John 10:11-15
11. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for
the sheep. 12. But the hireling, and he who is not the shepherd, whose
own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and
fleeth, and the wolf teareth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13. The hireling
fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14. I am
the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known by mine. 15. As the
Father knoweth me, I also know the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep.
11. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. From the
extraordinary affection which he bears towards the sheep, he shows how
truly he acts towards them as a shepherd; for he is so anxious about their
salvation, that he does not even spare his own life. Hence it follows,
that they who reject the guardianship of so kind and amiable a shepherd
are exceedingly ungrateful, and deserve a hundred deaths, and are exposed
to every kind of harm. The remark of Augustine is exceedingly just, that
this passage informs us what we ought to desire, what we ought to avoid,
and what we ought to endure, in the government of the Church. Nothing is
more desirable than that the Church should be governed by good and diligent
shepherds. Christ declares that he is the good shepherd, who keeps his
Church safe and sound, first, by himself, and, next, by his agents. Whenever
there is good order, and fit men hold the government, then Christ shows
that he is actually the shepherd. But there are many wolves and thieves
who, wearing the garb of shepherds, wickedly scatter the Church. Whatever
name such persons may assume, Christ threatens that we must avoid them.
12. But the hireling. By hirelings we are to understand those
who retain the pure doctrine, and who proclaim the truth, as Paul says,
to serve a purpose rather than from pure zeal. Though such persons do not
serve Christ faithfully, yet we ought to hear them; for Christ wished that
the Pharisees should be heard, because they sat in Moses’ seat, (Matthew
23:2;) and, in like manner, we ought to give such honor to the Gospel,
as not to shrink from its ministers, though they be not good men. And as
even the slightest offenses render the Gospel distasteful to us, that we
may not be hindered by such false delicacy, let us always remember what
I have formerly suggested, that if the Spirit of Christ does not operate
so powerfully in ministers, as to make it plainly evident that he is their
shepherd, we suffer the punishment of our sins, and yet our obedience is
proved.
And he who is not the shepherd. Though Christ claims for himself alone
the name of a shepherd, yet he indirectly states that, in some respects,
he holds it in common with the agents by whom he acts. For we know that
there have been many, since the time of Christ, who did not hesitate to
shed their blood for the salvation of the Church; and even the prophets,
before his coming, did not spare their own life. But in his own person
he holds out a perfect example, so as to lay down a rule for his ministers.
For how base and shameful is our indolence, if our life is more dear to
us than the salvation of the Church, which Christ preferred to his own
life!
What is here said about laying down life for the sheep, may be viewed
as an undoubted and principal mark of paternal affection. Christ intended,
first, to demonstrate what a remarkable proof he gave of his love toward
us, and, next, to excite all his ministers to imitate his example. Yet
we must attend to the difference between them and him. He laid down his
life as the price of satisfaction, shed his blood to cleanse our souls,
offered his body as a propitiatory sacrifice, to reconcile the Father to
us. Nothing of all this can exist in the ministers of the Gospel, all of
whom need to be cleansed, and receive atonement and reconciliation to God
by that single sacrifice. But Christ does not argue here about the efficacy
or benefit of his death, so as to compare himself to others, but to prove
with what zeal and affection he is moved towards us, and, next, to invite
others to follow his example. In short, as it belongs exclusively to Christ
to procure life for us by his death, and to fulfill all that is contained
in the Gospel, so it is the universal duty of all pastors or shepherds,
to defend the doctrine which they proclaim, even at the expense of their
life, and to seal the doctrine of the Gospel with their blood, and to show
that it is not in vain that they teach that Christ has procured salvation
for themselves and for others.
But here a question may be put. Ought we to reckon that man a hireling,
who, for any reason whatever, shrinks from encountering the wolves? This
was anciently debated as a practical question, when tyrants raged cruelly
against the Church. Tertullian, and others of the same class, were, in
my opinion, too rigid on this point. I prefer greatly the moderation of
Augustine, who allows pastors to flee on the condition that, by their flight,
they contribute more to the public safety than they would do by betraying
the flock committed to their charge. And he shows that this is done, when
the Church is not deprived of well-qualified ministers, and when the life
of the pastor in particular is so eagerly sought, that his absence mitigates
the rage of enemies. But it the flock — as well as the pastor — be in danger,
and if there be reason to believe that the pastor flees, not so much from
a desire to promote the public advantage as from a dread of dying, Augustine
contends that this is not at all lawful, because the example of his flight
will do more injury than his life can do good in future. The reader may
consult the Epistle to Bishop Honoratus, (Ep. 108) On this ground it was
lawful for Cyprian to flee, who was so far from shuddering at death, that
he nobly refused to accept the offer of saving his life by a treacherous
denial of his Master. Only it must be held that a pastor ought to prefer
his flock, or even a single sheep, to his own life.
Whose own the sheep are not. Christ appears here to make all
shepherds besides himself to be, without exception, hirelings; for, since
he alone is shepherd, none of us have a right to say that the sheep which
he feeds are his own. But let us remember that they who are guided by the
Spirit of God reckon that to be their own which belongs to their Head;
and that not in order to claim power for themselves, but to keep faithfully
what has been committed to their charge. For he who is truly united to
Christ will never cease to take an interest in that which He valued so
highly. This is what he afterwards says:
13. The hireling fleeth. The reason is, because he careth not
for the sheep, which means, that his heart is not moved by the scattering
of the flock, because he thinks that it does not at all belong to him.
For he who looks to the hire, and not to the flock, though he may deceive
others, when the Church is in a state of tranquillity, yet when he comes
into the contest, will give proof of his treachery.
14. And I know my sheep, and am known by mine. In the former
clause, he again holds out his love towards us; for knowledge proceeds
from love, and is accompanied by care. But it means also that he utterly
disregards all who do not obey the Gospel, as he repeats in the second
clause, and confirms what he had formerly said, that — on the other hand
— he is known by the sheep.
15. As the Father knoweth me. It is unnecessary, and is not even
expedient, that we should enter into those thorny questions, How is it
that the Father knows his Wisdom? For Christ simply declares that, so far
as he is the bond of our union with God, he is placed between Him and us;
as if he had said, that it is no more possible for him to forget us, than
that he should be rejected or disregarded by the Father. At the same time,
he demands the duty which we mutually owe to him, because, as he employs
all the power which he has received from the Father for our protection,
so he wishes that we should be obedient and devoted to him, as he is wholly
devoted to his Father, and refers everything to him.
John 10:16
16. And I have other sheep, 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.
16. And I have other sheep. Though some refer this indiscriminately
to all, both Jews and Gentiles, who were not yet disciples of Christ, yet
I have no doubt that he had in his eye the calling of the Gentiles. For
he gives the appellation fold to the assemblage of the ancient people,
by which they were separated from the other nations of the world, and united
into one body as the heritage of God. The Jews had been adopted by God
in such a manner, that he surrounded them with certain enclosures, which
consisted of rites and ceremonies, that they might not be confounded with
unbelievers, though the door of the fold was the gracious covenant of eternal
life confirmed in Christ. For this reason he calls those sheep which had
not the same mark, but belonged to a different class, other sheep. In short,
the meaning is, that the pastoral office of Christ is not confined within
the limits of Judea, but is far more extensive.
Augustine’s observation on this passage is undoubtedly true, that, as
there are many wolves within the Church, so there are many sheep without.
But this is not applicable, in every respect, to the present passage, which
relates to the outward aspect of the Church, because the Gentiles, who
had been strangers for a time, were afterwards invited into the kingdom
of God, along with the Jews. Yet I acknowledge that Augustine’s statement
applies in this respect, that Christ gives the name of sheep to unbelievers,
who in themselves were the farthest possible from being entitled to be
called sheep. And not only does he point out, by this term, what they will
be, but rather refers this to the secret election of God, because we are
already God’s sheep, before we are aware that He is our shepherd. In like
manner, it is elsewhere said that we were enemies, when he loved us, (Romans
5:10;) and for this reason Paul also says that we were known by God, before
we knew him, (Galatians 4:9.)
Them also I must bring. He means that the election of God will
be secure, so that nothing of all that he wishes to be saved shall perish.
For the secret purpose of God, by which men were ordained to life, is at
length manifested in his own time by the calling, — the effectual calling,
when he regenerates by his Spirit, to be his sons, those who formerly were
begotten of flesh and blood.
But it may be asked, How were the Gentiles brought to be associated
with the Jews? For the Jews were not under the necessity of rejecting the
covenant which God made with their fathers, in order to become Christ’s
disciples; and the Gentiles, on the other hand, were not under the necessity
of submitting to the yoke of the Law, that, being ingrafted in Christ,
they might be associated with the Jews. Here we must attend to the distinction
between the substance of the covenant and the outward appendages. For the
Gentiles could not assent to the faith of Christ in any other way than
by embracing that everlasting covenant on which the salvation of the world
was founded. In this manner were fulfilled the predictions,
Strangers shall speak the language of Canaan, (Isaiah 19:18.)
Again,
Ten men of the Gentiles shall take hold of the cloak of one Jew, and
say, We will go with you, (Zechariah 8:23.)
Again,
Many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord, (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:2.)
Abraham was also called
a father of many nations, (Genesis 17:5; Romans 4:17,) because they
shall come from the East and from the West, who shall sit down with him
in the kingdom of God, (Matthew 8:11.)
As to ceremonies, they are the middle wall of partition, which, Paul
informs us, hath been thrown down, (Ephesians 2:14.) Thus, we have been
associated with the Jews in the unity of the faith, as to the substance;
and the ceremonies were abolished, that there might be nothing to prevent
the Jews from stretching out their hand to us.
And there shall be one fold and one shepherd. That is, that all the
children of God may be gathered and united into one body; as we acknowledge
that there is one holy universal Church, and there must be one body with
one head.
There is one God, says Paul, one faith, one baptism. Therefore we ought
to be one, as we are called into one hope,
(Ephesians 4:4, 5.)
Now though this flock appears to be divided into different folds, yet
they are kept within enclosures which are common to all believers who are
scattered throughout the whole world; because the same word is preached
to all, they use the same sacraments, they have the same order of prayer,
and every thing that belongs to the profession of faith.
And they shall hear my voice. We must observe the way in which
the flock of God is gathered. It is, when all have one shepherd, and when
his voice alone is heard. These words mean that, when the Church submits
to Christ alone, and obeys his commands, and hears his voice and his doctrine,
then only is it in a state of good order. If Papists can show us that there
is any thing of this sort among them, let them enjoy the title of The Church,
of which they vaunt so much. But if Christ is silent there, if his majesty
is trodden under foot, if his sacred ordinances are held up to scorn, what
else is their unity but a diabolical conspiracy, which is worse and far
more to be abhorred than any dispersion? Let us therefore remember that
we ought always to begin with the Head. Hence also the Prophets, when they
describe the restoration of the Church, always join David the king with
God; as if they said, that there is no Church where Christ does not reign,
and that there is no kingdom of God, but where the honor of shepherd is
granted to Christ.
