10:1 Verily, 1 verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by
the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
way, the same is a thief and a robber.
(1) Seeing that by Christ alone we have access to the Father,
there are no true shepherds other than those who come to
Christ themselves and bring others there also, neither is
any to be thought to be in the true sheepfold but those who
are gathered to Christ.
10:3 To him the a porter openeth; and the sheep hear his
voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth
them out.
(a) In those days they used to have a servant always
sitting at the door, and therefore he speaks after the
manner of those days.
10:6 This b parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood
not what things they were which he spake unto them.
(b) This word "parable", which the evangelist uses here,
signifies a hidden type of speech, when words are not
used with their natural meaning, but are used to
signify another thing to us.
10:82 All that c ever came before me are thieves and
robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
(2) It does not matter how many false teachers there
have been, neither how old they have been.
(c) These terms must be applied to the matter he speaks of.
And therefore when he calls himself the door, he calls
all those thieves and robbers who take upon themselves
this name of "door", which none of the prophets can do,
for they showed the sheep that Christ was the door.
10:93 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall d go in and out, and find pasture.
(3) Only Christ is the true Pastor, and those only are the true
Church who acknowledge him to properly be their only
Pastor: opposite to him are thieves who do not feed the
sheep, but kill them: and hirelings also, who forsake the
flock in time of danger, because they feed it only for
their own profit and gains.
(d) That is, will live safely, as the Jews used to speak
(see (De 26:6-10)), and yet there is a special
reference to the shepherd's office.
10:15 As the Father e knoweth me, even so know I the Father:
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
(e) Loves me, allows me.
10:164 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 f one fold, [and] one shepherd.
(4) The calling of the Gentiles.
(f) The distinguishing mark of the Christian Church
throughout all the world, is that it has only one head,
that is Christ, the only keeper, and only shepherd of it.
10:175 Therefore doth my Father love me, because g I lay
down my life, that I might take it again.
(5) Christ is by the decree of the Father the only true
shepherd of the true Church, for he willingly gave his life
for his sheep, and by his own power rose again to life.
(g) He uses the present tense because Christ's whole life
was as it were a perpetual death.
10:196 There was a division therefore again among the Jews
for these sayings.
(6) The gospel uncovers hypocrisy, and therefore the world must
necessarily rage when the gospel comes forth.
10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the h dedication,
and it was winter.
(h) The feast of the dedication was instituted by Judas
Maccabeus and his brethren after the restoring of
God's true religion, by the casting out of Antiochus'
garrison.
10:237 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
(7) The unbelievers and proud men accuse the gospel of
darkness, and this very darkness is indeed within
themselves.
10:258 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:
the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness
of me.
(8) The doctrine of the gospel is proved from heaven by two
witnesses: both by the purity of the doctrine and by
miracles.
10:269 But ye believe not, i because ye are not of my
sheep, as I said unto you.
(9) It is no marvel that only a few believe, seeing that all
men are by nature untamed beasts: yet nonetheless God has
his own, which he turns into sheep, and commits them unto
his Son, and preserves them against the cruelty of all wild
beasts.
(i) He gives a reason why they do not believe, that is,
because they are not his sheep.
10:3110 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
(10) Christ proves his dignity by divine works.
10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you
from my k Father; for which of those works do ye stone
me?
(k) Through my Father's authority and power.
10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came,
and the scripture cannot be l broken;
(l) Void and of no effect.
10:3911 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he
escaped out of their hand,
(11) Christ flees danger, not because of mistrust, nor for fear
of death, nor that he would be lazy, but to gather a
Church in another place.
