The Gospels · New Testament
John 15
John 15: the vine and the branches and the world's hatred
General context
The chapter is unbroken speech with no questions or replies. Jesus says he is the true vine and his Father the husbandman, who takes away every branch that bears no fruit and purges the fruitful ones so they bear more. He tells the disciples to abide in him, since a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, and says that without him they can do nothing; a branch that does not abide is cast out, withered, gathered and burned. Abiding in his love is tied to keeping his commandments, as he keeps his Father's. The commandment is that they love one another as he has loved them, and he says the greatest love is to lay down one's life for one's friends. He calls them friends rather than servants because he has made known what he heard from the Father, and says they did not choose him. The second half turns to the world: if it hates them, it hated him first, and they will be persecuted. He promises the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who will testify of him, and says they too will bear witness.
Cited passages: John 15:1, John 15:2, John 15:4, John 15:5, John 15:6, John 15:9, John 15:10, John 15:12, John 15:13, John 15:15, John 15:16, John 15:18, John 15:19, John 15:20, John 15:22, John 15:25, John 15:26, John 15:27
John 15 (KJV)
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The chapter carries no narrative frame. It opens without any introduction of the setting, names no speaker beyond the continuing first person, and ends with no reaction from anyone. The vine figure is not called a parable here and is not said to be misunderstood. Where the previous chapter said the Father would send the Comforter, this one says Jesus will send him from the Father, and the text places both statements without harmonizing them. The quotation about hatred without a cause is introduced as written in their law. The sin named in verses 22 and 24 is tied to having heard him speak and having seen works which no other man did, not to a general condition.
Cited passages: John 15:1, John 15:27, John 15:26, John 15:25, John 15:22, John 15:24, John 15:3
Literary context
One image carries the first half. Vine, branches, husbandman, fruit, pruning and burning are all held together, and the word abide repeats until it becomes the chapter's demand. Fruit appears in almost every sentence of that section, tied each time to staying attached rather than to effort. The turn at verse 18 keeps the same grammar but changes the subject from the vine to the world, and hate now repeats where abide did. Friends replaces servants by an argument about knowledge, and the same sentence about a servant not being greater than his lord is repeated from the washing scene, this time applied to persecution. The chapter ends with two witnesses named, the Comforter and the disciples themselves.
Cited passages: John 15:4, John 15:5, John 15:6, John 15:7, John 15:2, John 15:8, John 15:16, John 15:18, John 15:23, John 15:15, John 15:20, John 15:26, John 15:27
Key moments
- The true vine (John 15:1). Jesus names himself the true vine and his Father the husbandman.
- Abide in me (John 15:4). He tells them a branch cannot bear fruit unless it stays in the vine.
- Without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5). He states what the branches can do apart from the vine.
- Laying down a life (John 15:13). He names the greatest love as laying down one's life for one's friends.
- Friends, not servants (John 15:15). He says he calls them friends because he has told them what he heard from the Father.
- The world's hatred (John 15:18). He tells them the world hated him before it hated them.
- Two witnesses named (John 15:26). He promises the Comforter who will testify of him, and says they will bear witness too.
For reflection
The chapter says the branch bears fruit by staying attached rather than by trying harder. What would change in how you read the commandments that follow if abiding, not effort, is the thing being asked?