John 10 1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.“
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I've had to get into gated areas and had to climb the fence to do so on numerous occasions (lock mechanism busted, gate blocked, don't have the key but have permission, etc.).
I suggest that like most "statements of truth," it has a good lesson in it if we look at the intent as a parable/meme, but it's at best a "truth in scope" rather than a "simple truth."
Here's a story that makes that clear. My brother was locked out of my parents house and decided to try to get in through the back and/or knock on some windows. The gate was locked, and he didn't have the key to that either, so he climbed the fence. After dropping down on the other side, he saw the neighbor had his gun pointed at him and threatened to shoot him (the neighbor is a piece of work to be sure).
The neighbor took the ideas of this parable to heart. I suggest his actions, while adhering to this parable, were outside of its intended scope. Indeed, had the situation gone even slightly differently, his actions could very well have resulted in the murder of someone who was not by any stretch a thief and a robber, yet was according to this "simple truth."
"Simple" is never as simple as people tend to believe.
Thanks for the reply and your reasoning. Very true. “Truth in scope” like you mentioned is exactly that. Any passage taken from the Bible has scope or context around it which prompts further deep-diving and understanding. Of course there are those who always take things out of context. What Jesus was saying to the Pharisees here was that he was the gateway to heaven and no one will enter except through him. Accept and follow Jesus and his teachings and you will have eternal entry. Thank you again for your insight! Peace!