I was just wondering what everybody interprets this to mean. What do you think Jesus meant when He said He has Sheep that are not of this fold?
John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 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.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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.
Would this be speaking about these gentiles?
"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:"
And if so, these are gentiles that do not know the truth about Christ, because they have not heard His voice, but they will recognize Him as the Author of what they already know to be the truth?
Very good question! In our church, a few months ago, we had a sermon about this. And the brother who preached, said that he at first also did not know what was meant by "other sheep". But then he found out. Indeed the other sheep are the church, the gentiles who are following Jesus Christ. With sheep is meant believers. The fold is the law. The sheep in the fold are the Jews who are under the law. But Jesus fulfilled the law. Jesus is also the Door.
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.
Would this be speaking about these gentiles?
*** I believe it is...also there is no differance betwix Jew and Gentile...Yahweh desires ONE Fold...
"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:"
And if so, these are gentiles that do not know the truth about Christ, because they have not heard His voice, but they will recognize Him as the Author of what they already know to be the truth?
*** I cant say they are the Gentiles that do Not know the Truth about Christ...I can say that they are those that have Rcognized HIM as the One True GOD wether they understand the Gospel or not...I guess thats kinda saying the same thing you are saying...:laugh:...X <>< O
I don't think the other sheep are Gentiles. I realize I am disagreeing with some of the great commentators when I say this but it is so easy for Christians to think that everything Jesus said was about them or Jew vs Gentile, Christian vs. the world and it really was not.
In Chapter 9 we read the story of the blind man that Jesus healed and was taken to the Pharisees. After hearing the blind man's story the Pharisees reviled him and threw him out. they told him he was born in sin and had no right to be teaching them anything.
After Jesus found him and the man believed in Jesus there was a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees in which Jesus essentially told them that they were blind to the Truth and so their sin remained.
Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Then the dissertation about the sheep begins. Whether these events are actually Chronological or not is hard to say but assuming they are then the message in John 10 has more to do with the sheep who belive are one fold and those who do not are another fold. Not Jews and Gentiles. The thief in the parable represents Pharisees, those who would tangle us up in religion and distract us from Truth, not unlike many Christian leaders and Pastors we are familiar with today. The Stranger is also a representation of the Pharisees. Jesus goes on through several scenarios in chapter 10 to prove his point.
These stories are not about the Jews and the Gentiles. They are about the people who are religious and claim to be the people of God vs. those who really are the people of God. The ones that are not in His flock yet are like the blind man who testified the Truth of God without really knowing God. These are those who might know the Book but don't know the Author or those people who express the nature of Christ without ever having met Him. When these people, Jew or Gentile, hear His voice they will respond to Him and will join His flock and enter His fold of believers.
