Isn't this an example as to how mistakes may have been made when all of the earliest New Testament manuscripts were written during Christianity's first 300 years?
If possible, I'd like to get answers from people who have a great knowledge of early Christianity & Christian writings.
I have a good basic knowledge of the New Testament, but I'm baffled by things like this.
2007-10-23 18:26:07 · 23 answers · asked by auntfran8 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
For the people to whom Jesus was talking, this was an analogy they could understand. The shepherd takes care of his sheep. He guides them away from harm, and to grass and water. He puts himself in harm's way between the sheep and predators. Jesus was trying to get his listeners to understand that he wanted to do the same for them.
agnostic: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god (Merriam-Webster online)
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2007-10-23 18:37:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was speaking metaphorically when he said that. John 10:6 even SAYS that "he used this figure of speech."
He was referencing both Psalm 23: The Lord is My Shepherd, and a reading from Isaiah: All we like sheep have gone astray...
A SHEPHERD is a leader who guides and protects with his very life, the flock under his care. Jesus was the "shepherd" who would willingly lay down his life for his sheep. We are the sheep.
2007-10-23 18:36:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
As a descendant of David, he had a valid political claim on the throne. Given that Jesse's eldest son was rejected by Samuel, the Judaic throne could be inherited by any son ambitious enough to want it. Those kings in them days were a pretty nervous bunch, let me tell you. It is through His kingship that He "inherits" a "flock".
(It was an analogy. He was also a priest according to the order of Melchizedek....a king on whose land Abraham was settling on) Priests also have flocks.
It was an insider joke amoung priests even back then. Lighten up and see the humour.
Also, Jesus, if memory serves me correctly, was not named in the bible as a carpenter, but the "son of" Joseph, who was a "carpenter" (The word could also be translated into "artisan". or "builder"...he was a person who probably worked on building the Temple...one of the workers there). Everyone assumes that the son inherits the father's trade. Not necessarily so, although He probably knew alot about it.
2007-10-23 18:33:17 · answer #3 · answered by Shinigami 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
OK, I have read some of the answers, and some are good and true ones..... but , here is a point I would like to make, and would suggest strongly that you think of this, pray about it and really dig deep into your faith about it..... Ok ???
As old as I am, and as long as I have believed in God it still took me a long time to BELIEVE GOD !!!! The WHOLE Bible is a book of revelation...... God is revealed more and more as you go through it...... His personality, attributes , His very being is revealed through the ages..... Before Jesus made known unto the world just who he was, he had to BE and DO something, right ?? He was NOT the shepard until it was revealed just who and what and why he is !!! In the days of Jesus life on earth and before there were MANY sheep herders and shepards...... so many things were written in that perspective...... so God used that perspective of man to reveal the truth about Jesus...... When reading the Bible, a good rule to go by is knowing who certain things and parts were written to...... it is all for us today yes, but when it was written, at that time, most was written to and for certain people........The OT was written for Jew !!!! Those were the people God was focused on then..... The first 4 gospels were also written for the Jew...... It was through them that the world recieved Jesus, they denied him, so God brought into play another plan, GRACE !!!! I digress tho, sorry..... Jesus is refered to as the *Good Shepard* for the one simple reason, he is the ONE that has the *rod* , *Shepards hook* that can direct us into Heaven....... go in peace....... God bless
2007-10-23 18:50:56 · answer #4 · answered by Annie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is comparing Himself to every reference from the old testament that speaks of God as the Shepherd of His people... the Jews.
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i dont recall that Jesus ever used his carpentry occupation to illustrate anything concerning the kingdom.
except perhaps when He talked about the "log in the eye" verses "the splinter" in the eye.
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but then the carpentry was just something He did until He started His ministry., it wasnt who He was in union with His Father.
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2007-10-23 19:14:47 · answer #5 · answered by opalist 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He is guiding us to better ' pastures' or a better future life.
(Psalm 37:9) For evildoers themselves will be cut off, But those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth.
(Psalm 37:11) But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.
(Psalm 37:29) The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.
(Psalm 37:34) Hope in Jehovah and keep his way, And he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see [it].
It is important to treat the bible as a whole.
Prophecies in the Old testament lead us to the answers in the New Testament.
Jesus had full knowledge of the O.T. and often referred to it.
He confirmed the flood of Noah's day.
(Matthew 24:36-40) “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned;
Jesus resurrected Lazarus. And the O.T. prophet Hosea stated that death, to God, is not permanent like we imagine.
It is important to remember that Jesus is God's son, not God himself. John 5;19
(Hosea 13:14) “From the hand of She′ol I shall redeem them; from death I shall recover them. Where are your stings, O Death? Where is your destructiveness, O She′ol? Compassion itself will be concealed from my eyes.
Sheol is man's grave.
This confirms also God';s promise to us to get rid of death. Jesus death PAID fot this.
(Revelation 21:4) And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
2007-10-23 19:29:38 · answer #6 · answered by pugjw9896 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not a mistake... shepherds corral their sheep together, keep them safe and protect them from the bad things that could happen to them. Calling Jesus a shepherd is a metaphor, that's all.
2007-10-23 18:39:00 · answer #7 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you read in Psalms 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd
John 10:11
"I am the good shepherd. The shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
John 10:14
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-
Jesus was God in the flesh.
2007-10-23 18:41:15 · answer #8 · answered by tracy211968 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Being the shepherd was always symbolic, because a shepherd leads his sheep and cares for them intimately. They follow him and know his voice. If a sheep is lost, the shepherd will search high and low until the sheep is found. A sheep herder will herd the sheep forward and if one is lost, the sheep herder will mind, but will put forth little or no effort to recover the lost one. Only the shepherd's sheep know him and know to follow him, and so with Christ if we do not know Him, we will not follow Him.
2007-10-23 18:31:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
that's a stable question. :o) right this is my information of the finished concern. Sheep are somewhat dumb. they might desire to be shielded from predators etc. they want somebody to steer them interior the the excellent option direction. while Jesus got here to earth to take on the sins of humanity, he became the appropriate sacrificial lamb so as that not one of the different "sheep" had to flow by what he did on the go. he took on the "slaughter homestead" for guy form.
2016-11-09 08:16:51 · answer #10 · answered by goerdt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋