John15
New American Standard
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
5I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
9Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.
10If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
13Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
17This I command you, that you love one another.
18“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also.
21But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23The one who hates Me hates My Father also.
24If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.
25But this has happened so that the word that is written in their Law will be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me for no reason.’
26“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me,
27and you are testifying as well, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for John 15.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Christ the true Vine. (1–8). His love to his disciples. (9–17). foretold. (18–25). The Comforter promised. (26, 27).
vv1-8
Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the human and Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is in him, resemble the root of the vine made fruitful by the moisture from a rich soil. Believers are branches of this Vine. The root is unseen, and our life is hid with Christ; the root bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all supports and supplies. The branches of the vine are many, yet, meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus all true Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, meet in Christ. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are weak, and unable to stand but as they are borne up. The Father is the Husbandman. Never was any husbandman so wise, so watchful, about his vineyard, as God is about his church, which therefore must prosper. We must be fruitful. From a vine we look for grapes, and from a Christian we look for a Christian temper, disposition, and life. We must honour God, and do good; this is bearing fruit. The unfruitful are taken away. And even fruitful branches need pruning; for the best have notions, passions, and humours, that require to be taken away, which Christ has promised to forward the sanctification of believers, they will be thankful, for them. The word of Christ is spoken to all believers; and there is a cleansing virtue in that word, as it works grace, and works out corruption. And the more fruit we bring forth, the more we abound in what is good, the more our Lord is glorified. In order to fruitfulness, we must abide in Christ, must have union with him by faith. It is the great concern of all Christ's disciples, constantly to keep up dependence upon Christ, and communion with him. True Christians find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of their faith, causes holy affections to decline, their corruptions to revive, and their comforts to droop. Those who abide not in Christ, though they may flourish for awhile in outward profession, yet come to nothing. The fire is the fittest place for withered branches; they are good for nothing else. Let us seek to live more simply on the fulness of Christ, and to grow more fruitful in every good word and work, so may our joy in Him and in his salvation be full.
vv9-17
Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.
vv18-25
How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its hatred to the disciples of Jesus. The clearer and fuller the discoveries of the grace and truth of Christ, the greater is our sin if we do not love him and believe in him.
Key Words
ἐγώ (egṓ): I, me
εἰμί (eimí): I exist (used only when emphatic)
ἀληθινός (alēthinós): truthful
ἄμπελος (ámpelos): a vine (as coiling about a support)
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
μοῦ (moû): of me
πατήρ (patḗr): a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)
ἐστί (estí): he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are
γεωργός (geōrgós): a land-worker, i.e. farmer
πᾶς (pâs): all, any, every, the whole
Cross References
John 15Old Testament background of Israel as God's disappointing vineyard, contrasted with Christ as the true vine.
Supported by Calvin, JFB
The prophetic description of useless, non-fruit-bearing vine wood fit only for the fire.
Supported by JFB
The command to love one another as Christ loved them, repeated from the Upper Room discourse.
Supported by JFB
The secret counsel and friendship that God shares with those who fear Him.
Supported by JFB
Parallel teaching on how spiritual light and the presence of Christ leave sin without excuse.
Supported by JFB
Crucial thematic link between loving Christ and keeping His commandments.
Pauline exposition of the supreme standard of love: laying down one's life for friends.
The ongoing tension between their high status as friends and their duties as servants of Christ.
Supported by JFB
Messianic vine imagery planted by the right hand of God, pointing to Christ.
Defines the spiritual 'fruit' expected from the branches as the fruit of the Spirit.