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15 I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the farmer. Every branch in Me not bearing fruit— He takes it away[a]. And every branch bearing fruit— He cleans[b] it in order that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean, because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide[c] in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it is abiding in the grapevine, so neither are you able unless you are abiding in Me. I am the grapevine, you are the branches. The one abiding[d] in Me and I in him— this one bears much fruit. Because apart from Me, you can do nothing. If anyone is not abiding in Me— he was thrown[e] outside like the branch, and was dried-up. And they gather them together, and throw them into the fire. And they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified— that you be bearing much fruit, and be[f] disciples to Me. Just as the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Abide[g] in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love— just as I have kept the commandments of My Father and am abiding in His love.

You Are My Friends. I Chose You And Appointed You To Bear Much Fruit

11 “I have spoken these things to you in order that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be made full. 12 This is My commandment: that you be loving one another just as I loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: that one lay-down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you are doing the things which I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I made-known to you everything which I heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, in order that you may go and bear fruit and your fruit may remain, in order that He may give you whatever thing you ask the Father in My name. 17 I am commanding these things to you so-that you will love one another.

The World Will Hate You As It Hated Me, Because You Will Be Testifying of Me

18 “If the world hates you, you know[h] that it has hated Me before you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would be loving its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world— for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember[i] the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master’. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you because of My name, because they do not know the One having sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be having sin. But now they do not have an excuse for their sin. 23 The one hating Me is also hating My Father. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no other one did, they would not be having sin. But now they have both seen and have hated both Me and My Father. 25 But it has taken place in order that the word having been written in their Law [in Ps 69:4] might be fulfilled— that ‘They hated Me without-a-reason’. 26 When the Helper comes Whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father— that One will testify about Me. 27 And you also are going to be testifying, because you are [the ones] with Me from the beginning.

Footnotes

  1. John 15:2 That is, He cuts it off and it eventually burns it up, v 6. Or, He lifts it up. That is, He lifts it up to the trellis in the spring, training and tending it so that it bears fruit next season.
  2. John 15:2 cleans... clean. Or, prunes... pruned. The agricultural metaphor and the human application are intertwined here, using the same root word in a play on words. The branches are pruned (the suckers are pruned off to allow the branch to bear more fruit), the apostles are clean (morally and spiritually purified).
  3. John 15:4 Or, Remain, Continue, Stay.
  4. John 15:5 abiding in Me and I in him. That is, having a living reciprocal relationship with Jesus.
  5. John 15:6 Jesus sums up the final state of the branch. He is found to be thrown out and dried up, as always with such branches.
  6. John 15:8 Or, prove-to-be.
  7. John 15:9 Abide... keep. Jesus plainly states the main point of the vine illustration: Abide in My love by doing as I command.
  8. John 15:18 Or, this may be a command: know that, recognize that.
  9. John 15:20 Remember... master. Or, Do you remember... master?

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.

“I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain joined to me, and I to you, you will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without me. If you don’t remain joined to me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be done for you. When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.

“Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will have the same joy that I have. I also want your joy to be complete. 12 Here is my command. Love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than the one who gives their life for their friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore. Slaves do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father. 16 You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last. I also appointed you so that the Father will give you what you ask for. He will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 17 Here is my command. Love one another.

The World Hates the Disciples

18 “My disciples, does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you. I said, ‘A slave is not more important than his master.’ (John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 I did works among them that no one else did. If I hadn’t, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen those works. And still they have hated both me and my Father. 25 This has happened so that what is written in their Law would come true. It says, ‘They hated me without any reason.’ (Psalms 35:19; 69:4)

The Work of the Holy Spirit

26 “I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will be a witness about me. 27 You must also be witnesses about me. That’s because you have been with me from the beginning.