John 10:7-18 Meaning

John 10:7 Direct teaching

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 Direct teaching

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 10:2 Direct teaching

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

He is called Jesus. Sometimes He calls Himself a shepherd and says, "I am the good Shepherd," in John 10:11. By a metaphor taken from shepherds, who lead sheep, this means the Instructor who leads the children — the Shepherd who cares for the little ones. For the little ones are simple, and are figuratively described as sheep. And, as it is said, "they shall all be one flock, and one shepherd," in John 10:16. Therefore the Word, who leads the children to salvation, is rightly called the Instructor, or Pædagogue.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...imbs up some other way, that same man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens." Then the Lord says in explanation, "I am the door of the sheep." Men, then, must be saved by learning the truth through Christ, even if they attain philosophy. For now that has been clearly shown which was not made known to other ages, which is now revealed to the sons of men, Ephesians 3:5. For there was always a natural manifestation of the one Almighty God among all right-thinking men. And most, who had not completely stripped themselves of shame with respect to the truth, understood the eternal beneficence in divine providence. In short, then, Xenocrates the Chalcedonian was not entirely without hope that the notion of the Divinity existed even in the irrational creatures. And Democritus, though against his will, will make this confession by the consequences of his teachings. For he represents the same images as issuing from the divine essence to men and to the irrational animals. Man is far from being without a divine idea, for it is written in Genesis that he shared in inspiration, being endowed with a purer essence than t

Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness

...up some other way, that man is a thief and a robber. John 10:2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. John 10:3 Therefore the keeper of the door opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his sheep by their names, and they go out to him. John 10:4 And when he has brought out his sheep, he goes before them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:5 The sheep will not follow a stranger, but they flee from him, because they do not know the voice of a stranger. John 10:6 Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

John 10:11 Direct teaching

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:15 Direct teaching

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

And He who led this lamb to the slaughter was God in man, the great High-Priest, as he shows by the words: John 10:18 No one takes My life away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.

Hippolytus, Against the Heresy of Noetus Supporting witness

...ted His spirit to Him. Bowing His head, He gave up His spirit, though He had said, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." And because He was not overcome by death, since He Himself is Life, He said this: "I lay it down of myself." And He who generously gives life to all had His side pierced with a spear. And He who raises the dead was wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. On the third day He was raised again by the Father, though He Himself is the Resurrection and the Life. For He completed all these things for us, He who for our sake was made as we are. For He Himself bore our infirmities and carried our diseases. For our sake He was afflicted, as Isaiah the prophet has said. This is He who was praised in song by the angels, seen by the shepherds, waited for by Simeon, and witnessed to by Anna. This is He who was sought by the wise men and pointed out by the star. He was busy in His Father's house, pointed out by John, and witnessed to by the Father from above in the voice, "This is my beloved Son; hear Him." He is crowned as victor over the devil. This is Jesus of Nazareth, who was invited to the marriage feast in Cana and turned the water into w

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

...ll build it up again." Or again, in another place and on another subject, He says, "I have power to lay down my life, and to take it up again; for this commandment I have received from my Father." Now who is it that says He can lay down His life, or can Himself take up His life again, because He has received this from His Father? Or who says that He can raise up again and rebuild the destroyed temple of His body, except because He is the Word who is from the Father, who is with the Father, by whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made; the imitator of His Father’s works and powers; the image of the invisible God; who came down from heaven; who testified to what He had seen and heard; who came not to do His own will, but rather the will of the Father, by whom He had been sent for this very purpose, that, being made the Messenger of Great Counsel, He might unfold to us the laws of the heavenly mysteries; and who, as the Word made flesh, dwelt among us? From these things, this Christ is proved to be not only man, because He was the Son of man, but also God, because He is the Son of God. And if Christ is called by the apostle "the first-born of every creature," how

Tertullian, De Fuga in Persecutione Supporting witness

Most assuredly a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, according to the word of Moses, when the Lord Christ had not as yet been revealed, but was already shadowed forth in himself: If you destroy this people, he says, destroy me also along with it.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Ezekiel 34:3-4 and then also the Lord Himself, fulfilling what had been written in the law and the prophets, teaches, saying, I am the good shepherd, who lay down my life for the sheep.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...s our Lord suffered death for me and for all men.” For the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. But the hired servant, who is not the shepherd and whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, that is, the devil, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf seizes them. John 10:11-12 We must know, therefore, that God is very merciful to those who have offended, and has promised repentance with an oath. But the one who has offended and does not know this promise of God about repentance, and does not understand His long-suffering and forbearance, and is also ignorant of the Holy Scriptures that proclaim repentance, because he has never learned them from you, perishes through his own folly. But like a compassionate shepherd and a careful feeder of the flock, search out your flock and keep account of it. Seek what is missing. Matthew 18:12 For the Lord God, our gracious Father, sent His own Son, the good Shepherd and Saviour, our Master Jesus, and commanded Him to leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and to go search for the one that was lost. And when He found it, He was to place it on His shoulders and carry it into the flock, rejoicing that He had found what was

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

For the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep;

John 10:12 Direct teaching

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

John 10:8 Direct teaching

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

John 10:13 Direct teaching

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Novatian, Connection to John 10:1 Supporting witness

whom the Lord Christ characterizes as thieves and robbers, as He Himself declares in the Gospel, saying that "he who entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but goeth down by some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

Hippolytus, Connection to John 10:8 Supporting witness

On account of this, he says, the Saviour observes: "All that came before me are thieves and robbers."

Anonymous, Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian Supporting witness

John 10:8 Who are such but the deserters of the faith, and the transgressors of God's Church, who strive against God's ordinance;

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...t in it. For Ezekiel speaks this way to those overseers who take no care of the people: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel, for they have fed themselves; the shepherds do not feed the sheep, but themselves. You eat the milk and are clothed with the wool. You kill the strong, but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, neither have you healed what was sick, neither have you bound up what was broken, neither have you brought back what was driven away, neither have you sought what was lost; but you ruled them violently and with insult. And they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the beasts of the forest." And again: "The shepherds did not search for my sheep; and the shepherds fed themselves, but they did not feed my sheep." And a little later: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hands, and cause them to stop feeding my sheep. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; and I will deliver my sheep out of their hands, and they shall not be food for them." And He also adds, speaking to the people: "Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, and between rams and rams. Was it a

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...e alone will be required to give an account for me." For just as the sheep that will not follow its good shepherd is exposed to the wolves, to its destruction, so also the sheep that follows a bad shepherd is exposed to unavoidable death, since its shepherd will devour it. Therefore, care must be taken to avoid destructive shepherds.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

but he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, that is, the devil, and he leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf seizes upon them.

Tertullian, De Fuga in Persecutione Supporting witness

But Christ, confirming these foreshadowings Himself, adds: The bad shepherd is he who, on seeing the wolf, flees, and leaves the sheep to be torn in pieces.

Tertullian, De Fuga in Persecutione Supporting witness

... who among the common people will hope to persuade others to stand firm in the battle? Certainly, a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, according to the word of Moses, when the Lord Christ had not yet been revealed, but was already foreshadowed in Moses himself: "If You destroy this people," he says, "destroy me also along with it." But Christ Himself, confirming these foreshadowings, adds: "The bad shepherd is the one who, when he sees the wolf, runs away and leaves the sheep to be torn to pieces." A shepherd like that will be dismissed from the farm. The wages that should have been given to him when he was discharged will be kept back as compensation. No, even from his earlier savings repayment for the master's loss will be demanded. For "to him who has, more will be given; but from him who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." In this way Zechariah gives his warning: "Arise, O sword, against the shepherds, and pluck out the sheep; and I will turn my hand against the shepherds." And both Ezekiel and Jeremiah speak out against them with similar threats, not only because they wickedly eat the sheep—they feed themselves rather than those committed t

Anonymous, Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian Supporting witness

...reacherous intent to destroy the flock of Christ? As we read in Zechariah: “Look, I am raising up a shepherd in the land who will not care for what has gone astray, and will eat the flesh of the chosen, and tear their claws to pieces.” Zechariah 11:16. In the same way, in Ezekiel He also rebukes shepherds of this kind, that is, robbers and butchers—I will speak as he had in mind—saying, “O shepherds, why do you drink the milk, and eat the curdled milk, and bring what is strong to nothing, and have not cared for the weak, have not healed the lame, and have not called back the wandering, and have allowed my people to wander among thorns and briers? For these things,” says the Lord, “look, I will come against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep from their hands. And I will drive them away, so that they may not feed my sheep. And my sheep will no longer be there for them to devour. And I will seek them out as a shepherd seeks his flock in the day when there is darkness and cloud. So I will seek out my sheep, and I will seek them out in every place where they are scattered. And I will seek out what had perished, and I will call back what had wandered, and I will heal what had

John 10:16 Direct teaching

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.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

And the Lord also says, "There are other sheep that are not of this fold," John 10:16 and they are counted worthy of another fold and dwelling place, according to their faith. But "My sheep hear My voice," John 10:27 by understanding the commandments in a spiritual way. This should be understood in a noble and worthy sense, together with the reward that comes with works and the company of works. So when we hear, "Your faith has saved you," we should not understand Him to mean, without qualification, that those who have believed in any way at all will be saved, unless works also follow. But He spoke this saying only to the Jews, who kept the law and lived blamelessly, and who needed only faith in the Lord. Therefore, no one can be a believer and at the same time live without restraint. But even if he leaves the flesh, he must put off the passions, so that he may be able to reach his own dwelling place.

Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness

...lf for his sheep. But the hired servant, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf comes and snatches away the sheep and scatters them. The hired servant runs away because he is a hired servant and has no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know what is mine, and what is mine knows me, just as my Father knows me, and I know my Father. And I give myself for the sheep. I have other sheep also that are not of this flock. I must invite them also, and they will hear my voice. And all the sheep will be one, and the shepherd one. Therefore my Father loves me, because I give my life, that I may take it again. No man takes it from me, but I leave it by my own choice. And I have the right to leave it, and also have the right to take it again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

Ignatius of Antioch, Connection to John 10:9 Supporting witness

[Christ] is the door of the Father through which Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the prophets, the apostles and the church all enter.

Didache, Connection to Isaiah 40:11 Background

so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. Mark Background

...and only Catholic and Apostolic Church throughout the whole world, and all Your people, and all the sheep of this fold. Grant the peace of heaven to the hearts of all of us, and also grant us the peace of this life.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. Mark Background

...Your Church, on all Your people, and on all Your flock. Save all of us, Your unworthy servants, the sheep of Your fold. Give us Your peace, Your help, and Your love, and send us the gift of Your Holy Spirit, so that with a pure heart and a good conscience we may greet one another with a holy kiss, without hypocrisy and with no hostile purpose, but sincerely and purely in one spirit, in the bond of peace and love, one body and one spirit, in one faith, just as we have been called in one hope of our calling, so that we may all come together in the divine and boundless love, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom You are blessed.

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. Mark Background

Save us all, Your unworthy servants, the sheep of Your fold.