The True Vine
1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3. You are already clean through the word which I have spoken to you.
4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.
6. If anyone does not abide 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.
7. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done to you.
8. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
9. As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love.
10. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12. This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
13. Greater love than this no one has, that one lay down his life for his friends.
14. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.
15. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what his master does; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17. These things I command you, that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred
18. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you.
19. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
21. But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know him who sent me.
22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23. He who hates me, hates my Father also.
24. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25. But this happened, that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26. But when the Comforter comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me.
27. And you also shall testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Leave a comment