John Calvin Commentary John 10:1

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." — John 10:1 (ASV)

Verily, verily, I say to you. As Christ had to deal with scribes and priests, who were considered pastors of the Church, it was necessary that they should be stripped of the honor of this title, if he wanted his doctrine to be received. The small number of believers might also greatly diminish the authority of his doctrine. He therefore contends that we should not count, in the number of shepherds or of sheep, all who outwardly claim a place in the Church. But we will never be able, by this mark, to distinguish the lawful shepherds from the reprobate, and the true sheep from the counterfeit, if all have the same object, beginning, and end.

This warning has been highly useful in all ages, and today it is especially necessary. No plague is more destructive to the Church than when wolves ravage under the guise of shepherds. We also know how serious an offense it is when spurious or degenerate Israelites claim to be sons of the Church and, on this pretext, insult believers. But today, nothing alarms weak and ignorant persons more than when they see the sanctuary of God occupied by the greatest enemies of the Church; for it is not easy to make them understand that it is the doctrine of Christ that the shepherds of the Church so fiercely resist. Besides, as the majority of people are led into various errors by false doctrines, while each person's views and expectations are directed by others, scarcely anyone permits himself to be led into the right path.

We must therefore, above all, guard against being deceived by pretended shepherds or counterfeit sheep, if we do not want to willingly expose ourselves to wolves and thieves. The name of “The Church” is highly honorable, and justly so; but the greater the reverence it deserves, the more careful and attentive we should be in marking the distinction between true and false doctrine.

Christ here openly declares that we should not count as shepherds all who boast of being such, and that we should not count as sheep all who boast of outward marks. He speaks of the Jewish Church, but what he says applies equally well to our own. We should also consider his purpose and design, so that weak consciences may not be alarmed or discouraged when they perceive that those who rule in the Church, instead of being pastors or shepherds, are hostile or opposed to the Gospel; and that they may not turn away from the faith because they have few fellow disciples listening to Christ among those who are called Christians.

He who entereth not by the door. It is useless, I think, to examine too closely every part of this parable. Let us be satisfied with this general view: that, as Christ states a resemblance between the Church and a sheepfold, in which God assembles all his people, so he compares himself to a door, because there is no other entrance into the Church but by him. Hence it follows that only those are good shepherds who lead people directly to Christ; and that only those are truly gathered into the fold of Christ, so as to belong to his flock, who devote themselves to Christ alone.

But all this relates to doctrine; for, since all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, (Colossians 2:3), he who turns aside from him to go elsewhere neither keeps the road nor enters by the door.

Now, whoever does not despise Christ or his instructor will easily free himself from the hesitation that keeps so many in a state of perplexity about what the Church is, and to whom they should listen as shepherds. For if those who are called shepherds attempt to lead us away from Christ, we should flee from them, at the command of Christ, as we would flee from wolves or thieves; and we should not form or maintain fellowship with any society except one that is united in the pure faith of the Gospel. For this reason Christ urges his disciples to separate themselves from the unbelieving multitude of the whole nation, not to allow themselves to be governed by wicked priests, and not to let themselves be deceived by proud and empty titles.