John 10:1 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

John 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "verily", "entereth", "door", "fold", "climbeth", and "some". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "verily", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "But he that entereth in by the...", so "sheep" and "verily" should be read forward into that movement. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "verily" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.