The New Testament

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John 15

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and withers. They gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they burn. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified in this: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9Just as the Father has loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be made full.

12“This is my command: love one another just as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, and for your fruit to remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. 17I command you these things so that you may love one another.

18“If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. 19If you were from the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not from the world, and I chose you out of the world, the world hates you. 20Remember the word I said to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they kept my word, they will keep yours too. 21But they will do all these things to you because of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father too. 24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would have no sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25Yet this happened so that the word written in their law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without cause.’

26“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27And you too testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Translation notes 3

14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 — Advocate. Paraklētos describes someone who aids or represents another. “Advocate” brings out the support and testimony prominent here; “Helper,” “Counselor,” and the traditional “Comforter” express parts of the sense. It is not limited to soothing distress or to a modern courtroom job. The Spirit also teaches, reminds, and guides. English “he” reflects this personal presentation; Greek grammatical gender alone does not establish personhood.

15:2–8 — Prune, clean, remain. “Prunes” and “clean” are related Greek words, creating a connection English cannot fully reproduce without expansion. “Takes away” is preferable here to the proposed “lifts up” to support a weak branch, particularly in light of verse 6. “Remain” is often translated “abide.” The repeated attachment and fruit-bearing imagery remains, without an inserted explanation of which category of believers the branches represent.

15:27 — Testify. The Greek form can be a statement or a command: “you too testify” or “you too must testify.” “From the beginning” refers here to the beginning of Jesus' ministry.