plies a striking instance of the use of a parable to convey indi- rectly a sharp and severe rebuke. Of course our Lord could hardly have said to the Pharisees, "You are thieves and rob- bers." Yet by use of a parable, He says what is tantamount to it.
Let it be noted that these strong epithets show plainly that there are times when it is right to rebuke sharply. Flattering everybody, and complimenting all teachers who are zealous and earnest, without reference to their soundness in the faith, is not according to Scripture. Nothing seems so offensive to Christ as a false teacher of religion, a false prophet, or a false shep- herd. Nothing ought to be so much dreaded in the Church, and if needful, to be so plainly rebuked, opposed, and exposed. The strong language of our Keformers, when writing against Komish teachers, is often blamed more than it ought to be.
The Greek word rendered "thief" implies secret fraud and dishonesty. The word rendered " robber" implies more open violence. There are false teachers of both sorts ; open Papists and open Sceptics, semi-Papists and semi- Sceptics. All are alike dangerous.
Augustine observes : "Let the Pagans, the Jews, the heretics say, ' We lead a good life.' If they enter not by the door, what availeth it? A good life only profiteth if it lead to life eternal. Indeed, those cannot be said to lead a good life, who are either blindly ignorant of, or wilfully despise, the end of good living. No one can hope for eternal life who knows not Christ, who is the life, and by that door enters the fold."
Hammond alone anions commentators applies this verse and the four following entirely to Christ Himself, and considers " the door" to mean the proper evidence of miracles aud doc- trine. I cannot see this at all.
Bishop Burnet remarks that this parable is the passage above all others which both Fathers and modern writers have chiefly used, in order to show the difference between good and bad ministers. Wordsworth calls the whole chapter " a divine pas- toral to bishops, priests, and deacons."
2. — \He that entereth in by the door, etc.'] This verse contains the converse of the preceding verse. He that is seen entering the sheepfold by the one proper entrance, the door, may be set down as a true shepherd. Such a man, being duly commissioned by the owner of the flock, and recognized by the sheep as their pas- tor and friend,, has no need to enter clandestinely, like a thief, or by violence, as a robber.
The word "the" before shepherd is not in the Greek. It should be simply, "a shepherd." The omission of the article seems intentional, to show that our Lord is describing true " shepherds of sheep " generally, and not Himself.
3. — [To him... porter openeth, etc.] The whole of this verse is meaDt