Yuēhànfúyīn 15

1 Wǒ shì zhēn pútàoshù , wǒ fù shì zāipéi de rén .

2 Fán shǔ wǒ bù jiē guǒzi de zhīzǐ , tā jiù jiǎn qù . fán jiē guǒzi de ,

3 Xiànzaì nǐmen yīn wǒ jiǎng gĕi nǐmen de dào , yǐjing gānjing le .

4 Nǐmen yào cháng zaì wǒ lǐmiàn , wǒ yĕ cháng zaì nǐmen lǐmiàn . zhīzǐ ruò bù cháng zaì pútàoshù shàng , zìjǐ jiù bùnéng jiē guǒzi . nǐmen ruò bù cháng zaì wǒ lǐmiàn , yĕ shì zhèyàng .

5 Wǒ shì pútàoshù , nǐmen shì zhīzǐ . cháng zaì wǒ lǐmiàn de , wǒ yĕ cháng zaì tā lǐmiàn , zhè rén jiù duō jiē guǒzi . yīnwei lí le wǒ , nǐmen jiù bùnéng zuò shénme .

6 Rén ruò bù cháng zaì wǒ lǐmiàn , jiù xiàng zhīzǐ diū zaì waìmiàn kū gān , rén shí qǐlai , rēng zaì huǒ lǐ shāo le .

7 Nǐmen ruò cháng zaì wǒ lǐmiàn , wǒde huà yĕ cháng zaì nǐmen lǐmiàn , fán nǐmen suǒ yuànyì de , qíqiú jiù gĕi nǐmen chéngjiù .

8 Nǐmen duō jiē guǒzi , wǒ fù jiù yīncǐ dé róngyào , nǐmen yĕ jiù shì wǒde méntǔ le .

9 Wǒ aì nǐmen , zhēng rú fù aì wǒ yíyàng . nǐmen yào cháng zaì wǒde aì lǐ .

10 Nǐmen ruò zūnshǒu wǒde mìnglìng , jiù cháng zaì wǒde aì lǐ . zhēng rú wǒ zūnshǒu le wǒ fù de mìnglìng , cháng zaì tāde aì lǐ .

11 Zhèxie shì wǒ yǐjing duì nǐmen shuō le , shì yào jiào wǒde xǐlè , cún zaì nǐmen xīnli , bìng jiào nǐmen de xǐlè kĕyǐ mǎnzū .

12 Nǐmen yào bǐcǐ xiàng aì , xiàng wǒ aì nǐmen yíyàng , zhè jiù shì wǒde mìnglìng .

13 Rén wéi péngyou shĕmìng , rén de aì xīn méiyǒu bǐ zhège gēng dà de .

14 Nǐmen ruò zūnxíng wǒ suǒ fēn fù de , jiù shì wǒde péngyou le .

15 Yǐhòu wǒ bù zaì chēng nǐmen wéi púrén . yīn púrén bù zhīdào zhǔrén suǒ zuò de shì . wǒ nǎi chēng nǐmen wéi péngyou . yīn wǒ cōng wǒ fù suǒ tīngjian de . yǐjing dōu gàosu nǐmen le .

16 Bú shì nǐmen jiǎnxuǎn le wǒ , shì wǒ jiǎnxuǎn le nǐmen , bìngqiĕ fèn paì nǐmen qù jiē guǒzi , jiào nǐmen de guǒzi chángcún . shǐ nǐmen fèng wǒde míng , wúlùn xiàng fù qiú shénme , tā jiù cìgĕi nǐmen .

17 Wǒ zhèyàng fēnfu nǐmen , shì yào jiào nǐmen bǐcǐ xiāng aì .

18 Shìrén ruò hèn nǐmen , nǐmen zhīdào ( huò zuò "gāi zhīdào" ) hèn nǐmen yǐ xiān , yǐjing hèn wǒ le .

19 Nǐmen ruò shǔ shìjiè , shìjiè bì aì shǔ zìjǐ de . zhī yīn nǐmen bù shǔ shìjiè . nǎi shì wǒ cōng shìjiè jiǎnxuǎn le nǐmen , suǒyǐ shìjiè jiù hèn nǐmen .

20 Nǐmen yào jìniàn wǒ cōng qián duì nǐmen suǒ shuō de huà , púrén bùnéng dà yú zhǔrén . tāmen ruò bīpò le wǒ , yĕ yào bīpò nǐmen . ruò zūnshǒu le wǒde huà , yĕ yào zūnshǒu nǐmen de huà .

21 Dàn tāmen yīn wǒde míng , yào xiàng nǐmen xíng zhè yīqiè de shì , yīnwei tāmen bú rènshi nà chāi wǒ lái de .

22 Wǒ ruò méiyǒu lái jiàoxun tāmen , tāmen jiù méiyǒu zuì . dàn rújīn tāmende zuì wú kè tuī wĕi le .

23 Hèn wǒde , yĕ hèn wǒde fù .

24 Wǒ ruò méiyǒu zaì tāmen zhōngjiān xíng guō biérén wèicéng xíng de shì , tāmen jiù méiyǒu zuì . dàn rújīn lián wǒ yǔ wǒde fù , tāmen yĕ kànjian yĕ hèn wù le .

25 Zhè yào yìngyàn tāmen lǜfǎ shǎng suǒ xiè de huà shuō , tāmen wú gù hèn wǒ .

26 Dàn wǒ yào cōng fù nàli chāi bǎo huì shī lái , jiù shì cōng fù chūlai zhēn lǐ de Shènglíng . tā lái le , jiù yào wéi wǒ zuò jiànzhèng .

27 Nǐmen yĕ yào zuò jiànzhèng , yīnwei nǐmen cōng qǐtóu jiù yǔ wǒ tóng zaì .

Yuēhànfúyīn 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.