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15
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every one of my branches that doesn't bear fruit. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can bear even more. 3 You are already pruned and made clean*The word for pruning in this context is literally, “to cleanse.” through what I've told you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you.†Obviously the word “in” should be taken as “in connection with” as the rest of the verse makes clear. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it remains part of the vine, so it is for you: you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I'm the vine, you're the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce plenty of fruit—for apart from me you can't do anything. 6 Anyone who doesn't remain in me is like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Such branches are gathered together, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, then you can ask for whatever you want, and it will be given you. 8 My Father is glorified as you produce plenty of fruit, proving you are my disciples.
9 As the Father loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you do what I say, you will remain in my love, just as I do what my Father says and remain in his love. 11 I've explained this to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
12 This is my command: love one another as I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to give your life for your friends. 14 You're my friends if you do what I tell you. 15 I don't call you servants any longer, for servants are not taken into their master's confidence.‡Literally, “a servant doesn't know what his master is doing.” I call you friends, for everything my Father told me I've explained to you. 16 You didn't choose me, I chose you. I have given you the responsibility to go and produce lasting fruit. So the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command to you: love one another.
18 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were part of this world, it would love you as its own. But you're not part of the world, and I chose you out of the world—that's why the world hates you.
20 Remember what I told you: servants aren't more important than their master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they did what I told them, they would do what you tell them too. 21 But everything they do to you will be because of me, for they don't know the one who sent me. 22 If I hadn't come and spoken to them, they wouldn't be guilty of sin—but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not given them such a demonstration through things that no one had ever done before, they wouldn't be guilty of sin, but despite seeing all this they hated both me and my Father. 25 But this just fulfilled what Scripture says, ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’§Quoting Psalms 35:19 or Psalms 69:5.
26 But I will send you the Comforter from the Father. When he comes, he will give evidence about me. He is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. 27 You will also give evidence about me because you were with me from the beginning.”

- John
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*15:3 The word for pruning in this context is literally, “to cleanse.”

†15:4 Obviously the word “in” should be taken as “in connection with” as the rest of the verse makes clear.

‡15:15 Literally, “a servant doesn't know what his master is doing.”

§15:25 Quoting Psalms 35:19 or Psalms 69:5.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher