John 15

1 I am the true vyne and my father ys an husbande man.

2 Every braunche that beareth not frute in me he will take awaye. And every braunche that beareth frute will he pourge yt it maye bringe moare frute.

3 Now are ye cleane thorow ye wordes which I have spoke vnto you.

4 Byde in me and let me byde in you. As ye braunche canot beare frute of it sylfe excepte it byde in the vyne: no more can ye excepte ye abyde in me.

5 I am the vyne and ye are the braunches. He that abydeth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth moche frute. For with out me can ye do nothinge.

6 Yf a man byde not in me he ys cast forthe as a braunche and is wyddered: and men gadder it and cast it into the fyre and it burneth.

7 Yf ye byde in me and my wordes also byde in you: axe what ye will and it shalbe done to you .

8 Heare in is my father glorified that ye beare moche frute and be made my disciples.

9 As the father hath loved me eve so have I leved you. Continue in my love.

10 Yf ye shall kepe my comaudemetes ye shall byde in my love eve as I have kept my fathers comaundementes and byde in his love.

11 These thinges have I spoken vnto you yt my ioye myght remayne in you and that youre ioye might be full.

12 This is my commaundement that ye love togedder as I have loved you.

13 Gretter love then this hath no man then that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frendes.

14 Ye are my fredes yf ye do whatsoever I commaunde you.

15 Hence forth call I you not servauntes: for the servaunt knoweth not what his Lorde doeth. But you have I called frendes: for all thinges that I have hearde of my father I have opened to you.

16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordeyned you that ye go and bringe forthe frute and that youre frute remayne that whatsoever ye shall axe of the father in my name he shulde geve it you.

17 This comaunde I you that ye love to gedder.

18 Yf ye worlde hate you ye knowe that he hated me before he hated you.

19 Yf ye were of the worlde ye worlde wolde love his awne. How be it because ye are not of ye worlde but I have chosen you out of the worlde therfore hateth you the worlde.

20 Remember the sayinge that I sayde vnto you: the servaute is not greater then his lorde. Yf they have persecuted me so will they persecute you Yf they have kept my sayinge so will they kepe youres.

21 But all these thinges will they do vnto you for my names sake because they have not knowen him that sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they shulde not have had synne: but now have they nothinge to cloke their synne with all.

23 He that hateth me hateth my father.

24 If I had not done workes amoge the which none other ma dyd they had not had synne. But now have they sene and yet have hated bothe me and my father:

25 eve that the sayinge myght be fulfilled that is written in theyr lawe: they hated me wtout a cause.

26 But when the comforter is come whom I will sende vnto you fro the father which is the sprete of truthe which proceadeth of the father he shall testifie of me.

27 And ye shall beare witnes also because ye have bene with me from the begynninge.

John 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

Christ the true Vine. (1-8) His love to his disciples. (9-17) foretold. (18-25) The Comforter promised. (26,27)

Verses 1-8 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.

Verses 9-17 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.

Verses 18-25 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.

26,27. The blessed Spirit will maintain the cause of Christ in the world, notwithstanding the opposition it meets with. Believers taught and encouraged by his influences, would bear testimony to Christ and his salvation.