M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The true vine. The husbandman and the branches. A doctrine of love. A sweet comfort against persecutions.

15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he will take away. And every branch that bears fruit he will prune, so that it may bring forth more fruit. ³ Now you are clean through the words that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and let me abide in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, no more can you unless you abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. ⁶ If a person does not abide in me, he is cast forth like a branch, and is withered; and men gather it and cast it into the fire, and it burns. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words also abide in you, ask what you will, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ In this is my Father glorified: that you bear much fruit and be made my disciples.

⁹ As the Father has loved me, even so have I loved you. Continue in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may remain in you, and so that your joy may be full.

¹² This is my commandment: that you love together, as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love than this has no man, than to bestow his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. ¹⁵ Henceforth I do not call you servants, for the servant knows not what his lord does, but I have called you friends. For all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

¹⁶ You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should endure; that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he should give it to you.

¹⁷ This I command you: love one another. ¹⁸ If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. However because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the saying that I said to you: the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, so will they persecute you. If they have kept my sayings, so will they keep yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they have not known him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin. But now they have nothing to cloak their sin with.

²³ He who hates me, hates my Father. ²⁴ If I had not done works among them which no other man did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen, and yet have hated both me and my Father, ²⁵ even so that the saying is fulfilled that is written in their law: They hated me without a cause.

²⁶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, which is the Spirit of truth who proceeds of the Father, he will testify of me. ²⁷ And you shall bear witness also, because you have been with me from the beginning.

He exhorts them to love. He warns them to beware of uncleanness, covetousness, foolish talking, and false counsel; to be circumspect, to avoid drunkenness, to rejoice and to be thankful to God, and to submit themselves one to another. He teaches how women should obey their husbands, and how lovingly men ought to treat their wives.

5 Be followers of God as dear children, ² and walk in love, even as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet savour to God.

³ As for fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let them not be once named among you, as it becomes saints. ⁴ Nor should there be coarseness, or foolish talking, or jestings which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know, that no whoremonger or unclean person, or covetous person (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶ Let no person deceive you with vain words. For through such things comes the wrath of God upon the children of unbelief. ⁷ Therefore do not be companions with them. ⁸ You were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. ⁹ For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.  ¹⁰ Accept that which is pleasing to the Lord, ¹¹ and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather rebuke them. ¹² For it is shameful even to name those things that are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things, when they are rebuked by the light, are manifest. For whatsoever is manifest, that same is light. ¹⁴ Therefore he says, Awake, you who sleep, and stand up from death, and Christ will give you light.

¹⁵ Take heed therefore that you walk circumspectly – not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time. For the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be fulfilled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ and submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.

²² Women, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the congregation, and he is the saviour of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, as the congregation is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be subject to their husbands in all things.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the congregation and gave himself for it, ²⁶ to sanctify it, and cleansed it in the fountain of water through the word, ²⁷ to make it for himself a glorious congregation, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but to be holy and without blame. ²⁸ This is how men ought to love their wives: as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but cares for and cherishes it, even as the Lord does the congregation. ³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. ³¹ On this account must a man leave father and mother and continue with his wife, and the two will be made one flesh. ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak as between Christ and the congregation. ³³ Nevertheless, see to it that every one of you loves his wife truly, even as himself. And let the wife see that she fears her husband.