1Já jsem ten vinný kmen pravý, a Otec můj vinař jest. 2Každou ratolest, kteráž ve mně nenese ovoce, odřezuje, a každou, kteráž nese ovoce, čistí, aby hojnější ovoce nesla. 3Již vy čisti jste pro řeč, kterouž jsem mluvil vám. 4Zůstaňtež ve mně, a já v vás. Jakož ratolest nemůže nésti ovoce sama od sebe, nezůstala-li by při kmenu, takž ani vy, leč zůstanete ve mně. 5Já jsem vinný kmen a vy ratolesti. Kdo zůstává ve mně, a já v něm, ten nese ovoce mnohé; nebo beze mne nic nemůžete učiniti. 6Nezůstal-li by kdo ve mně, vyvržen bude ven jako ratolest, a uschneť, a budouť sebrány, a na oheň uvrženy, a shoříť. 7Zůstanete-li ve mně, a slova má zůstanou-liť v vás, což byste koli chtěli, proste, a staneť se vám. 8V tomť bývá oslaven Otec můj, když ovoce nesete hojné, a budete moji učedlníci. 9Jakož miloval mne Otec, i já miloval jsem vás. Zůstaňtež v milování mém. 10Budete-li zachovávati přikázaní má, zůstanete v mém milování, jakož i já přikázaní Otce svého zachoval jsem, i zůstávám v jeho milování. 11Toto mluvil jsem vám, aby radost má zůstávala v vás, a radost vaše byla plná. 12Totoť jest přikázaní mé, abyste se milovali vespolek, jako já miloval jsem vás. 13Většího milování nad to žádný nemá, než aby duši svou položil za přátely své. 14Vy přátelé moji jste, učiníte-li to, což já přikazuji vám. 15Nebudu vás více nazývati služebníky, nebo služebník neví, co by činil pán jeho. Ale vás jsem nazval přátely, nebo všecko, což jsem koli slyšel od Otce svého, oznámil jsem vám. 16Ne vy jste mne vyvolili, ale já jsem vás vyvolil, a postavil, abyste šli a ovoce přinesli, a ovoce vaše aby zůstalo, aby zač byste koli prosili Otce ve jménu mém, dal vám. 17Toto přikazuji vám, abyste se milovali vespolek. 18Jestližeť vás svět nenávidí, víte, žeť mne prvé než vás v nenávisti měl. 19Byste byli z světa, svět, což jest jeho, miloval by; že pak nejste z světa, ale já z světa vyvolil jsem vás, protož vás svět nenávidí. 20Pamatujte na tu řeč, kterouž jsem já mluvil vám: Neníť služebník větší nežli pán jeho. Poněvadž se mně protivili, i vámť se protiviti budou; poněvadž řeči mé šetřili, i vaší šetřiti budou. 21Ale toto všecko učiní vám pro jméno mé; nebo neznají toho, kterýž mne poslal. 22Kdybych byl nepřišel, a nemluvil jim, hříchu by neměli; ale nyní výmluvy nemají z hříchu svého. 23Kdož mne nenávidí, i Otceť mého nenávidí. 24Bych byl skutků nečinil mezi nimi, jichž žádný jiný nečinil, hříchu by neměli; ale nyní i viděli, i nenáviděli i mne i Otce mého. 25Ale aby se naplnila řeč, kteráž v zákoně jejich napsána jest: Že v nenávisti měli mne darmo. 26Když pak přijde ten Utěšitel, kteréhož já pošli vám od Otce, Duch pravdy, kterýž od Otce pochází, tenť svědectví vydávati bude o mně. 27Ano i vy svědectví vydávati budete, nebo od počátku se mnou jste.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER TABLE CONTINUED. (John 15:1-27)
The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears (
Isa 5:1, &c.).
I am the true vine--of whom the vine of nature is but a shadow.
my Father is the husbandman--the great Proprietor of the vineyard, the Lord of the spiritual kingdom. (It is surely unnecessary to point out the claim to supreme divinity involved in this).
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit . . . every branch that beareth fruit--As in a fruit tree, some branches may be fruitful, others quite barren, according as there is a vital connection between the branch and the stock, or no vital connection; so the disciples of Christ may be spiritually fruitful or the reverse, according as they are vitally and spiritually connected with Christ, or but externally and mechanically attached to Him. The fruitless He "taketh away" (see on
John 15:6); the fruitful He "purgeth" (cleanseth, pruneth)--stripping it, as the husbandman does, of what is rank (
Mark 4:19), "that it may bring forth more fruit"; a process often painful, but no less needful and beneficial than in the natural husbandry.
3 Now--rather, "Already."
ye are clean through--by reason of.
the word I have spoken to you--already in a purified, fruitful condition, in consequence of the long action upon them of that searching "word" which was "as a refiner's fire" (
Mal 3:2-
Mal 3:3).
4 Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, &c.--As all spiritual fruitfulness had been ascribed to the mutual inhabitation, and living, active interpenetration (so to speak) of Christ and His disciples, so here the keeping up of this vital connection is made essential to continued fruitfulness.
5 without me--apart, or vitally disconnected from Me.
ye can do nothing--spiritually, acceptably.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch . . . withered . . . cast into the fire . . . burned--The one proper use of the vine is to bear fruit; failing this, it is good for one other thing--fuel. (See
Ezek 15:1-
Ezek 15:5). How awfully striking the figure, in this view of it!
7 If ye abide in me, and my words . . . in you--Mark the change from the inhabitation of Himself to that of His words, paving the way for the subsequent exhortations (
John 15:9-
John 15:10).
ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you--because this indwelling of His words in them would secure the harmony of their askings with the divine will.
8 glorified that ye bear much fruit--not only from His delight in it for its own sake, but as from "the juices of the Living Vine."
so shall ye be my disciples--evidence your discipleship.
9 continue ye in my love--not, "Continue to love Me," but, "Continue in the possession and enjoyment of My love to you"; as is evident from the next words.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love--the obedient spirit of true discipleship cherishing and attracting the continuance and increase of Christ's love; and this, He adds, was the secret even of His own abiding in His Father's love!
12 That ye love one another, &c.--(See on
John 13:34-
John 13:35).
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends--The emphasis lies not on "friends," but on "laying down his life" for them; that is, "One can show no greater regard for those dear to him than to give his life for them, and this is the love ye shall find in Me."
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you--hold yourselves in absolute subjection to Me.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants--that is, in the sense explained in the next words; for servants He still calls them (
John 15:20), and they delight to call themselves so, in the sense of being "under law to Christ" (
1Cor 9:20).
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth--knows nothing of his master's plans and reasons, but simply receives and executes his orders.
but . . . friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you--admitted you to free, unrestrained fellowship, keeping back nothing from you which I have received to communicate. (Compare
Gen 18:17;
Ps 25:14;
Isa 50:4).
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I . . . you--a wholesale memento after the lofty things He had just said about their mutual indwelling, and the unreservedness of the friendship they had been admitted to.
ordained--appointed.
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit--that is, give yourselves to it.
and that your fruit should remain--showing itself to be an imperishable and ever growing principle. (Compare
Pro 4:18;
2John 1:8).
that whatsoever ye shall ask, &c.--(See on
John 15:7).
17 The substance of these important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on
Matt 10:34-
Matt 10:36;
Luke 12:49-
Luke 12:53, &c.).
22 (See on
John 9:39-
John 9:41).
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin--comparatively none; all other sins being light compared with the rejection of the Son of God.
now they have no cloak for their sin--rather, "pretext."
24 If I had not done . . . the works which none other . . . did--(See on
John 12:37).
25 that the word might be fulfilled . . . They hated me without a cause--quoted from the Messianic
Ps 69:4, applied also in the same sense in
John 2:17;
Acts 1:20;
Rom 11:9-
Rom 11:10;
Rom 15:3.
26 (See on
John 14:15;
John 14:17).
27 ye also shall bear witness--rather, "are witnesses"; with reference indeed to their future witness-bearing, but putting the emphasis upon their present ample opportunities for acquiring their qualifications for that great office, inasmuch as they had been "with Him from the beginning." (See on
Luke 1:2).