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where a person lived, that is in the land of Israel or outside it. It was reckoned by
whether he was a true descendant of Abraham through Isaac (Rom. 9: 7), and it mattered
not where he resided. Hence the great influx of true Israelites from abroad to Jerusalem
at the great annual feasts. These certainly belonged to the fold of Israel, but the "other
sheep" do not. Much has been made of a distinction between the two Greek words
meaning "other", allos and heteros, allos meaning another of the same sort, and heteros
meaning others of a different sort in classical Greek. Let us put this to the test in the N.T.
and compare the parable of the sower in Matthew and Luke. In the following references
it is the same act that is referred to in both Gospels. Compare Matthew 13: 5-8 with
Luke 8: 6-8:
Matt. 13: 5-8
Luke 8: 6-8
Some (allos) fell on stony ground.
Some (heterps) fell on rock.
Some (allos) fell on thorns.
Some (heteros) fell on thorns.
Some (allos) fell on good ground.
Some (heteros) fell on good ground.
It is obvious there is no distinction between allos and heteros here.
In I Cor. 15: 41 we read that one star differs from another in glory. If the above rule
of a difference between allos and heteros is correct, then here is surely a case for heteros,
for difference is stressed. But what do we find? Another in glory is allos, another glory
of the moon (allos), another glory of the stars (allos).
If we look at the up to date Greek Lexicon, that of Arndt & Gingrich under `heteros',
section J, we are told that heteros is used interchangeably with allos, its equivalent. The
truth is that these words are equivalent in the late koine Greek of the N.T., no matter what
meaning they had in classical Greek.
Professor F. F Bruce comments on John 10: 16,
"His sheep who belonged to `this fold' were of Jewish stock, but He had other sheep
who must be brought to Him who never belonged to that fold and indeed could not be
accommodated within it."
"John here repeats in different language what Jesus said in His discourse, about the
good shepherd; that He was to bring His `other sheep' who did not belong to the Jewish
fold, and join them (with their fellow-believers of Jewish birth) into one flock under one
shepherd. Once again the Gentile mission is foreshadowed" (Italics ours: The Gospel of
John, pp.227 & 251).
At the end of this age there will be a great influx of Gentiles with Israel. Note
Zechariah 2: 11, and the phrase "the uttermost parts of the earth" in Acts 1: 8, and the
gospel of the kingdom preached to all nations (Matt. 24: 14; Luke 24: 47), and the
great commission of Matt. 28:, thus fulfilling the original purpose expressed in
Genesis 12: 3 where Abraham's seed should be a blessing to all families of the earth;
and Isa. 56: 7 will be true that "Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all
people". This must be so if God's kingdom will one day cover the earth as the Scriptures
predict.