The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am(A) the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes,(B) and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean(C) because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.(D)

“I am the vine;(E) you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit,(F) because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside(G) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,(H) and they are burned.(I) If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.(J) My Father is glorified(K) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] My disciples.

Christlike Love

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

11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.(N) 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved(O) you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life(P) for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master[b](Q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you.(R) I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask(S) the Father in My name,(T) He will give you.(U) 17 This is what I command you: Love one another.

Persecutions Predicted

18 “If the world hates(V) you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen(W) you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’(X) If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word,(Y) they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of My name,(Z) because they don’t know(AA) the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin.[c](AB) Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father.(AC) 24 If I had not done the works(AD) among them that no one else has done,(AE) they would not have sin.(AF) Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled:(AG) They hated Me for no reason.(AH)[d]

Coming Testimony and Rejection

26 “When the Counselor(AI) comes, the One I will send to you from the Father(AJ)—the Spirit of truth(AK) who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify,(AL) because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Footnotes

  1. John 15:8 Or and become
  2. John 15:15 Or lord
  3. John 15:22 To have sin is an idiom that refers to guilt caused by sin.
  4. John 15:25 Ps 69:4

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