endeavoring to deflect the reverence and allegiance of the people from God to himself. It must be confessed that there has often been a tendency in his disciples to substitute the Saviour for the Father, to believe in the sympathy of Christ, but not in the sympathy of God, to believe in the love of the Redeemer, but to attribute justice and wrath to Jehovah. Christ guards against this tendency, and refutes this accusation, by the declaration that he knows perfectly every wish and will of the Father, and in the whole course of his self-sacrifice, in all the laying down of his life for humanity, he is carrying out that will. Thus the declaration of this verse leads one to that of verse 17: “Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life.” 16 And[402] other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and[403] there shall be one fold, _and_ one shepherd. [402] Isa. 49:6; 56:8. [403] Ezek. 37:22; Ephes. 2:14. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because[404] I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [404] Isa. 53:7-12; Heb. 2:9. 18 No man taketh it from me, but[405] I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I[406] have power to take it again. This[407] commandment have I received of my Father. [405] Phil. 2:6-8. [406] ch. 2:19. [407] ch. 6:38. =16-18. Other sheep I have which are not from= (ἐκ) =this fold=. Not, Which are in other worlds; for the Bible does not anywhere recognize this world as the fold of God: nor, Others from among the dispersed Jews scattered among the Gentiles; for these were already in “this fold,” none the less belonging to Israel because they were geographically separated from their brethren. The reference is to those whom Christ has among the Gentiles, and, as I believe, still has among the heathen (Acts 10:35; 18:10). They are not, however, in a flock or fold, but scattered (ch. 11:52). Observe, Christ does not say _I am to have_--the present is not used in lieu of the future. He already has them; they are his sheep; he recognizes as his own those whose spirit is akin to his, though they do not recognize him as theirs (Matt. 25:37-40).--=Them also I must lead.= Not _bring_, _i. e._, to the Jewish nation, but _lead_ as a shepherd. He must be leader to all who will follow him, whether Jew or Gentile.--=And there shall be one flock, one Shepherd.= Not one _fold_, as unfortunately translated in our English version (μία ποίμνη, not μία αὐλή). “Not _one fold_, but _one flock_; no one exclusive enclosure of an outward church--but one flock, all knowing the one Shepherd, and known of Him.”--(_Alford._) And one flock because one Shepherd; one not in creed, or organization, or method of worship, but one in Christ Jesus (see ver. 30).--=Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down