To him the porter openeth

[Carbon]

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. John 10:3.

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. John 10.

I understand this is a parable, but, who is the porter? And how does this work?

 

[3 Resurrections]

I understand this is a parable, but, who is the porter? And how does this work?

I would pair this parable with Christ's statement in John 6:37, where it says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me...". The sheep are granted the ability to hear Jesus the Shepherd's voice by God the Father (aka, the "porter", or the "gatekeeper") giving the sheep this ability to hear Christ calling them.

"The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them" (Proverbs 20:12).

Their status as "sheep" is already established, even before the sheep respond by hearing the Shepherd's voice calling to them to follow. In the soteriological sense, regeneration precedes the response of believing and following the Shepherd Christ Jesus.

 

[Carbon]

I would pair this parable with Christ's statement in John 6:37, where it says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me...". The sheep are granted the ability to hear Jesus the Shepherd's voice by God the Father (aka, the "porter", or the "gatekeeper") giving the sheep this ability to hear Christ calling them.

"The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them" (Proverbs 20:12).

Their status as "sheep" is already established, even before the sheep respond by hearing the Shepherd's voice calling to them to follow. In the soteriological sense, regeneration precedes the response of believing and following the Shepherd Christ Jesus.

Nice!

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

I understand [John 10:1-3] is a parable, but who is the porter and how does this work?

There are some who interpret it the way 3 Resurrections has, and I'm beginning to lean that way myself. Others interpret it as the Holy Spirit (i.e., regeneration), who prepares hearts to receive Christ, opens understanding, and enables believers to hear and follow the Shepherd’s voice.

(Edited to add: The former may refer to the covenant of redemption, the latter referring to the covenant of grace.)

 

[Carbon]

There are some who interpret it the way 3 Resurrections has,

I being one.