Bible Commentaries
John 15

Verse 1

1 One of the leading industries in Palestine was the production of grapes, which called for the cultivation of the vine. It was fitting that Jesus should use it as the subject of his parable at this time. Only a few minutes before he had partaken of the fruit of the vine while in the passover supper, at which time he said he would not drink of it again until he did so in the kingdom. That product having been before their eyes so recently, the apostles could appreciate a parable along the line of its production. True vine means that it is not counterfeit. The word is from ALE-THINOS which Thayer defines, "In every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real and true, genuine." The nation of Israel was compared to a vineyard (Isa 5:1-6), but the vine turned out to be a false one, while Jesus asserted that He was the true vine. The husbandman was the' person who planted and cared for the vine, and the Father is the one in the parable who has that part.

Verse 2

2 Purge is from KATHAIRO, and Thayer's definition is as follows: "To prune." A vinedresser will observe the branches that are inclined to be productive, and will prune off all unnecessary growths that would sap the life from the vine without producing any fruit. If he discovers a branch that has not produced any fruit, he will remove it entirely from the vine as being detrimental to the growth and productivity of the whole plant. This pruning will be given fuller attention further on in the chapter.

Verse 3

3 Clean is from the same word as "purge" in the preceding verse. Jesus teaches that the pruning is done by his word, and hence that the process is a spiritual one. Even a branch ( a human being) that is alive and inclined to bear fruit, may have some useless traits developing that would finally damage the general life of the whole plant. It is the divine Hus-bandman's purpose to cleanse (prune) away those traits, so that it can bear more and better fruit.

Verse 4

4 Everyone understands the law of nature that requires continuous connection between a vine and its branches in order to bear fruit. The spiritual law is no less established concerning the relation between Jesus and his disciples. There is no salvation apart , from Christ, as taught in too many passages to cite now.

Verse 5

5 Ye are the branches. Much speculation has been done over this statement. It is true that Jesus was talking to his apostles only at this time, but that was because no other disciples were present. It is also true that the apostles were the first branches because of their official place in the great "plant of renown" (Eze 34:29), but all vines have branches besides the first ones. Most of the things Jesus said about the branches and the necessity of their connection with the vine (Himself), are true of all disciples. Without me ye can do nothing. The first word is from CHOWS, which Thayer defines, "Separately, apart," and he explains his definition at this passage, "without connection and fellowship with one." It is the same truth stated in the preceding verse, of the necessity of being connected with Christ in order to bear fruit. To be connected with Christ today means to be in his body (the church), because if one is excluded from that body he is out in Satan's territory (1Co 5:5), where he cannot bear any spiritual fruit.

Verse 6

6 Observe the phrase, if a man, which is too general to be restricted to the apostles. Everything that is said here is true of all disciples of Christ, therefore all of them are branches of one vine. Cast forth as a branch means he is rejected because of being separted from the vine and has become withered. As all such dead branches are burned by the men caring for the vineyard, so all disciples who are severed from Christ will be cast into the fire at the judgment day. (See Mat 25:41.)

Verse 7

7 Ask what ye will seems unlimited if considered alone. The proviso is in the words about abiding in Jesus, and letting them abide in the apostles. As long as a person's requests are according to the words of Jesus, they will be lawful and will have the assurance of being granted. The line of comparison is still drawn from the vine and its branches. A. branch obtains the sap and germinating principles from the vine. Everything that the branch is expected to produce, will be fully supplied for it by the vine. Should the branch call upon the vine to furnish it with the materials necessary to produce apples, the vine would ignore such a request because the branch is not supposed to produce such fruit. Likewise, if a branch of this spiritual vine should ask the vine (Christ) for ability to start a wild plant, that request would be denied because the branches (disciples) are not supposed to produce any such fruit.

Verse 8

8 Disciples is a more general term than apostles, although Jesus was talking to the latter. The idea is that what Jesus was teaching was true of all disciples of Jesus. If a person should see grapes growing on a branch, he might not be able to see anything but the branch due to its being uncovered only, while the vine was hidden from view. But later he might be permitted to see a vine only of a tame variety. From this combined circumstance he would be able to conclude that the branch on which he saw the tame grapes was connected with that tame vine, because no other kind of plant could produce such fruit. Also, when people see certain kinds of spiritual fruit being produced by men and women, they will know them to be disciples of Jesus, seeing that no other ielationship can produce that kind of life. That is why Jesus said, so shall ye be my disciples in the eyes of the world.

Verse 9

9 A husbandman supplies his vine with soil and other necessary material for producing fruit so that it can pass on the material to the branches that are still connected. Likewise, the Father has bestowed infinite love on his vine (the Son), so that he can pass that love on to the branches (the disciples), that are still connected with the vine. Hence Jesus here exhorts them to continue ye in my love.

Verse 10

0 The figurative form of speech is discarded now, and Jesus expresses the same thoughts in direct language, and exhorts his disciples to keep the commandments in order to abide in His love. (See chapter 14:23).

Verse 11

1 Jesus was about to be crucified, yet he speaks of his joy; Paul refers to this joy in Heb 12:2. Jesus would never pretend having a joy that he could not or did not have, and the joy attributed to him was not the literal experience of the scenes at the cross, for the very anticipation of that ordeal caused his sweat to coagulate while in the garden (Luk 22:44). The joy was over what He knew would result from the great sacrifice. He wished this joy to be shared by his apostles, and that was why he had taken so much care about giving them an abundance of information.

Verse 12

2 This is virtually the same as verse 11.

Verse 13

3 True friendship and love are best manifested by what a man is willing to do on behalf of the ones whom he professes to love. He will be willing even to give up his life for their sake if the necessity arises. Jesus was soon to do that very thing, and hence he wished his disciples to be prepared in mind for the separation.

Verse 14

4 Jesus did not ask his disciples to give up their lives in the physical sense as he was required to do. Of course, if the enemy should bring bodily persecution upon them, they should be willing to die rather than betray their devotion to Him. But that would be a result of their services, and not a deliberate part of it according to their own arrangement. What Jesus meant was that the true followers of Him would devote their lives to his service. That is why he said what he did in this verse about showing their friendship for Him. They were to be regarded as his friends IF they did whatever he commanded of them. Hence if a man specializes on being a "Friend" of Jesus religiously, yet at the same time refuse to obey the commands of the Lord (one of which is to be baptized), such a man is making a false claim and is not a true friend of Jesus.

Verse 15

5 There were different kinds of servants in Bible times, and the distinction should be considered to avoid confusion. In the present passage the word is from DOULOS, and Thayer's definition is, "A slave, bondman, man of servile condition." Robinson comments on the word as follows: "In a family the DOULOS was one bound to serve, a slave, and was the property of his master, 'a living possession' as Aristotle calls him. . . . According to the same writer a complete household consisted of slaves and freemen. . . . The DOULOS therefore was never a hired servant." It was in that view of the word that Jesus said he would not call his disciples his servants. The distinction is set forth by the confidential relation between Jesus and his religious household which was composed of his faithful disciples. A hired servant was not informed about the intimate affairs of his master, while Jesus wishes his disciples to know all about the things that pertain thereto. Of course this was especially true of the apostles, since the Master depended upon them to pass the information on to the unofficial household members.

Verse 16

6 See the comments on the preceding verse as to the special need for information to be given the apostles. The English word ordain occurs a number of times in the New Testament, and does not always have the same meaning. Much confusion has existed in the religious world over this word, and most of it is due to the erroneous principles taught by Rome, and brought over into the so-called Protestant groups by their teachers. It will be helpful to give the reader a complete view of this word as it comes from the various Greek originals. It will not be quoted in full again, hence he should make note of its location for ready reference. The following table gives all the words in the Greek New Testament that are rendered "ordain" in Authorized Version, together with the references where they are found, followed by the definitions according to Thayer. DIATASSO. 1Co 7:17; 1Co 9:14; Gal 3:19. "To arrange, appoint, ordain, prescribe, give order." KATHIS-TEMI. Tit 1:5; Heb 5:1; Heb 8:3. "To set, place, put; to appoint one to administer an office; to set down as, constitute, to declare, show to be." KATASKEUAZO. Heb 9:6. "To furnish, equip, prepare, make ready; to construct, erect; adorning and equipping with all things necessary." KRINO. Act 16:4. "To determine, resolve, decree." HORIZO. Act 10:42; Act 17:31. "To ordain, determine, appoint." POIEO. Mar 3:14. "To (make i. e.) constitute or appoint one anything." PRO-ORIZO. 1Co 2:7. "To predetermine, decide beforehand." TASSO, Act 13:48; Rom 13:1. "To place in a certain order, to arrange, to assign a place, to appoint." TITHEMI. Joh 15:16; 1Ti 2:7. "To set, put, place." CHEIROTONEO. Act 14:23. "To vote by stretching out the hand; to elect, appoint, create." PROGRAPHO. Jud 1:4. "To write before." PROETOI-MAZO. Eph 2:10. "To prepare before, to make ready beforehand." GINOMAI. Act 1:22. "To become, i. e., to come into existence." The reader should note that most of these Greek words have been translated also by other words in the New Testament, but I have given only the places where they have been rendered "ordain." The latter part of the verse is explained at verse 7.

Verse 17

7 This verse is a repetition of verse 12.

Verse 18

8 It should have beer regarded as an honor for a disciple of Christ to be hated by the world. Such hatred began when He attacked the wickedness of the world, and it would be logical for the followers of such a teacher to be accorded the same sentiments. The truth is that one of the evidences of a man's relation to Christ morally is the persecution that is heaped upon him (2Ti 3:12).

Verse 19

9 The clannish characteristics of the people of the world will lead them to love their own. See Mat 5:43-47.) By the same token, when they see hat a man's manner of life is the opposite of theirs they will naturally hate him. Such a sentiment is a form of envy or a feeling of (moral) inferiority complex. It is similar to the motive of a spoiled boy who tries to puncture the balloon of his playmate, because he does not have one himself.

Verse 20

0 The thoughts of this verse are the same that have been mentioned in preceding ones under different terms of relationship. In this passage the relation of ruler and servant is considered.

Verse 21

1 Know not him is said in two senses. The people of the world did not have an understanding of the goodness and greatness of God. Also, they were unwilling to recognize Him for his greatness and hence would not respect his Son's disciples.

Verse 22

2 The subject of responsibility is what Jesus is teaching in this verse, especially that which is dependent upon instruction. The Lord will not hold men responsible for not accepting any truth that was never offered to them. Jesus had come personally among mankind and been teaching by word of mouth. It is true that most of them stopped their ears so they would not hear, yet the opportunity for receiving the gracious truths made them fully responsible for all the teaching offered to them.

Verse 23

3 This is taught in Joh 14:23-24 and other places.

Verse 24

4 This verse teaches the same principle of responsibility as verse 22, but from a different standpoint. No intelligent man should fail to grasp the evidence of his own eyes. The people had seen the miraculous works of Jesus through a period of more than three years, and they should have known that no one like them could perform such deeds. The conclusion which they could not avoid was that Jesus was doing the things by the help of God. That is why Jesus accused them of both seeing and hating him and his Father.

Verse 25

5 Their law. The pronoun refers to the Jews who had rejected the teachings of John and Christ. The Sabbattarians teach that the law of Moses was intended to be perpetual and hence to be in force over all mankind. Had that been true, then the Old Testament would not have been "their" law any more than it was that, of Christ and his apostles. The writing cited is in Psa 35:19, and according to chapter 10:34, the Psalms were a part of the law.

Verse 26

6 This verse is a link in the chain of passages about the Holy Spirit, that was suggested at chapter 14:16. Jesus was to send this Spirit as a Comforter, and it was to be obtained of the Father. Everything that. the Spirit would say would be according to what Jesus had said, and in that sense he was to testify of Him.

Verse 27

7 The apostles had been personally with Jesus from the beginning of his personal work (Mar 3:14; Act 1:21-22). That would qualify them to speak as eye and ear witnesses, and the Spirit of truth would see that their memory was accurate.