5 Bible Verses about Spiritual Allegories

I assure you, he that entreth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, is a thief and a robber. but he that enters in by the door, is the pastor of the sheep. the porter lets him in, and the sheep know his voice: he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out to pasture.read more.
when he lets out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: because they know his voice. a stranger they will not follow, but flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. Jesus talk'd to them in this figurative way: but they did not understand the meaning of his discourse. Jesus therefore subjoin'd, I declare unto you, I am the door of the sheep-fold. they who have personated me, are all thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not follow them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved; he shall go in and out, and find pasture. the thief comes only to steal, to kill, and destroy: but I am come that they might have life, and have it with all its advantages. I am the true pastor: the true pastor exposes his life for the sheep. but the hireling, who is not the pastor, nor has the property of the sheep, seeing the wolf come, leaves the sheep, and flies away: so the wolf seizes some, and disperses the flock. the hireling flies, because he is an hireling, and is under no concern for the sheep. I am the true pastor, I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, (as the father and I are known to one another:) and I lay down my life for them. other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring; they will hear my voice; and so there shall be but one fold, and one pastor.

But tell me, you that are so willing to be under the law, why don't you consider the law? for it is there written, Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. he, who was of the bond-woman, was born according to the ordinary course of nature; but he, who was of the free-woman, was born by virtue of the promise.read more.
these things have an allegorical meaning: the two women signify the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, which is represented by Agar, whose children were born in a state of servitude. this Agar answers to the Jerusalem now in being, for she is in servitude with her children: but the heavenly Jerusalem is represented by the free-woman, who is the mother of us all. for it is written, "rejoice thou barren, that bearest not; break out into loud acclamations, thou that hast not the travels of childbirth, for more are the children of the desolate, than of her that hath an husband." Now we, my brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise. but as then, he that was born in the ordinary course of nature, persecuted him, who was born by an extraordinary power; even so it is now. but what saith the scripture? "cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not share the inheritance with the son of the free-woman." so then, my brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free-woman, by virtue of that freedom which Christ has procur'd for us.

for, if by rejecting them, the world may be reconciled; what shall their restoration be, but a general resurrection? Now if the first-fruits be holy, so is the whole product: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. if then, some of the branches are broken off, and thou like a wild olive, were grafted in their place to partake of the root and sap of the olivestock;read more.
don't triumph over the branches: or if you do, remember the root is not dependent upon you, but you upon the root. you will say then, "the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear, lest God should not spare you, since he did not spare even the natural branches. consider then the divine benignity, and his severity: his severity to those who fell, and his benignity to you, provided you adhere thereto; otherwise you likewise will be lopt off. nay, even the Jews, if they don't continue still incredulous, shall be grafted in: since divine power can graft them in again. for if you were taken from the wild olive, which was natural to you, to be grafted into a good olive-stock of a different nature, with how much greater reason shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?

let married women be submissive to their husbands, out of regard to the Lord. for the husband presides over his wife, as Christ presides over the church: and he it is that preserves the whole body. as the church then is subordinate to Christ, so let women be to their husbands upon all occasions.read more.
You husband, love your spouse, even as Christ loved the church, and laid down his life for her: to sanctify and purify her by the ablution of his word, that he himself might make her appear illustrious to his own eye, a church without spot, or any thing like a defect; so as to be holy and irreprehensible. in like manner ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies: "he that loves his wife, loveth himself." no man was ever yet averse to his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as the Lord doth the church: of which we are the several parts constituting his body. the scripture says, "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and they two shall be as one." these words contain a very mystical sense, I mean in reference to Christ and the church. wherefore let every one of you without exception, love his wife even as himself; and let the wife respect her husband.

put on the set of divine armour, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. for our conflict is not barely with men, but with principalities, with potentates, with the princes of darkness, with wicked aereal spirits. wherefore invest yourselves with the set of divine armour, that ye may be able to withstand in the difficult day, and having overcome all to maintain your ground.read more.
stand firm, the belt of truth round your waist, let justice invest you like mail: wing your feet with the gospel of peace: cover all with the shield of faith, to repel all the fiery darts of the adversary: let salvation be your helmet, and the divine doctrine your spiritual sword.