> [[john-14|← Previous]] | [[john-00|TOC]] | [[john-16|Next →]] --- # John, Chapter 15 ## Chapter 15 **The Vine and the Branches.** 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. ^john-15-1 2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. ^john-15-2 3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. ^john-15-3 4 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. ^8e8c0f ^john-15-4 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. ^john-15-5 6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. ^john-15-6 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. ^john-15-7 8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ^john-15-8 9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. ^john-15-9 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ^john-15-10 11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. ^john-15-11 12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. ^john-15-12 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ^john-15-13 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. ^john-15-14 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. ^john-15-15 16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. ^john-15-16 17 This I command you: love one another. ^john-15-17 **The World’s Hatred.** 18 “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. ^john-15-18 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. ^john-15-19 20 Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ^john-15-20 21 And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. ^john-15-21 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. ^john-15-22 23 Whoever hates me also hates my Father. ^john-15-23 24 If I had not done works among them that no one else ever did, they would not have sin; but as it is, they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ^john-15-24 25 But in order that the word written in their law might be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’ ^john-15-25 26 “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. ^john-15-26 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. ^john-15-27 \* (15:1] – [16:4) Discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of the departure of Jesus. \* (15:1] – [17) Like [Jn 10:1] – [5], this passage resembles a parable. Israel is spoken of as a vineyard at [Is 5:1] – [7]; ([[matthew-21|Mt 21]]:33] – [46] and as a vine at [Ps 80:9] – [17]; [Jer 2:21]; [[ezekiel-15|Ez 15]]:2; [17:5] – [10]; [19:10]; [[hosea-10|Hos 10]]:1. The identification of the vine as the Son of Man in [Ps 80:15] and Wisdom’s description of herself as a vine in [[sirach-24|Sir 24]]:17 are further background for portrayal of Jesus by this figure. There may be secondary eucharistic symbolism here; cf. ([[mark-14|Mk 14]]:25], “the fruit of the vine.” \* (15:2) Takes away,prunes: in Greek there is a play on two related verbs. \* (15:6) Branches were cut off and dried on the wall of the vineyard for later use as fuel. \* (15:13) For one’s friends: or: “those whom one loves.” In [Jn 15:9] – [13a], the words for love are related to the Greek *agapaō*. In [Jn 15:13b] – [15], the words for love are related to the Greek *phileō*. For John, the two roots seem synonymous and mean “to love”; cf. also [Jn 21:15] – [17]. The word *philos* is used here. \* (15:15) Slaves,friends: in the Old Testament, Moses ([Dt 34:5]), Joshua ([Jos 24:29]), and David ([Ps 89:21]) were called “servants” or “slaves of Yahweh”; only [[abraham|Abraham]] ([Is 41:8]; [2 Chr 20:7]; cf. [Jas 2:23]) was called a “friend of God.” \* (15:18] – [16:4) The hostile reaction of the world. There are synoptic parallels, predicting persecution, especially at [[matthew-10|Mt 10]]:17] – [25]; [24:9] – [10]. \* (15:20) The word I spoke to you: a reference to [Jn 13:16]. \* (15:21) On account of my name: the idea of persecution for Jesus’ name is frequent in the New Testament ([[matthew-10|Mt 10]]:22]; [24:9]; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-09|Acts 9]]:14]). For John, association with Jesus’ name implies union with Jesus. \* (15:22], [24) Jesus’ words (spoken) and deeds (works) are the great motives of credibility. They have seen and hated: probably means that they have seen his works and still have hated; but the Greek can be read: “have seen both me and my Father and still have hated both me and my Father.” Works,that no one else ever did: so Yahweh in [Dt 4:32] – [33]. \* (15:25) In their law: law is here used as a larger concept than the Pentateuch, for the reference is to [Ps 35:19] or [Ps 69:5]. See notes on [Jn 10:34]; [12:34]. Their law reflects the argument of the church with the synagogue. \* (15:26) Whom I will send: in [Jn 14:16], [26], the Paraclete is to be sent by the Father, at the request of Jesus. Here the Spirit comes from both Jesus and the Father in mission; there is no reference here to the eternal procession of the Spirit. a. (15:1) [Ps 80:9] – [17]; [Is 5:1] – [7]; [Jer 2:21]; [[ezekiel-15|Ez 15]]:2; [17:5] – [10]; [19:10]. b. (15:3) [13:10]. c. (15:6) [[ezekiel-15|Ez 15]]:6 – [7]; [19:10] – [14]. d. (15:7) [14:13]; ([[matthew-07|Mt 7]]:7]; ([[mark-11|Mk 11]]:24]; ([[1-john-05|1 Jn 5]]:14]. e. (15:8) ([[matthew-05|Mt 5]]:16]. f. (15:9) [17:23]. g. (15:10) [8:29]; [14:15]. h. (15:11) [16:22]; [17:13]. i. (15:12) [13:34]. j. (15:13) [Rom 5:6] – [8]; ([[1-john-03|1 Jn 3]]:16]. k. (15:15) [Dt 34:5]; [Jos 24:29]; [2 Chr 20:7]; [Ps 89:21]; [Is 41:8]; [Rom 8:15]; [Gal 4:7]; [Jas 2:23]. l. (15:16) [14:13]; [Dt 7:6]. m. (15:17) [13:34]; ([[1-john-03|1 Jn 3]]:23]; [4:21]. n. (15:18) [7:7]; [14:17]; [[matthew-10|Mt 10]]:22]; [24:9]; ([[mark-13|Mk 13]]:13]; ([[luke-06||Lk 6]]:22]; ([[1-john-03|1 Jn 3]]:13]. o. (15:19) [17:14] – [16]; ([[1-john-04|1 Jn 4]]:5]. p. (15:20) [13:16]; [[matthew-10|Mt 10]]:24]. q. (15:21) [8:19]; [16:3]. r. (15:22) [8:21], [24]; [9:41]. s. (15:23) [5:23]; ([[luke-10|Lk 10]]:16]; ([[1-john-02|1 Jn 2]]:23]. t. (15:24) [3:2]; [9:32]; [Dt 4:32] – [33]. u. (15:25) [Ps 35:19]; [69:4]. v. (15:26) [14:16], [26]; [[matthew-10|Mt 10]]:19] – [20]. w. (15:27) ([[luke-01|Lk 1]]:2]; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-01|Acts 1]]:8]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[john-14|← Previous]] | [[john-00|TOC]] | [[john-16|Next →]]