John 15
The Vine and the Branches
15:1 “I am the true vine1 and my Father is the gardener.2 15:2 He takes away3 every branch that does not bear4 fruit in me. He5 prunes6 every branch that bears7 fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 15:3 You are clean already8 because of the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain9 in me, and I will remain in you.10 Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,11 unless it remains12 in13 the vine, so neither can you unless you remain14 in me.
15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains15 in me – and I in him – bears16 much fruit,17 because apart from me you can accomplish18 nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain19 in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire,20 and are burned up.21 15:7 If you remain22 in me and my words remain23 in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.24 15:8 My Father is honored25 by this, that26 you bear27 much fruit and show that you are28 my disciples.
15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain29 in my love. 15:10 If you obey30 my commandments, you will remain31 in my love, just as I have obeyed32 my Father’s commandments and remain33 in his love. 15:11 I have told you these things34 so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you.35 15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life36 for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends37 if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves,38 because the slave does not understand39 what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything40 I heard41 from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you42 and appointed you to go and bear43 fruit, fruit that remains,44 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This45 I command you – to love one another.
The World’s Hatred
15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware46 that it hated me first.47 15:19 If you belonged to the world,48 the world would love you as its own.49 However, because you do not belong to the world,50 but I chose you out of the world, for this reason51 the world hates you.52 15:20 Remember what53 I told you, ‘A slave54 is not greater than his master.’55 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed56 my word, they will obey57 yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of58 my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.59 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.60 But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 15:23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 15:24 If I had not performed61 among them the miraculous deeds62 that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.63 But now they have seen the deeds64 and have hated both me and my Father.65 15:25 Now this happened66 to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’67 15:26 When the Advocate68 comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he69 will testify about me, 15:27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.