I am the door
Of the sheep, as before, see ( John 10:7 ) . The
Ethiopic version reads, "I am the true door of the sheep"; which
is repeated for further confirmation, and for the sake of
introducing what follows:
by me if any man enter in;
into the sheepfold, the church,
he shall be saved;
not that being in a church, and having submitted to ordinances,
will save any, but entering into these, at the right door, or
through faith in Christ, such will be saved, according to (
Mark 16:16 ) ;
such shall be saved from sin, the dominion of it, the guilt and
condemning power of it, and at last from the being of it; and
from the law, its curse and condemnation, and from wrath to come,
and from every evil, and every enemy; such are, and for ever
shall be, in a safe state, being in Christ, and in his hands, out
of which none can pluck them:
and shall go in and out;
in allusion to the sheep going in and out of the fold: not that
those who come in at the right door, shall go out of the church,
or from among the saints again; but this phrase rather denotes
the exercises of faith in going unto Christ, and acting upon him,
and in coming forth in the outward confession of him, and the
performance of good works; or in going unto him, and dealing with
his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and coming out of
themselves, and all dependence on their own righteousness; or it
may regard the conversation of the saints in the church, their
attendance on ordinances, their safety there, their free and open
communion one with another, and with Christ, in whose name and
strength they do all they do, coming in and out at this door:
and find pasture;
green and good pasture; pasture for their souls; the words of
faith, and good doctrine; the wholesome words of Christ Jesus;
the ordinances, the breasts of consolation; yea, Christ himself,
whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed: the
Persic version renders it, "and shall a pastor", or "shepherd";
see ( Jeremiah
3:15 ) .