My Father - Who hath, by an unchangeable decree, given me all that believe, love, and obey, is greater than all in heaven or earth, and none is able to pluck them out of his hand. 3d, Those who follow me, neither men nor devils can pluck out of my hand. Those whom, 2d, I know truly to love me, shall never perish, provided they abide in my love.
For he that believeth, hath everlasting life. He does not say, I will give, but I give. And to those who, 1st, Truly believe, (observe three promises annexed to three conditions,) I give eternal life. As if he had said, My sheep are those who, 1st, Hear my voice by faith 2d, Are known (that is, approved) by me as loving me and, 3d, Follow me, keep my commandments, with a believing, loving heart. Our Lord still alludes to the discourse he had had before this festival. and they follow me.”īenson Commentary John 10:27-31. Yet we are to bear in mind that the sheep itself may wander from the shepherd’s care, and that all the fulness of these promises depends upon the human will, which is included in the first clause, “My sheep hear my voice. (See Isaiah 40:11.) Out of this hand none shall pluck.
#My sheep hear my voice full#
especially for the full thought of no separation from Christ, Romans 8:38-39.) The words “out of my hand” express alike the strength which protects, and guidance which leads, and comfort which cherishes. They are to be taken as including every spiritual foe all thieves and robbers that would break into the fold all wolves that would rend the flock the adversary who “as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” (Comp. The words should not be limited by the insertion of the word man. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.-Better (comp. The negative is in the strongest form-“They shall by no means perish for ever.” We shall live eternally, because we now live spiritually in communion with the Spirit who is Eternal.Īnd they shall never perish.-Comp.
It is a development, rather than a simply future existence. We cannot be too careful to observe that our Lord’s thoughts of “eternal life” is never of the future only. Here the verb is in the present, “I give (am now giving) them.” (Comp. John 10:10, where the word “eternal” is added in some readings. The earlier clauses are familiar to us from the preceding discourse, but some expressions will need a word of explanation.Įternal life.-Comp. “neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”īy reading successively the clauses placed on the left side of the page, we trace the progress of the human act and state by reading, in the same way, the clauses on the right side of the page, we trace the progress of the divine gift by reading each pair in the order of the text, we see how at each stage the gift is proportioned to the faculty which can receive it. The pairs proceed in a climax from the first response of the conscience which recognises the divine voice to the eternal home which is in the Father’s presence. One member of each pair refers to the act or state of the sheep and the other to the act or gift of the Shepherd. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(27, 28) The reference to those who believe not because they were not of His sheep, introduces the contrast between them and those who were, and the position of the true members of the flock is expanded in this pair of parallel clauses.
0 kommentar(er)
