{"id":1427,"date":"2017-04-30T16:44:04","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=1427"},"modified":"2017-04-30T16:44:04","modified_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:44:04","slug":"sheep-shepherds-and-soteriology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/sheep-shepherds-and-soteriology\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheep, Shepherds, and Soteriology"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I am pleased to have Edward LaRow writing at Rags for Riches today; enjoy:<\/em><\/p>\n

To preface this \u201csnippet\u201d here is a basic definition of <\/span>Soteriology<\/span>. Soteriology is the field of study concerned with outlining the effects of the atoning work of Christ. It derives from the Greek noun \u201c<\/em><\/span>\u03c3\u03c9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03b1<\/span><\/em>\u201d meaning \u201csalvation\u201d, or \u201cdeliverance\u201d.<\/em> There are two methodological views utilized when studying salvation; the first I will refer to as <\/span>Androcentric<\/span><\/em>, for unbeknownst to its adherents it promotes a soteriology which is centered upon the workings of man. The second view I will refer to as <\/span>Christocentric<\/span><\/em>,<\/em> for it views salvation as the work of Christ the Good Shepherd for His sheep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAndrocentric soteriology says; I can earn (and un-earn) my salvation. Christocentric soteriology says; Christ, the good shepherd\u2013purchased my salvation and He will keep it.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus is \u201cThe Good Shepherd\u201d (Jn 10)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

John records Jesus himself attesting to a Christocentric soteriology in John 10. First, Jesus begins His discourse to the Pharisees by asserting that He alone is the good shepherd. By doing so He is not only showing their inability to shepherd the flock, he is showing that soteriology must be centered upon Him for He is the only way (Jn10.1-6). After this Jesus then discusses the extent of His atoning work as being limited to the sheep;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd<\/span> <\/span>lays down his life for the sheep.\u201d<\/span><\/em>(Jn10.11)<\/span><\/p>\n

Notice that the subject of the text is Jesus and the direct object is the shepherd, which implies that the focus of the text is Jesus as the good shepherd. The second section then has the good shepherd-the subject, laying down his life for the sheep-the direct object. Thus since Jesus is <\/span>the good shepherd, he will lay down his life for the flock. Jesus affirms this in his ensuing statements. First, he does so by warning his sheep of those whom will profess to be shepherds but will be imposters who run at the mere sight of hardship;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/span><\/em>(Jn.10.12)<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus then juxtaposes this statement regarding false shepherds with another claim. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This claim is again that he is the \u201cgood shepherd\u201d. Jesus again defines the extent of the atoning work of the cross (and also that His Father has the same intentions) by stating that he willingly gives His life for his sheep;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (Jn. 10.14-15)<\/span><\/p>\n

If the core of this text is Jesus as the good shepherd, then what exactly does it mean to be a good shepherd? Allow me to present a scenario;<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon seeing a stubborn Ram scurry off into the dark, the good shepherd  wastes no time to follow suit. Upon finding the escapee, the good shepherd is overjoyed. He reaches down and picks up the stubborn Ram and carries him back to the fold. The good shepherd does not ask \u201cDo you want to come back?\u201d, or, \u201cThis Ram is too stubborn for me. I will leave him up to his own stubborn will.\u201d On the contrary, the good shepherd knows that if the stubborn Ram is left to it\u2019s own devices it surely will not survive the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

If Christ is the good shepherd, how then can we say that he will allow a sheep from His fold to run? If the sheep is of the flock, then no matter how stubborn be it\u2019s will (some are stubborn indeed) Christ the Good Shepherd will bring it home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus answered them, \u201cI told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father\u2019s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them tome,<\/span> <\/span>is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand.<\/span> <\/span><\/em>I and the Father are one.\u201d<\/em> <\/span>(Jn.10.25-30)<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who are his sheep are given eternal life, not by the workings of their own hands, but by the shed blood of the Shepherd who lays down his life that they may never perish. Notice also that, \u201cno one will snatch them out of [His] hand\u201d. The androcentric defendant would argue that the text does not impede your ability to leave his hand (in other words you can take yourself out of His hand), to which I say; 1. are you excluded from \u201cno one\u201d? And 2. Is the will you possess greater than the closed hand of the Father (v. 30)? Again we will use the shepherd example. If <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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one shepherd says to another, \u201cno one will take my sheep from my fold!\u201d will he then allow a sheep to leave by its own accord? By no means. For the sheep are of such value that they are protected from outsiders; would their value be any less if they decided to leave? No, for by stating \u201cno one\u201d Jesus is including the sheep. For they are of such value that He will protect them both from outsiders as well as from their own stubborn will. <\/span><\/p>\n

Praise God that salvation is not dependent on my own will. Praise Him that He is the Good Shepherd and as such will bring us back to His fold when we stray.<\/span><\/p>\n

– The author of this post is Edward Joseph LaRow. You can find him on Twitter:<\/em> @edwardjlarow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am pleased to have Edward LaRow writing at Rags for Riches today; enjoy: To preface this \u201csnippet\u201d here is a basic definition of Soteriology. Soteriology is the field of study concerned with outlining the effects of the atoning work of Christ. It derives from the Greek noun \u201c\u03c3\u03c9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03b1\u201d meaning \u201csalvation\u201d, or \u201cdeliverance\u201d. There are two methodological […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":1434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[274,421,557,562,679,687,696,726,1014,1056,1080,1099,1125,1128,1166],"class_list":{"0":"post-1427","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-christ","9":"tag-edward","10":"tag-god","11":"tag-gospel","12":"tag-jesus","13":"tag-john","14":"tag-joseph","15":"tag-larow","16":"tag-rags","17":"tag-riches","18":"tag-salvation","19":"tag-savior","20":"tag-sheep","21":"tag-shepherds","22":"tag-soteriology","23":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/04\/shepherd-the-flock.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3563,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/from-drug-addiction-to-pastoral-ministry\/","url_meta":{"origin":1427,"position":0},"title":"From Drug Addiction to Pastoral Ministry","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"We don't typically post testimonies on Rags for Riches. 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