolds where all the village flocks were sheltered when they returned home at night. These folds were protected by a strong door of which only the guardian of the door held the key. It was to that kind of fold Jesus referred in Jn 10:2-3. But when the sheep were out on the hills in the warm season and did not return at night to the village at all, they were collected into sheepfolds on the hillside. These hillside sheepfolds were just open spaces enclosed by a wall. In them, there was an opening by which the sheep came in and went out; but there was no door of any kind. What happened was that at night the shepherd himself lay down across the opening, and no sheep could get out or in except over his body. In the most literal sense, the shepherd was the door. Marcus Dods (Expositor's Greek Testament) suggests that Jesus' statement was "Primarily uttered for the excommunicated man (Jn 9:34, 35+), these words conveyed the assurance that instead of being outcast by his attachment to Jesus he had gained admittance to the fellowship of God and all good men.” While this may be true, it seems likely that Jesus' repetition was also for the hard of hearing (hard hearted) Pharisees (cf Acts 7:51+) who were not yet born again like the excommunicated man. Lenski on said to them again - One purpose was already accomplished (see Lenski's note above); a still greater purpose may yet be accomplished even in the blind Pharisees. More light is added. If this does not penetrate, the judgment on these men will be more pronounced. If it does penetrate at last, grace and truth will win another victory. The added light will, of course, still more enlighten those who see. So Jesus speaks "again." He interprets his paroimia and, as in so many instances, adds new features to the interpretation, intensifying the power of the light to the utmost. (Page 714 Interpretation of John's Gospel) Steven
João 10
Barclay has an interesting comment on go in and out - To describe something of what that entrance to God means, Jesus uses a well-known Hebrew phrase. He says that through him we can go in and come out. To be able to come and go unmolested was the Jewish way of describing a life that is absolutely secure and safe. When people can go in and out without fear, it means that their country is at peace, that the forces of law and order are supreme, and that they enjoy perfect security. The leader of the nation is to be one who can bring them out and lead them in (Nu 27:17+). The person who is obedient to God is said to be blessed when he comes in and blessed when going out (Deuteronomy 28:6+). A child is one who is not yet able by himself to go out and to come in (1 Kings 3:7). The psalmist is certain that God will keep him in his going out and in his coming in (Psalm 121:8+). Once anyone discovers, through Jesus Christ, what God is like, a new sense of safety and of security enters into life. If life is known to be in the hands of a God like that, the worries and the fears are gone. Steven
João 10
Barclay on good - Now in Greek, there are two words for good. There is agathos which simply describes the moral quality of a thing; there is kalos which means that in the goodness there is a certain charm which makes it lovely. When Jesus is described as the good shepherd, the word is kalos. In Him, there is more than efficiency and more than fidelity; there is loveliness. Sometimes in a village or town, people speak about the good doctor. They are not thinking only of the doctor's efficiency and skill as a physician; they are thinking of the sympathy and the kindness and the graciousness which that doctor has brought and which in turn has brought friendship to all. In the picture of Jesus as the good shepherd, there is loveliness as well as strength and power. (John 10 Commentary) Play and ponder the words of The Goodness of God - see if you can hear the allusion to Ps 23:6 "Surely goodness and lovingkindness (mercy) will follow me all the days of my life." The Hebrew word for follow is radaph which means to pursue. The Septuagint translates "follow" with the Greek verb katadioko which means to search for, hunt for, track down (used in Mk 1:36+). THOUGHT - Have you ever run from the goodness of God? That's rhetorical of course! We are all rebels in our fallen flesh! We have all run from Him. Every time we sin and seek our will over His will, we, in effect, "run" from Him. But praise God, He is faithful to never stop running after us, pursuing us, hunting for us, tracking us down regardless of the darkness into which we have run! What a great, loving Father we are privileged to love and worship! Hallelujah (allelouia)! Hosanna!
João 10
Barclay - The unity comes from the fact, not that all the sheep are forced into one fold, but that they all hear, answer and obey one shepherd. It is not ecclesiastical unity; it is a unity of loyalty to Jesus Christ. (John 10 Commentary) R C Sproul makes an interesting statement - Verse 16 is probably one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible...I’ve heard this text cited to prove that Jesus, after His ministry on earth, went to Mars, Venus, or some other galaxy and continued His mission of redemption, seeking out sheep elsewhere in the cosmos. That’s not what He was talking about at all. He was simply saying that He had sheep that were not members of the house of Israel. He was talking about the expansion of the gospel beyond the borders of Israel to the world of the Gentiles. (BORROW John) David
João 10
Barclay - It is only in Jesus Christ that the world can become one. Egerton Young was the first missionary to the native Americans. In Saskatchewan, he went out and told them of the love of God. To the Indians, it was like a new revelation. When the missionary had told his message, an old chief said: 'When you spoke of the great Spirit just now, did I hear you say, "Our Father"?' 'Yes,' said Egerton Young. 'That is very new and sweet to me,' said the chief. 'We never thought of the great Spirit as Father. We heard him in the thunder; we saw him in the lightning, the tempest and the blizzard, and we were afraid. So when you tell us that the great Spirit is our Father, that is very beautiful to us.' The old man paused, and then he went on, as a glimpse of glory suddenly shone on him. 'Missionary, did you say that the great Spirit is your Father?' 'Yes,' said the missionary. 'And,' said the chief, 'did you say that he is our Father?' 'I did,' said the missionary. 'Then,' said the old chief, like a man on whom a dawn of joy had burst, ' you and I are brothers!' (John 10 Commentary) Jon Courson - John 10:17–18 from A Day's Journey As an Old Testament believer, if you wanted to be touched by God, you would bring a lamb to the temple. There the priests would carefully inspect and scrutinize it for any spot or blemish. It was not the worshipper who was judged, it was the lamb. Herein lies a fabulous truth. You see, I can be guided by the Father tonight; I can be led by the Father tomorrow. I can expect to receive abundant life. I can look forward to His blessing upon me and upon my family. I can trust He will anoint my head with oil, that He will take care of the predators who are coming out to get me, that He will lead me through the valley of darkness. I can expect a table set before me; I can expect to truly fellowship with God—not because of my spotlessness, but because the Lamb has been inspected and found perfect. Worthy is the Lamb. I can receive blessing tonight not because I’ve attended church, not because I’ve read fifteen chapters in my Bible, not because I didn’t watch television. I enjoy the blessing of God upon my life solely because of the Lamb. ‘I lay down My life,’ Jesus said. He didn’t say, ‘You better lay down your life if you expect to be blessed.’ While it is true that He would call us in discipleship to take up our cross daily and follow Him, my entry into the presence of the Father is not based upon who I am, what I do, or what I don’t do. It is based upon who He is and what He did on the Cross. The Shepherd became a Lamb that we dumb sheep might know the Shepherd. Worthy indeed is the Lamb. This Fold and the Other Sheep W. Arnot, D. D. I. THIS FOLD: the seed of Israel. By His personal ministry our Lord founded the kingdom in Israel and some of the seed of Abraham were gathered in. II. OTHER SHEEP NOT OF THIS FOLD. Here the expansive love of Jesus breaks forth. He began at Jerusalem, but the longings of His heart go forth to the end of the earth. III. I HAVE. Mark the all encompassing sovereignty of His love. They were His in the covenant from the beginning. At a time when they were neither born nor born again He counts them His. IV. THEM ALSO. There is no respect of persons. No poor slave will be left out because he is black; no servant pushed aside to make way for his master; no rich or powerful man is kept out at the cry of the envious mob. If any were kept back the Lord would say, "them also; gather up the fragments," etc. What a cheering word l It embraces the prodigal, the dying thief, Saul of Tarsus. V. I BRING. He sends none forward to make or find their own way. "In all their afflictions He is afflicted." They shall not traverse the valley of the shadow alone. None shall stand at the Judgment to make the best of his own case. "I am the Way." He brings them through the regeneration into the fold on earth. It often takes much bringing; but all power is given to the Captain of our salvation. The drunkard, miser, etc., are made willing in the day of His power. And that same bringing power shall rend the gates of death. VI. I MUST. He commands the winds and the sea and they obey; who then can command Him? His own yearning love. QUESTION - What is the one shepherd and one flock that Jesus talks about in John 10:16? ANSWER - John 10 gives us a beautiful portrayal of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. He is the “gate” and “gatekeeper” to the sheep pen, meaning that only through Jesus can anyone be made right with God and thereby enter the sheepfold (verses 1–3). The sheepfold is comprised of members of God’s kingdom. Jesus is the true Shepherd who leads, cares for, and protects His sheep, even to death (verses 3–15). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus explains, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Who are these “other sheep that are not of this sheep pen”? Most scholars understand that the sheep pen introduced at the beginning of the chapter represents first-century Jewish believers. Initially, Jesus focused His ministry on “the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep” (see Matthew 10:5–6; 15:24–27, NLT). At Pentecost, “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” were converted to Christianity (Acts 2:5). But, eventually, Peter and Paul would take the message of Christ’s salvation to the Gentiles and to the farthest reaches of the Roman world (Acts 10:1—11:30; 13). The true mission of God’s heart has always been to have one flock comprised of disciples from “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9; see also Matthew 28:18–19; Isaiah 49:6). The “one flock” is the New Testament Christian church made up of both Jews (from the sheep pen) and Gentiles (the other sheep). Of “the other sheep,” Jesus said, “I must bring them also.” In Romans 11:11–24, the apostle Paul compares the people of Israel to the natural branches of a cultivated olive tree and the Gentiles to the wild branches of an uncultivated olive tree. Most of the natural branches were “broken off” because they rejected their Messiah. In the sheep analogy, these Jews would have failed to enter the sheep pen because they did not come through the gate. The wild branches (the Gentiles) were “grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root” (Romans 11:17). The Gentiles were made partakers of God’s salvation. Jesus has brought them into the sheep pen. Together, Jews and Gentiles—all those who belong to the Good Shepherd—now comprise the spiritually unified “one flock,” the body of Christ, and Jesus is their “one shepherd.” In Ephesians 2:11–22, the apostle Paul teaches about the oneness that has come to God’s people through Christ: “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called ‘uncircumcised heathens’ by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11–13, NLT). Jews and Gentiles have been united with God and with one another through one shepherd—the Good Shepherd. They are all now one flock. Jesus is “our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. . . . For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:14–18). Later, Paul refers to the oneness of the New Testament church as a “mystery” that “through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6). God’s plan has always been to gather in one flock “the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one” (John 11:52; see also Isaiah 56:8; Matthew 8:11). Jesus prayed for His flock, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11; see also John 17:21–22). No matter how different we are, no matter how diverse our backgrounds, as redeemed believers in Jesus Christ, we are no longer estranged from one another. We are one flock with one shepherd—fellow citizens of the kingdom of God. Skin color, social class, ethnicity, and nationality are all united in the Good Shepherd’s sheep pen (Ephesians 2:19).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Who are the “other sheep” mentioned in John 10:16? ANSWER - To understand who the “other sheep” from John 10:16 are, we must begin with the context of the verse and examine the whole passage. We know from many Bible passages that sheep are a symbol of true believers who follow Christ, their true Shepherd. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. If He says that there are “other” sheep, then we must identify the original sheep that the “others” are different from. Beginning in chapter 9 of John, we find Jesus discoursing at great length with the Pharisees after He healed a man who was born blind. He compares the man’s simple faith with the unbelief of the Pharisees and condemns them for their willful spiritual blindness. He begins by denouncing the false shepherds of Israel—the blind, self-appointed leaders who drew the people away from the true knowledge and kingdom of their Messiah (John 9:39-41). Then in chapter 10, He explains at great length the nature of true sheep, those who follow the Good Shepherd, sent and appointed by God. True sheep are those who listen to the voice of the Shepherd (v. 3) and follow Him (v. 4) and know Him (v. 14). He can only be speaking here of the true sheep of Israel because, up to that point, His ministry was confined to the sheep of Israel. In verse 16, Jesus refers to the “other sheep,” and those can only be sheep that are outside of Israel, in other words, Gentiles. But the Gentiles who would follow Him are no less sheep than the true sheep of Israel. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that the Gentile sheep would also hear His voice and follow Him, and, eventually, there would be only one flock and one Shepherd. This is the mystery of the universal body of Christ, the church, which Paul refers to in Ephesians 3:6, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” A mystery in Scripture is usually something not revealed previously, and this mystery—one universal church with both Jews and Gentiles brought together in one body in the Messiah—was so shocking to the Pharisees that they accused Jesus of being a demon-possessed lunatic (John 10:20-21). Paul’s commission from Christ was to “preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) because the Gentiles, the “other sheep,” needed to be brought into the fold of the true Shepherd. Paul explains in Romans 11:16-36 the mystery of the church by using the imagery of a branch (the Gentiles) being grafted into the tree (Israel). Israel has been temporarily set aside until the “full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). This is occurring now in the Church Age, but eventually both Jews and Gentiles will live in glorious harmony in the Millennial Kingdom and then in eternity when all true sheep will follow their Shepherd forever as one body. GotQuestions.org David Reed - Mormons: Answered Verse by Verse - page 74 - John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Mormons see in this verse a reference to the alleged visit of Christ to the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, as related in the Book of Mormon. Who else could these “other sheep” be, they ask, than Israelites living in the New World? Christian commentators apply this expression to Gentiles, people not of the house of Israel. But Mormons answer that this could not be, since Jesus was sent only “unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24 - see page 68.). They reason that Jesus preached only to the descendants of Israel’s son Judah during his ministry in Palestine, and that “a remnant of the house of Joseph” heard his voice when he visited them in the Western Hemisphere. (A Marvelous Work And A Wonder, by LeGrand Richards, 1979 edition, p. 60.) In discussions with Christians who, of course, do not believe in the Book of Mormon, LDS missionaries may use the above line of reasoning to support their interpretation of John 10:16. But the real reason they believe this interpretation is that it is spelled out for them in the Book of Mormon. The words of Jesus at John 10:16 are repeated (following the King James Bible word for word) in the Book of Mormon at 3 Nephi 15:17 and again at 3 Nephi 15:21 and are discussed in detail throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of 3 Nephi. The speaker is alleged to be Jesus himself during a visit in the year A.D. 34 to the Nephite people of America, whom he identifies as the “other sheep” referred to in his earlier talk at Jerusalem. See the discussion of 3 Nephi 15:17, 21, 22 for more on this portion of Mormon scripture. When Jesus started his ministry it was aimed at the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:22–28). He traveled through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and the Jews who eventually put faith in him were not limited to descendants of Judah but also included members of the Israelite tribes of Benjamin (Rom. 11:1) and Asher (Luke 2:36), indeed individuals from “all the house of Israel” (Acts 2:36). In addition, God had said through the Hebrew prophets that “I will provoke you [Israel] to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.… I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me” (Rom. 10:19, 29). This description would not fit the Nephite or Lamanite peoples claimed by the Mormons to have received a visit from Christ in the New World. But it would fit the Gentiles. And the Scriptures show clearly that the sheep flocking to Christ as their shepherd would eventually include Gentiles: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.… And in his name shall the Gentiles trust (Matt. 12:18, 21). But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it (Acts 28:28). See also the discussion of Matthew 15:24 - page 68. Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - see page 143 - JOHN 10:16—Does this verse refer to the “other sheep” who will live forever on a paradise earth? MISINTERPRETATION: Jehovah’s Witnesses say there are two flocks of God’s people. “The ‘little flock’ in one fold will rule with Christ in heaven, and the ‘other sheep’ in the other fold will live on the Paradise earth” (The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991, section 80). Mormons believe the “other sheep” mentioned in this verse are displaced Israelites who migrated to America (Smith, 1975, 3:214). CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: The “other sheep” in John 10:16 are Gentile believers as opposed to Jewish believers. The lost Jews in the Gospels had been called “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 10:6; 15:24). The Jews who followed Christ were called his “sheep” (John 10). When Jesus said “I have other sheep, which are not of this [Jewish] fold” (insert added), he was clearly referring to non-Jewish, Gentile believers. The Gentile believers, along with the Jewish believers, “shall become one flock with one shepherd,” not one flock on earth and one flock in heaven (see John 10:16). David Reed - BORROW Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse page 78- John 10:16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (NKJV) If Jesus was here calling the future Gentile believers his “other sheep,” as is commonly understood, then he was hinting to his Jewish disciples about the time when his flock would embrace a worldwide body of believers from all nationalities. But the Watchtower Society attaches a different meaning to this text. They contrast the “other sheep” with the “little flock” mentioned at Luke 12:32, where the Lord said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (NKJV). The “little flock,” Witnesses say, are 144,000 spirit-anointed believers who make up the body of Christ and will go to heaven, while the “other sheep” include all other believers—those who will receive everlasting life on earth. The opportunity to become part of the “little flock” ended back in the year 1935, so their story goes; thus, better than 99 percent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses today consider themselves to be of the “other sheep” class. This matter might almost seem academic, except for the fact that those who see themselves as “other sheep” thereby exclude themselves not only from heaven, but also from the New Covenant mediated by Christ and from all that the Bible promises to members of the body of Christ. To refute the doctrine that Christians are divided into heavenly and earthly classes, see the discussions at Revelation 7:4 (about the “little flock” of 144,000) and Revelation 7:9 (about the “great crowd” of “other sheep”). Besides the vast majority of JWs, the Watchtower Society also throws all pre-Christian believers into the “other sheep” class with an earthly hope. Thus, Witnesses believe that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the prophets, and so on, do not go to heaven. The best response to this is to read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which refers to several faithful pre-Christian men and women (including the patriarchs and the prophets) and then says of them that “they were strangers and exiles on the earth.… But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God … has prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:13, 16, RSV). What city in a heavenly country? Evidently, the “city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22, RSV). See also the discussions of Psalm 37:9, 11, 29; Psalm 115:16; Luke 23:43; and Revelation 7:9. Rob
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Barclay - Jesus saw his whole life as an act of obedience to God. God had given him a task to do, and he was prepared to carry it out to the end (John 10 Commentary) Because - Term of explanation. Jesus is explaining the "for this reason." The resurrection was like the Father's "AMEN" to the Son's "It is Finished" (Jn 19:30+). I lay down My life (psuche) so that (hina - purpose clause) I may take it again - Jesus is clearly not saying He earned the love of His Father by laying down His life, for the Father and the Son have eternally loved One Another with an infinite, perfect love (Jn 17:24). So how do we understand Jesus' words in this passage? D A Carson explains it this way - "It is not that the Father withholds His love until Jesus agrees to give up His life on the cross and rise again. Rather, the love of the Father for the Son is eternally linked with the unqualified obedience of the Son to the Father, His utter dependence upon Him, culminating in this greatest act of obedience now just before him [the cross]." (BORROW The Gospel According to John - Pillar Commentary Series - see page 388) Note the verb I lay down which speaks of Jesus making the conscious, volitional choice to give up His life. Men exercised power in arresting, trying (falsely) and crucifying (murdering) Him, but they could have done none of this evil had He not willingly submitted. He did it for His sheep! So that is a purpose clause, which indicates that one of the purposes of His death was that He might come back to life in the resurrection, in so doing opening the way for resurrection life for all of His sheep. While we know the Father and the Spirit were active in Jesus' resurrection, here again we see that Jesus Himself was active in bringing about resurrection power to His dead body. The NLT paraphrase says "And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit." (Ro 1:4NLT+). Warren