The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 45

C'Wn" in,-oh-es him in saorifioo. Wbercas eione, carefully warned his dieoiplee ngainel in ,-er. 11 this is attributed to the "good such narrowness, aud hero he declaiee tho.t Sh.-puerd," now he drops the first part of the aheep, independently of the fold or fold~, t.he figure, and says, "I am laying down may yet form one great fl,oek, under 011f ill\" life." Shepherd. When he described himself as ·vers. 16-18.-{a) The continuity o.f the the Door, he we.s, ae we have seen onreful 8hcpherd-aelfoity, notwithstanding the lay1'.11g to speak of himself as " Door of the' sheep " d01~11 of hi$ life. and not as the Door into the fold. He laid Yer. 16.-And other sheep I have, whioh down his life iu order to break down the are not of this fold : them also I must bring, partition between Jew and Gentile (Eph. ii. and they shall hear my voioe. " The other 13), between God and man, a!ld between sheep," not of this fold, not sheltered by man and man. "In Obrist Jesus there is the theocracy, not needing the pf\Stura.ge of neither Jew nor Greek, mole nor female, such privilege~-Gentiles they may be, bond nor free." There may be many folds. earnest souls of many a ne.me, denomination, Different nations, a.gee, times, and see.sous ond profession, o.re, while he speaks, and me.y cause variations in these; but there ia crnn before the formation of his Church, but one flock under the watchful guardian- •· hill own.~ " Other sheep I he. ve." Though ship of one Shepherd. they have never as yet heard his voice, they Ver. 17.-Therefore doth the Father love are his. His relation witll them is personal me, beoa118e I lay down my life, the.t I may and direct and spiritual, not dfrtated or take it again. The IM ToiiTo points to the conditionated by "the fold." They will whole of the previous statement, and g.,., to hear his voice. We in vain ask the ques- e. more complete exposition of the precise tion, " When?" He a.lone can answer it. point in. it on which the Divine Fe.ther's Many a (.)orneli~ in ernry nation is accepted love (d-ya.,nf) rests. The "I" and "me" by him (of. Acts x. 35; xiv.17; xvil. 27; refer to the incarne.t.e Son., i.e. to the Divine- xxviii. 28). But the passage cont.emplates hnman Persone.lityof the Lord Jesus Christ. a wider application: "Them also I must The Father loveth me, because, not merely bring, or lee.d, among my own." They are that I lay down my life, for such might be scattered abroad now, but et.erne.l Love, by e.s- the consequence of helplessness in the pre- suming Shepherd-wise relations with them, sence of victorious e.nd desperate foes. The determines not to bring them to one place love which merely "laid down life " would or enclosur&-to express such a thought we be a Buddha-like self-sacrifice, producing should he.ve hB.d, not a.-y<ry••v, but a-uva-ya:-ye,v certain moral effects upon. the minds of the (eh. ri 52) or 7tpoa-a-y<ry••v (Westcott)-bnt onlookers, o.nd revee.ling a large e.nd loving to briag them into persona.I relations with sense of the need of others. Yet in such himself. They shall become one :flook, one expression of his sacrificial love he would Shepherd. The false English translation of have relinquished his undertaking. There ,rolJLYTI, viz. "fold," sliould be specially would have been no more the.t he could do noticed. If onr Lord had meant to convey for his :fl.ock. His Shepherd-functions would, the idea of the rigid enclosure into which all in the consummating act, cease. He would the scattered sheep should be gathered, he be e. beautiful Memory, not e. living Energy; would have used the word ai,>..fi. The woru 11 glorio118 Example, not the Author of roiJLYTI ie, 1..,owever, studiously chosen. The eternCLl salvation. He would cease to be error has done grievow injury. There is n.o the great Sllepherd of the sheep. Now, the variation of the Greek t.ext, or in. the earliest Father's love contemplated more the.n this, 'l'ersion.s. It came through the Vulge.te o'llile viz. the Lord's own purpose to take up into Wickliffe's Version, e.nd into many other agCLin that life which he we.s prepared volun- European versions. The Old Latin Ver- tarily to lay down for the sheep. Thus he sions were correct, but Jerome led the way would indeed die, the.t he might be moro of into the inaccum.te translation. Tynde.le a Shepherd to them than he had ever been perceived i~ true meauing, and Luther before. How otherwllle would he persona.Uy beautifolly preserved the play upon the bring the other sheep into his flock1 or be word& Coverda.le, in hie own Bible (1535), known of them, as the Father we.s known followed Tyn.dale; but in 1539, " the Great by him ? Christ declares that after his Bible" followed the Vulge.te (Westcott). death he would still exercise royal rights, When. ne.tnre.lized, it sustained the false and be as much e. Divine-hume.n Personality as growing pretension that outside the one ever. Christ, as e. sinless Man, the sinless "fold" of the visible Church the good Shep- One, might indeed, e.fter the viotory over herd was not ready with his care and love (see the tempter in the wilderness, or from the for the only adequate translation of wolJ£V1J, Mount of Transfiguration, he.ve returned to Matt. u. vL 31 ; Luke ii 8; l Cor. iL 7, the spiritual world without accomplishing where the Authorized Version. has correctly an exouus on Golgotha; but he chose, he rwdered it ":fl.ock "). Christ, on. other occa- willed, to lay down his life. !laving dcn11 OD, :X. 1-42.] THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 17