John 15 ASV
Summary: Jesus describes himself as the true vine and his Father as the vinedresser, teaching that disciples must 'abide' in him as branches to bear fruit, since 'apart from me you can do nothing' (v. 5), and that fruitless branches are removed while fruitful ones are pruned. He repeats and expands the command to love one another as he has loved them, defining the greatest love as laying down one's life for friends, and reframes the disciples' relationship with him from servants to friends, since he has shared with them all he heard from the Father. He warns that just as the world hated him without just cause, it will hate his followers too, since they do not belong to the world though chosen out of it. The chapter closes anticipating persecution the disciples will face for his name's sake, framed as fulfilling Scripture's prediction of causeless hatred.
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit.
3Already ye are clean because of 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; so neither 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 beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.
6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples.
9Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide 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 may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
12This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even 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 the things which I command you.
15No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known unto you.
16Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17These things I command you, that ye may love one another.
18If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you.
19If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, 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 excuse for their sin.
23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24If I had not done among them the works which none other 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 may 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 bear witness of me:
27and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
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