John
Chapter 15
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Summary
The speaker declares himself the true vine and his Father the husbandman, and those addressed are branches that must abide in him to bear fruit. Branches that bear not fruit are taken away, and those that bear fruit are purged to bring forth more fruit. Those addressed are clean through the word spoken to them. Without abiding in the speaker, they can do nothing; if a man abide not, he is cast forth and burned. If they abide and the speaker's words abide in them, they shall ask what they will and it shall be done. The Father is glorified when they bear much fruit and so shall be disciples. The speaker commands them to continue in his love by keeping his commandments, even as he kept his Father's commandments and abides in his love. He speaks these things that his joy might remain in them and their joy be full. His commandment is that they love one another as he loved them. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends. They are his friends if they do whatsoever he commands. He calls them not servants but friends, for he has made known to them all things heard of his Father. They have not chosen him, but he has chosen them and ordained them to go and bring forth fruit that remains, that whatsoever they ask the Father in his name may be given. He commands them to love one another. The world will hate them because it hated him first; if they were of the world, the world would love its own, but because they are not of the world but chosen out of it, the world hates them. The servant is not greater than his lord; if they persecuted him, they will persecute those addressed; if they kept his saying, they will keep theirs also. They will do these things for his name's sake because they know not him that sent the speaker. If he had not come and spoken and done works which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin and have both seen and hated both him and his Father. This fulfills the word written in their law that they hated him without a cause. When the Comforter comes, whom he will send from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of the speaker. Those addressed shall also bear witness because they have been with him from the beginning.
Main Subjects
- •the true vine
- •my Father
- •the husbandman
- •branch
- •fruit
- •abide
- •the word
- •my words
- •my commandments
- •my love
- •my Father's commandments
- •his love
- •my joy
- •your joy
- •my friends
- •servants
- •the world
- •my name
- •him that sent me
- •sin
- •their law
- •the Comforter
- •the Spirit of truth
- •witness