John Calvin Commentary John 10:8

"All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them." — John 10:8 (ASV)

All who came before me. The words πάντες ὅσοι may be literally rendered, all as many as came before me. Those who restrict this expression to Judas the Galilean and similar persons depart widely, in my opinion, from Christ’s meaning, for He contrasts all false doctrine in general with the Gospel, and all false prophets with faithful teachers.

Nor would it even be unreasonable to extend this statement to the Gentiles, that all who, from the beginning of the world, have professed to be teachers and have not labored to gather sheep to Christ, have abused this title for destroying souls. But this does not at all apply to Moses and the Prophets, who had no other object in view than to establish the kingdom of Christ.

For it should be observed that a contrast is here made between the words of Christ and those things which are opposed to them. But so far are we from discovering any contradiction between the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel, that the Law is nothing else than a preparation for the Gospel.

In short, Christ testifies that all the doctrines by which the world has been led away from Him are so many deadly plagues, because, apart from Him, there is nothing but destruction and horrible confusion. Meanwhile, we see what importance antiquity has with God, and in what estimation it should be held by us, when it enters, as it were, into a contest with Christ.

So that no one may be moved by the consideration that there have been teachers in all ages who showed no concern whatever about directing men to Christ, Christ expressly states that it is of no consequence how many there have been of this description, or how early they began to appear. For it should be considered that there is only one door, and that those who leave it and make openings or breaches in the walls are thieves.

But the sheep did not hear them. He now confirms more clearly what He had already spoken more obscurely and in the figure of an allegory: that those who were led out of the way by impostors did not belong to the Church of God.

This is said, first, so that when we see a great multitude of persons going astray, we may not resolve to perish through their example; and, next, so that we may not waver when God permits impostors to deceive many.

For it is no light consolation, and no small ground of confidence, when we know that Christ, by His faithful protection, has always guarded His sheep amidst the various attacks and crafty devices of wolves and robbers, so that there never was one of them that deserted Him.

But here a question arises: When does a person begin to belong to the flock of the Son of God? For we see many who stray and wander through deserts during the greater part of their life, and are eventually brought into the fold of Christ.

I reply, the word sheep is here used in two ways. When Christ says afterwards that He has other sheep besides, He includes all the elect of God, who at that time had no resemblance to sheep.

At present, He means sheep that bore the shepherd’s mark. By nature, we are at the greatest possible distance from being sheep; on the contrary, we are born lions, tigers, wolves, and bears, until the Spirit of Christ tames us and, from wild and savage beasts, forms us to be mild sheep.

Thus, according to the secret election of God, we are already sheep in His heart before we are born; but we begin to be sheep in ourselves by the calling through which He gathers us into His fold.

Christ declares that those who are called into the order of believers are so firmly bound together that they cannot stray or wander, or be carried about by any wind of new doctrine.

It will perhaps be objected that even those who have been devoted to Christ frequently go astray, and that this is proved by frequent experience. It is also not without good reason that Ezekiel ascribes it to the good Shepherd that He gathers the scattered sheep (Ezekiel 34:12).

I readily acknowledge that it frequently happens that those who had belonged to the household of faith are, for a time, estranged. But this is not at variance with Christ’s statement, for, insofar as they go astray, they cease, in some respects, to be sheep.

What Christ means is simply this: that all the elect of God, though they were tempted to go astray in innumerable ways, were kept in obedience to the pure faith, so that they were not exposed as a prey to Satan or to his ministers.

But this work of God is not less astonishing when He again gathers the sheep that had wandered for a little while, than if they had all along continued to be shut up in the fold. It is always true, and without a single exception, that:

they who go out from us were not of us,
but that they who were of us remain with us to the end (1 John 2:19).

This passage should strike us with the deepest shame; first, because we are so poorly accustomed to the voice of our Shepherd that there are hardly any who do not listen to it with indifference; and, next, because we are so slow and indolent to follow Him.

I speak of the good, or of those who are at least passable; for the greater part of those who boast that they are Christ’s disciples kick fiercely against Him.

Lastly, as soon as the voice of any stranger has sounded in our ears, we are hurried to and fro; and this fickleness and unsteadiness sufficiently show how little progress we have until now made in the faith.

But if the number of believers is smaller than might be desired, and if out of this small number a large proportion is continually dropping off, faithful teachers have this consolation to support them: that the elect of God, who are Christ’s sheep, listen to them.

It is our duty, indeed, to labor diligently and to strive by every possible method, so that the whole world may be brought, if possible, into the unity of the faith; but let us, in the meantime, be well satisfied with belonging to that number.