John:10 is a definitive chapter in supporting a view which limits Christ's atonement to those He has been given:
On the contrary, there is nothing in the chapter that supports the doctrine of limited atonement. Clearly, Jesus' intention in using the figure of the shepherd and his sheep is to show that the Pharisees equate to thieves, robbers and hired hands (See Ezekiel 34, which Jesus surely had in mind). In v.6, John points out that the Pharisees did not understand this: 'Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling
them.'
The context of Jesus' use of this illustration is set in the previous chapter where Jesus heals a blind man. The Pharisees proceed to investigate and the healed man is summoned to them. He (who was once blind) then rejects their attempts at discrediting Jesus and, after he he has been thrown out by the Pharisees, he worships Jesus:
John 9:30-34;38
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
So here we have an example of what Jesus says in his illustration:
John 10:4c, 5
and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
That the Pharisees throw the man out (of the synagogue) proves Jesus' point that they care nothing for 'the sheep'.
Not only is Jesus the good shepherd, He also speaks of Himself as, figuratively, the door.
v.9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Far from teaching anything about limiting his work of atonement, Jesus tells them that 'anyone' may enter. Jesus could have said, 'anyone chosen,' which would have made sense if His intention was to limit His atonement. He tellingly did not do so.
What we do know is this:
Matthew 4:17 & 23
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Is it seriously to be suggested that Jesus commanded men to repent even though He had no intention of dying for them? By all means preach to men whom He knew would reject Him, for it was such as these very instances of having the Gospel presented to them and their rejection of it that established God's foreknowledge that they would not believe (such knowledge being know eternally, of course; God does not 'find out' at the moment in creation history when it actually occurs).
Joh 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Here Christ contrasts the communal sheep pens used in His time, with the world. He collects His own sheep, whom He knows by name, and leads them away from the sheep belonging to other shepherds in the town, just as He leads His own people out of the world.
No mention is made of other sheep or 'the world'. Jesus establishes that He is the one who cares for the sheep. The Pharisees are like thieves and robbers.
Joh 10:4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
Joh 10:6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Something we see every day here.
Indeed.
Joh 10:7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
Joh 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Joh 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Here Jesus references the Jewish leaders, the thieves and robbers, and points out that His sheep didn't listen to them, because they are His. Those who enter by Him (His sheep) will be saved.
On the contrary, there is no limit placed on who might enter, but they must enter through Him - through the door (or gate) that He represents. In these verses we have 'the sheep' twice so why is that you use 'his sheep' instead? Jesus is stating that sheep may enter and become his sheep.
Note that to enter you have to be a sheep, not "you are made a sheep when you enter".
Not sure why you are saying this. Does Jesus make a point of saying that any creatures that are not actually sheep are somehow without hope? He is talking about sheep and how they can enter through the gate.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Who does Jesus lay down His life for? That's right - His sheep.
As FreeGrace2 pointed out, it is 'the sheep', and we know that anyone can enter the gate. Not sure why you are making this point.
Joh 10:12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
Joh 10:13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Jesus refers to the Jewish leaders again, pointing out that they had temporary charge of Christ's people and that they screwed it up.
Indeed.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Joh 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
No comment necessary, other than to reiterate that it was the sheep He died for, not the whole world.
It has already been established in v.9 that anyone can enter.
Joh 10:16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Ah, the Gentiles enter the picture. They, along with Christ's sheep, the Jewish Christians, are to form one body (which we know as The Church). Again, note that Jesus says that He already has them, not that they will become His or He will get them; "I have other sheep".
I can't see that you have made any point here. Anyone can enter, as Jesus said.
Joh 10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,
Joh 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.
Note that Jesus says that they are unbelievers because they are not sheep, not they are not sheep because they don't believe.
Jesus says, '...but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.' There is nothing here about them not being sheep. On the contrary, it is natural to assume that they were sheep (figuratively), but not currently his sheep. Jesus is, in sense, saying, 'you are not among my sheep - you are someone else's sheep.' Jesus does not say that they cannot be His sheep, does he?
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Joh 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and the Father are one."
Ending here with a pretty strong statement that Christ will keep us in His saving grace for all time. Just as a bonus to the rest of the chapter. Those to whom Christ gives eternal life will never fall away. OSAS.
Sheep can be lost. Sheep that remain His sheep won't perish.
Separate point, but for those who say they can hand this gift back, it's worth noting that Jesus said "no one will snatch them out of my hand". That includes everyone, including the man himself and Satan. So whatever may tempt a man to stray, be it sin, lust, greed or Satan himself, Christ will persevere in those He has saved. Those who we know have fallen away cannot have been in Christ's hands, or He is a liar here.
Hebrews 10 says otherwise.
'...no one will snatch them out of my hand' means that nobody (the believer himself is not in consideration) will be able to snatch them out of His hand. The believer cannot snatch himself out of Jesus' hand as that does not make sense.
In summing up, what is really telling, as I have said before, is that Jesus still urges belief in those who have just attempted to stone him:
John 10:37,38
Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
Please show why my understanding of the context of John 10, which is established in the preceding chapter, is not correct. Where is it firmly established that the context of the 'Good Shepherd and His Sheep' is as you describe?
