John 15:1-17 - The Vine And The Branches

¹ [Jesus continued], "I am the real vine, and my Father is the owner of the vineyard. ² He will cut off [See verse 6] every branch [i.e., follower of Christ] who is in [fellowship with] me that does not bear fruit. And He will prune every branch that does bear fruit, so it will bear more fruit. ³ You people are already 'clean' [i.e., have been pruned of undesirable traits] because of [obedience to] the teaching I have given you. ⁴ Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me.

⁵ "I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. ⁶ If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. ⁷ If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples.

⁹ "Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. ¹⁰ If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and [so] continue receiving His love.

¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. ¹⁵ I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You [apostles] did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear much fruit [i.e., through their evangelizing], and that your fruit should last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask Him for in my name [i.e. by my authority]. ¹⁷ I command you to do these things so that you will [demonstrate your] love for one another. [Note: Or this may mean that His command was to love one another, as in verse 12].