John 15

1 I am a very vine, and my Father is an earth-tiller.

2 Each branch in me that beareth not fruit, he shall take away it [he shall do it away]; and each that beareth fruit, he shall purge it, that it bear the more fruit [that it bear more fruit].

3 Now ye be clean, for the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Dwell ye in me, and I in you; as a branch may not make fruit of itself, but it dwell in the vine, so neither ye, but ye dwell in me.

5 I am the vine, ye be the branches. Who that dwelleth in me, and I in him, this beareth much fruit, for without me, ye be able to nothing do. [+I am the vine, ye be the branches. He that dwelleth in me, and I in him, this beareth much fruit, for without me, ye may nothing do.]

6 If any man dwelleth not in me, he shall be cast out as a branch, and shall wax dry; and they shall gather him, and they shall cast him into the fire, and he shall burn [and he burneth].

7 If ye dwell in me, and my words dwell in you, whatever thing ye will [whatever thing ye shall desire], ye shall ask, and it shall be done to you.

8 In this thing my Father is clarified, that ye bring forth full much fruit, and that ye be made my disciples.

9 As my Father loved me, I have loved you; dwell ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall dwell in my love; as I have kept the commandments of my Father, and dwell in his love.

11 These things I spake to you, that my joy be in you, and your joy be full-filled [and your joy be filled].

12 This is my commandment, that ye love together, as I have loved you.

13 No man hath more love than this, that a man put his life for his friends.

14 Ye be my friends if ye do those things, that I command to you.

15 Now I shall not call you servants, for the servant knoweth not, what his lord shall do; but I have called you friends, for all things whatever I heard of my Father, I have made known to you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I chose you; and I have put you [and put you], that ye go, and bring forth fruit, and your fruit dwell; that whatever thing ye [shall] ask the Father in my name, he give to you.

17 These things I command to you, that ye love together.

18 If the world hate you, know ye, that it had me in hate rather than you [know ye, for it had me in hate first than you].

19 If ye had been of the world, the world should love that thing that was his; but for ye be not of the world, but I chose you from the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Have ye mind of my word, which I said to you [that I said to you], The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued me, they shall pursue you also; if they have kept my word, they shall keep yours also.

21 But they shall do to you all these things for my name, for they know not him that sent me.

22 If I had not come, and had not spoken to them, they should not have sin; but now they have none excusation of their sin [forsooth now they have not excusing of their sin].

23 He that hateth me, hateth also my Father.

24 If I had not done the works in them, which none other man did, they should not have sin; but now both they have seen, and hated/have hated me and my Father.

25 But that the word be fulfilled, that is written in their law, For they had me in hate without cause.

26 But when the comforter shall come, which I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which cometh forth of the Father [which proceedeth, or cometh forth, of the Father], he shall bear witnessing of me;

27 and ye shall bear witnessing, for ye be with me from the beginning.

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.