John Ch 10 gives us the text known as “The Good Shepherd“. Here we see Jesus as that sole Shepherd guarding, preserving the life of His sheep.
In this post, let us consider what the text tells us of The Lord’s antithesis: “The Evil Thief.”
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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 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. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:1-15, ESV (highlights mine)
The Thief kai Robber
Three times, as highlight in bold above, the easily overlooked phrase “Thief and Robber” occurs. In each instance the word translated “and” is our Koine word “kai.” As discussed elsewhere such use of kai can, and often does, signify a flow from A to B, here Thief to Robber. The Koine kai is most-often translated as shown here by “and.” However, it is translated by multiple other connecting words in various context such as even, but, also, and sometimes left out, untranslated.
This frame of this website as to kai has two elements: First, at each occurrence of kai, we pause and consider it as a hinge word that conveys a meaningful relationship. Greek grammars locate kai in a category known as connectives, such as however, but, also. Here we consider kai as a particular sub-type of the category of connectives, here termed hinge, because it has a distinctive range of connective roles, as has been and continues to be discussed.
Often kai can be interpreted to convey the idea of unto. In older English expressions kai could be well translated as hereto, heretofore, or hereunto. Such translations give us something more than ‘plus,’ as and tends to do. Yet, kai is not freighted with the sense of cause and effect. Its use could be merely a simple additive connector between two independent concepts, like bacon and eggs, cream and sugar, peanut butter and jelly.
Let us in this Good Shepherd passage see if there is something more that we can apprehend than just such additive connection with respect to the anti-Shepherd, the Thief and Robber..
Koine Words for Thief, Robber
“Thief” translates the Koine word kléptēs (Strong’s G2812), which is the root of our English word kleptomaniac, a compulsive thief. Its verb form is kléptō, to steal, or we could say thieve. To kléptō is forbidden as one of the 10 Commandments, weighted in parallel with murder, adultery, lying, dishonoring one’s father and mother (Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20; see also Deut 5:19). So such doing is a serious matter, and such being (a thief) is being condemned by God.
“Robber” is the ESV translation of lēstḗs (Strong’s G3027). A robber, lēstḗs, is distinguished from kléptēs (thief) in an important way: the thief (kléptēs) steals by deception, concealment, subterfuge, cheating; the robber (lēstḗs) also steals but does so by force, compulsion, using even violence and murder.
So the presence of kai connecting kléptēs to lēstḗs can inform us as follows: deception (for the purpose of thievery) is succeeded by a forceful taking. Deception is not the cause of the forceful-taking effect; rather it is the strategy of The Anti-Shepherd to begin pretending that it is a rightful shepherd of the sheepfold. But his end purpose is not just to deceive the sheep, but to take control of the sheep.
Thus, the text in John 10 begins with such construction–kléptēs kai lēstḗs–twice: 10:1 and 10:8. The former is in the singular and the latter in the plural. So Jesus is here teaching that He has come to counter what has and continues to occur, namely vile enemies of the sheep, and of the Owner of the sheep, have come by deception unto to capture the sheep.
This leads then to the questions: who are the sheep, and who are (is) the Thief (Thieves) kai Robber(s)? We will return to these questions after consider the purposes of the Thief
John 10:10 What the Thief Seeks to Do
Before we come to the beautiful passage where Jesus describes Himself as the abundant life-giver and in particular The Good Shepherd, we begin with the third reference to Thief, namely: 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
The Thief is again the Koine noun kléptēs. But the ESV translated phrase “to steal” begins with a Koine keyword that conveys purpose, namely what follows is the very purpose of the kléptēs, and the translated word “steal” is the verb form of kléptēs, namely kléptō. English loses something here because we have “thief…steal” whereas the Koine has it clearly “kléptēs…kléptō.” We might think that a thief arrives for some other purpose, even as a honorable one; after all even the most-hardened thieves among us do not steal everything. But the Koine makes the clear implication that kléptēs and kléptō are locked together: a thief steals because it is his very nature to do so, and stealing occurs because the cause of it emanates from the nature to do so. There is nothing opportunistic or inadvertent about the thieving in view in John 10:10. He is purposeful and opposite to that of The Good Shepherd.
The Thief Wants More than Thieving
After “to steal” in John 10:10 above, comes the phrase: and [kai] kill and [kai] destroy, where both occurrences of “and” is our Koine kai. This thief to whom the Lord refers is far more evil than a dishonest man stealing a solitary sheep from the fold and then running for the hills, perhaps out of desperation to feed his children. This thief seeks to obliterate the sheepfold, killing the sheep and destroying the structural framework of the sheepfold itself. Such thief wants the utter ruin of the work of the shepherd, here The Good Shepherd. The thief seeks the ownership and possession of the sheep.
One can further sense that the thief takes delight in dishonoring The Good Shepherd by devastating that of which The Good Shepherd loved and for which caring He was responsible. This thief is the ultimate vandal seeking complete vandalization. He is The Great Evil One.
Who Are The Sheep, and Who are the Thieves / Robbers?
The text of John 10 we have above is (of course) true, but not literal. This text is not about baa-baa, four legged sheep.
The language of sheep and robbers is a literary form known as an allegory. An allegory conveys a meaning by use of an abstract story, a surface story that contains another story hidden within it. (The English word “allegory” derives from the combination of two Greek words that together mean “other-speaking).
Instead of literal sheep and Thieves / Robbers, what is the other-speaking in this passage?
Herein lies the great divide as to the expectations of The Messiah. For the Jewish religion and many, perhaps, most of its adherents, the expectation was for Messiah being their Political / Military / Deliverer. From such frame, the “sheep” would be Israel itself, its religious system, and all true Jews. Who, then, would be the Thief and Robber? It would be, of course, the Roman Government, the then sovereign ruler and occupier force of Israel, its ultimate source of earthly authority, and the entity exacting tribute (taxes and honor) from Israel. Who, then, would correspond to The Good Shepherd? It would, by deduction, be personified by the Jewish Leadership–the priests, scribes and elders–undergirded by The Law, itself expanded by the writings and traditions of the Elders of old and present.
However, such interpretation cannot be supported from this text. The passage in John Ch 10 clearly states one of the seven great “I AM’s” of that Gospel, namely Jesus claiming that He is The Good Shepherd:
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15, ESV (highlights mine)
Given that unambiguous claim, who then is the Thief / Robber? Rome? In political terms, as an Empire of occupation, such would be a possible interpretation. As such Rome would be a Thief in the sense of occupier of a land not their own, and a Robber of the prosperity of the land through taxation and corruptive influence.
However, Jesus is not recorded as having castigated either Rome’s Caesar or Caesar’s local authorities. The Jewish Leaders tried to trap Jesus exactly on this point by asking whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Mark 12:13-17 ESV (Highlights mine; note particularly vs. 17)
What was “the trap,” and who was the “they” who set it? The trap was to get Jesus on the record speaking against Rome, and thus appealing to the Jewish people including His followers, or to condescend to Rome, and thus offend all Jews. It was giving Jesus two bad options.
More importantly, who was the “they?” If it was the representatives of Rome, such as the tax collectors (aka “publicans”) or its appointed ruler (Herod, or later Pontus Pilate), then the trap was to put Jesus on record that the Jews should rightly be paying their taxes, in full, to Rome, or to being declared a rebel against Rome, a serious offense, even to His being considered a Thief and Robber in the eyes of Rome.
But, the “they” were not from Rome. To find the answer we need to look back to the chapter preceding the above taxes passage, specifically to Mark Ch 11:1 and 11:27-29. In vs 27 we see clearly that it was the trio of chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jewish religion leadership in Jerusalem who were gravely offended at Jesus having cleansed the Temple of its commercialization of worship.
And, so, shockingly we are led to conclude that Thieves / Robbers were the very leadership of the Jews, including, especially, those directly associated with worship of Yahweh and were (supposedly) the defenders of God’s OT revelation. It was, in our parlance, The Religion Industry (TRI) that had come into history deceiving as a Thief until capturing as a Robber The Lord’s sheep These sheep we come to know in the Gospels and Acts as those who came to faith in the Resurrection and the Gospel of Christ’s which had redeemed them from the curse of the Law, and most-significantly TRI.
Coherence with Scripture
Always, always, the test of any study of a particular–a word, a verse, a paragraph–of the Scriptures must be that it coheres (fits together) with all of the Scriptures, the Bible. God is not a the Source of “confusion / disorder.” Neither are you and I sources of a “private interpretation.”
- “For where envy and self-seeking [selfish ambition, ESV] exist,
confusion [disorder, ESV] and every evil thing [vile practice, ESV]
are there.”
(James 3:16; NKJV [ESV]) - “knowing this first, that no prophecy* of Scripture is of
any private [someone’s own, ESV] interpretation”
(2 Peter 1:20; NKJV [ESV])- *Where “prophecy” (Strong’s G4394, prophēteía), in this context, can reference “something that any believer may exercise as telling forth God’s Word. This, however, does not make him a prophet (prophḗtēs [4396]) which is used in the NT in a very restrictive sense.” Zodhiates, S. (2000), The Complete Word Study Dictionary, AMG Publishers.
- Thus, we stand in a very particular place in God’s unfolded Revelation. God used “Prophets” to proclaim His Word perfectively and authoritatively into space-time, which reality He confirmed with the signs of the prophet and by conformance to the whole of Scriptures as then revealed. Upon the completion of Scripture, the Books we have of the NT, there are no such “Prophets” who speak on God’s Authority as to create additional Scripture. None. No not one.
- And, so, what we do, and what only we can do rightly, is expound from such Scripture that which is contained within, and we do so provisionally, subject to confirmation by the entirely of the completed Revelation of the Scriptures guided in all such matters by the preserving Work of The Holy Spirit. All hearers / readers of any such proclamation (“prophecy” in such specific sense as bounded in the above text) are to be, as the Berean’s were, “examining** the Scriptures…to see if such is these things were so,” that is, true. (Acts 17:11; ESV) ** “Examining” (G350 anakrínō), the emphatic form of accurately, carefully studying a matter to reach a right judgment).
Where, then, can we find such coherence with regard to the above discussion of John 10:10? In many places; below are some exemplars.
Matthew Ch 23
Matt Ch 23, the Lord repeatedly refers to the scribes and Pharisees as “hypocrites,” a clear reference to their deceptions consistent with the root idea behind Thief. Further he accuses them as the sons of murderers (Mt 23:31, 34, 35), a connection to the forceful taking of Robbers. Then in the closing verses of Mt 23:37-39 He embodies such abhorrent hearts and deeds by making reference to “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem the city” (Mt 23:37) and “your house” (23:38), extending the reference to TRI itself.
Genesis Ch 3
Genesis Ch 3, thematically occurring immediately after Creation, we see the Serpent (snake) enter the narrative with the deceitful purpose of causing death itself to enter God’s Creation. We can see also the link between the Serpent (snake) of Gen 3 with the Lord’s referring to TRI representatives in the above Mt 23 passage where he calls them “you serpents, you brood of vipers” (Mt 23:33).
Exodus Ch 32
Exodus Ch 32, begins with Moses delayed on the mountain in direct communication with Yahweh, where such “delay” was the impatience of the people of the Exodus. And, so, we read:
1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
Exodus 32:1-6, ESV (highlights mine)
God shows us in this text a hidden story within an outer story. At the very time Moses is receiving directly from God, the Will of God as to worship and behavior, the people are concocting their own form of worship, here emulating what they knew in Egypt but blending it with reference to “the Lord” Whom they knew had by great signs and wonders liberated them from Egypt. When Moses returns from the mountain with the tablets, what he saw violated the very thing he held in his hands. (One can argue that the above text shows the direct violation of each of the first four Commandments, a topic outside our present scope). What is unambiguous is that the people’s hearts lies in the creation of their own religion industry, TRI, and such is diametrically opposed to the true worship of God.
Epistle of Jude
The entirely of Jude’s brief epistle is a warning against the infiltration of the enemy–Thieves and Robbers in our present parallel context–into the true fellowship of believers. Consider this extended passage from Jude:
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ….8 these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones… 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. …12 shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
Jude 4-13, excerpted, ESV (highlight mine)
Note the reference to “shepherds,” namely that those “certain people” who “have crept in unnoticed” (the deceitfulness of the Thief) claim a position of authority rejecting the rightful authority of “our only Master and lord, Jesus Christ” (vs 7). And such shepherds are “feeding themselves,” action which is antithetical to a rightful shepherd concerned with feeding the sheep. And such is their perversion of the grace of God (vs. 4).
Epistle of Galatians
The Galatian epistle is concerned with what is known as “the Galatian error.” Such error it the syncretism, the blending together, the alloying, of TRI and The Gospel, the religion of self-salvation and the Good News of Christ’s having redeemed us from the curse of the Law.
Note again, as above, such error occurs by invasion of the sheepfold by deceiving false authorities, as false shepherds seeking after the true sheep. Consider the below text from the Galatian Epistle:
1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you …10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
4:28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
6:12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-5, 10-14; 4:28-31; 5:1-9 ; 6:12-16, ESV (highlights mine)