The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (A)Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear (B)more fruit. (C)You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (D)Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much (E)fruit; for without Me you can do (F)nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, (G)he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words (H)abide in you, (I)you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (J)By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; (K)so you will be My disciples.

Love and Joy Perfected

“As the Father (L)loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 (M)If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and (N)that your joy may be full. 12 (O)This is My (P)commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 (Q)Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 (R)You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, (S)for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 (T)You did not choose Me, but I chose you and (U)appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father (V)in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

The World’s Hatred

18 (W)“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 (X)If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet (Y)because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, (Z)‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. (AA)If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But (AB)all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 (AC)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, (AD)but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 (AE)He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them (AF)the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have (AG)seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, (AH)‘They hated Me without a cause.’

The Coming Rejection

26 (AI)“But when the [c]Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, (AJ)He will testify of Me. 27 And (AK)you also will bear witness, because (AL)you have been with Me from the beginning.

Footnotes

  1. John 15:2 Or lifts up
  2. John 15:7 NU omits you will
  3. John 15:26 Comforter, Gr. Parakletos

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am(A) the true vine,(B) and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,(C) while every branch that does bear fruit(D) he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.(E) Remain in me, as I also remain in you.(F) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;(G) apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(H) If you remain in me(I) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.(J) This is to my Father’s glory,(K) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.(L)

“As the Father has loved me,(M) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands,(N) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.(O) 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.(P) 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.(Q) 14 You are my friends(R) if you do what I command.(S) 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.(T) 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you(U) so that you might go and bear fruit(V)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.(W) 17 This is my command: Love each other.(X)

The World Hates the Disciples

18 “If the world hates you,(Y) keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you(Z) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.(AA) 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b](AB) If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.(AC) If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name,(AD) for they do not know the one who sent me.(AE) 22 If I had not come and spoken to them,(AF) they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.(AG) 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did,(AH) they would not be guilty of sin.(AI) As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law:(AJ) ‘They hated me without reason.’[c](AK)

The Work of the Holy Spirit

26 “When the Advocate(AL) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father(AM)—the Spirit of truth(AN) who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.(AO) 27 And you also must testify,(AP) for you have been with me from the beginning.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. John 15:2 The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans.
  2. John 15:20 John 13:16
  3. John 15:25 Psalms 35:19; 69:4