João 15
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 15
MacArthur - Alēthinos (true) refers to what is real as distinct from a type (cf. Heb. 8:2; 9:24), perfect as distinct from the imperfect, or genuine rather than what is counterfeit (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 John 5:20; Rev. 3:7, 14; 6:10; 19:11). (See John Commentary - Page 144) Summary of uses of alethinos to help quickly discern what this adjective (alethinos) is modifying - Alethinos - 28x/26v - sincere(1), true(26), true one(1). Lk. 16:11 = who will entrust the true riches; Jn. 1:9 = the true Light; Jn. 4:23 = the true worshipers; Jn. 4:37 = the saying is true; Jn. 6:32 = My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven; Jn. 7:28 = He who sent Me is true; Jn. 8:16 = My judgment is true; Jn. 15:1 = “I am the true vine; Jn. 17:3 = You, the only true God,; Jn. 19:35 = his testimony is true; 1Th 1:9 = serve a living and true God; Heb. 8:2 = the true tabernacle; Heb. 9:24 = copy of the true one; Heb. 10:22; 1 Jn. 2:8 = which is true in Him; 1 Jn. 5:20 = so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. ; Rev. 3:7 = He who is holy, who is true; Rev. 3:14 = The Amen, the faithful and true Witness; Rev. 6:10 = O Lord, holy and true; Rev. 15:3 = Righteous and true are Your ways; Rev. 16:7 = O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous; Rev. 19:2 = HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; Rev. 19:9 = These are true words of God; Rev. 19:11 = called Faithful and True; Rev. 21:5 = these words are faithful and true.”; Rev. 22:6 = These words are faithful and true Vine (288) ampelos - Literal vine - (Mt. 26:29; Mk 14:25; Lk 22:18; Jas 3:12). Metaphorical use - Of Jesus Jn 15:1,4, 5. W E Vine - (a) lit., e.g., Matt. 26:29 and parallel passages; Jas. 3:12; (b) figuratively, (1) of Christ, John 15:1, 4, 5; (2) of His enemies, Rev. 14:18, 19, "the vine of the earth" (RV, "vintage" in ver. 19), probably figurative of the remaining mass of apostate Christendom. Ampelos in the papyri (Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary) is sometimes used in the sense of ampelōn (vineyard), but not so in John 15:1. The vine was common in Palestine. See Psalm 80:8-9. "On the Maccabean coinage Israel was represented by a vine" (Dods). Gilbrant - Classical Greek - Like the olive tree and the fig tree, the vine, especially the grapevine, (ampelos) was an economic staple in the ancient world. From the vine came grapes, currants, raisins, wine, and other food and trade products. Evidence from classical sources shows that ampelos was also used for a variety of gourds (bryony) and in another sense it stood for an “engine for protecting besiegers” (Liddell-Scott). Septuagint Usage - In the Septuagint ampelos replaces four Hebrew words; in most cases it corresponds to gephen, “a creeping plant, vine” (often mentioned with fig trees and other fruits). It refers to a “vine” such as the one Pharaoh’s cupbearer dreamed of (Genesis 40:9,10). The “vine” was an economic staple throughout Israel’s history (e.g., Leviticus 25:3,4; Numbers 20:5). The “vine” holds religious significance in different ways. The Nazarite was not to eat of anything from the vine, including wine, raisins, or even the grapes’ seeds or skins (Numbers 6:4; cf. Judges 13:13, of Samson’s mother). The vine is also a symbol for Israel (Psalm 80:8-16; Hosea 10:1; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 17:6-10; cf. Isaiah 5:1-7), and was highly estimated in Biblical time. It is called “the dearest plant of the Lord.” The Lord had done everything possible for it, but in spite of this, it nevertheless brought forth wild grapes. In a picture of the age to come “each man” will sit under his vine and fig (Zechariah 3:10 [LXX 3:11]; 1 Maccabees 14:12). The imagery signifies a time of peace and prosperity (Isaiah 36:16). NEW TESTAMENT USAGE -Jesus himself is in His person the completion of all that which the people of God should have been. He is the “seed of Abraham” who effects blessing to all the earth (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:16). In Christ the community of faith is now formed: “You are the branches.” He is the true vine. In Him the concept of the “new people of God” is realized. Furthermore, Scripture teaches that only the branch that remains in the vine can bring forth fruit. The Father is the husbandman who takes away the barren branches, but the branches which bring forth fruit, “He purgeth.” Christ, as the true vine, stands in contrast to “the vine of the earth” (Revelation 14:18f.) which brings forth its harvest of sin and judgment. This bad vine is harvested, and its “blood” goes out of the winepress (wine in Genesis 49:11 is called “the blood of grapes” because of the red color). The eschatological judgment pictured in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 63:1-3) is also presented as a picture of a harvested vine. (Complete Biblical Library) Ampelos - 9x/9v - Matt. 26:29; Mk. 14:25; Lk. 22:18; Jn. 15:1; Jn. 15:4; Jn. 15:5; Jas. 3:12; Rev. 14:18; Rev. 14:19 Ampelos in the Septuagint - Gen. 40:9; Gen. 40:10; Gen. 49:11; Lev. 25:3; Lev. 25:4; Num. 6:4; Num. 20:5; Num. 22:24; Deut. 8:8; Deut. 32:32; Jdg. 9:12; Jdg. 9:13; Jdg. 13:14; 1 Ki. 4:20; 2 Ki. 4:39; 2 Ki. 18:31; Ps. 78:47; Ps. 80:8; Ps. 80:14; Ps. 105:33; Ps. 128:3; Song 2:13; Song. 2:15; Song. 6:11; Song. 7:8; Song. 7:12; Isa. 5:2; Isa. 7:23; Isa. 16:8; Isa. 16:9; Isa. 24:7; Isa. 32:12; Isa. 34:4; Isa. 36:16; Jer. 2:21; Jer. 6:9; Jer. 8:13; Jer. 48:32; Lam. 2:6; Ezek. 15:2; Ezek. 15:6; Ezek. 17:6; Ezek. 17:7; Ezek. 17:8; Ezek. 19:10; Hos. 2:12; Hos. 10:1; Hos. 14:7; Joel 1:7; Joel 1:12; Joel 2:22; Mic. 4:4; Hab. 3:17; Hag. 2:19; Zech. 3:10; Zech. 8:12; Mal. 3:11; DICTIONARY OF BIBLICAL IMAGERY - VINE, VINEYARD - This is an excerpt. Click here for full 9 page discussion. Israel was a land of vineyards. Even today, traveling through the central hill country of Israel during the right season, one can see abundant evidence of fruitful vines. The fruit of the vine, of course, is the grape, whose juice, when fermented, produces wine. Perhaps then it is not surprising that the vine and the vineyard, so characteristic of this country’s agricultural fertility, serve as potent images for the land itself. For good reason most discussions of the biblical image of the vineyard begin with Isaiah 5:1–7....The parable of the vineyard, as this text is often called, describes Israel as God’s vineyard. It is God’s not only because God loves it, but because he painstakingly prepared the land and planted it. He also carefully protected it. In this way the parable describes God’s election of Israel as a nation (Deut 7:7–11) and his providential care of it. As with any vineyard, the vinedresser does all this work with the expectation of a fruitful and bountiful harvest. (Click here for full 9 page discussion on VINE, VINEYARD) Vinedresser (Husbandman, farmer) (1092) georgos from ge = the earth + ergo = to work) describes one who tills or works the soil or the ground. A husbandman (one that plows and cultivates land). One who does agricultural work on a contractual basis, vine-dresser, tenant farmer Georgos - 17v - Matt. 21:33; Matt. 21:34; Matt. 21:35; Matt. 21:38; Matt. 21:40; Matt. 21:41; Mk. 12:1; Mk. 12:2; Mk. 12:7; Mk. 12:9; Lk. 20:9; Lk. 20:10; Lk. 20:14; Lk. 20:16; Jn. 15:1; 2 Tim. 2:6; Jas. 5:7 QUESTION - What is a husbandman in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - The term husbandman means “farmer” or “worker of the soil.” Husbandry is an agricultural term related to the production of crops or livestock. And to husband is to manage something well, showing prudence and economic sense. The word husbandman is not often used anymore. In the New Testament, the word husbandman is a translation of the Greek word georgos, as in 2 Timothy 2:6 and James 5: 7. In the Old Testament, the word husbandman comes from the Hebrew word adamah, which simply means “land” or “of the earth.” This is the same Hebrew word from which we get Adam, the name of the first man, whom God placed in Eden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15; cf. 5:2). In Genesis 9:20, Noah is called a husbandman when he plants a vineyard. The word husbandman is found primarily in the King James Version of the Bible. Other versions use the word gardener, vine-dresser, or farmer, instead (see Jeremiah 51:3; Amos 5:16; Zechariah 13:5). In Genesis 4:2, Cain is called a husbandman because he raised crops. Later, in Genesis 25:27, Esau is also called a husbandman because he loved the outdoors, as opposed to Jacob, who worked indoors. Jesus compared God to a husbandman in John 15:1–2: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (KJV). A good husbandman works the earth, cultivates his plants, and naturally expects them to produce fruit commensurate with the amount of effort he has invested in them. Our heavenly Father, the divine Husbandman, seeks to produce fruit through us as we abide in Christ. Just as God is a good husbandman, bringing forth fruitfulness in our lives, so should we be good husbandmen with the resources He has entrusted to us. F F Bruce in his book Answers to Questions - “John 15:4, 6. “What is meant by the expressions “unless you abide” and “if a man does not abide” in John 15:4, 6? Is it possible not to abide in Christ? “Passages like these are not difficult in themselves; the difficulty arises when we try to make them and other Scriptures square with our theology, instead of using them as the basis for our theology. At the very time when our Lord was speaking there was a glaring example of one who failed to abide in Him—Judas Iscariot, who had just left them. Judas was chosen as his eleven colleagues were (Luke 6:13; John 6:70); their association with the Lord brought them no privileges which were not equally open to him. The plain passages of Scripture which teach the final perseverance of the saints should not be misused as an excuse for soft-pedaling the equally plain passages which speak of the danger of apostasy” (pp. 71–72). QUESTION - What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, “I Am the True Vine” (John 15:1)? ANSWER - “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1) is the last of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. Jesus said “I am the True Vine” to closest friends who were gathered around Him at a table in Jerusalem. It was only hours before Judas would betray Him. Jesus was preparing the twelve men for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them. Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements. Jesus wanted His friends, not only those twelve, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy—His spiritual reality—would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while it develops their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected with Him as the branches of a vine are connected with its stem. Our desire and energy to know and love Him and to tell others about Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as we are attached to Him as branches to a vine. This is why we must ‘abide’ in Him, remaining attached to the source of all spiritual life. Then Jesus went on (John 15:4) to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant. He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as much as the vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for our spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Our source of life and energy and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively, only if we are rightly connected with Him in a faith/love relationship. Then Jesus underscored His point even more strongly by saying, “without Me, you can do nothing.” That is no thoughtless generality or careless simile. It is absolute, stark reality. No believer can be anything or achieve anything of spiritual value independently of Christ Jesus. He also reminds us that there are some who are “in” Him that bear no fruit. But these are not, as some would suppose, true branches that just don’t bear fruit. All true branches bear fruit. Just as we know a healthy living tree by the good healthy fruit it produces, so do we recognize fruitless branches as having no connection to the True Vine. This is why Jesus tells us “by their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:16–20). Those that do not produce good fruit are cut away and burned. The reference here is to apostates, those who profess to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is self-attached. He neither called them, nor elected them, nor saved them, nor sustains them. Eventually, the fruitless branches are identified as not belonging to the Vine and are removed to their own righteous judgment and for the benefit of the other branches. So, not only do Jesus’ disciples depend on connection with Jesus for spiritual energy to serve Him, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life—“for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)—and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10). And no one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is man’s only connection with the God who gave life, the true Vine who sustains life, and who produces in them the fruitful life of righteousness, holy living, and service. James Smith - FRUIT-BEARING John 15:1–8 Israel, as a vine, was brought out of Egypt and planted in Canaan, after the heathen had been cast out like weeds (Psa. 80:8). This vine, though noble, and of a right seed, soon degenerated into a strange plant to God (Jer. 2:21). But Jesus Christ is the TRUE Vine, brought down from Heaven and planted in the earth. He was the faithful and true witness. There was nothing in Him to create a feeling of “strangeness” or disappointment in the heart of God. He was true to God, true to His own nature, true to His environment, and to the sons of men. But the principle thought here is that, as a Vine, He is true to those who are associated with Him as branches, so that they might bring forth fruit. Note the— I. Source of Fruit. “The vine.” The branch cannot bear fruit of itself (v. 4). “Apart from Me, ye can do nothing” (v. 5, R.V.). Impoverished branches in this vine is no evidence of an impoverished vine, for God giveth not the Spirit with limitations to Him (John 3:34). All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, of grace and power, are in Him, even the “fullness of the Godhead.” “From Me is thy fruit found” (Hosea 14:8). II. Removal of the Fruitless. “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away” (v. 2). “If any man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered” (v. 6). This may refer to those who are in Him religiously, but not spiritually: those who have been from their birth brought up in the form of godliness, but who have never known the power and sweetness of His fellowship. There is an outward resemblance to the vine branch, but no production of the vine fruit, so the husbandman deals with it as having no connection with the vine. Such a branch “cast forth” can do nothing else but wither. Apart from Christ, there is no saving or preserving power in man. It is only those whose roots are in the river of God whose leaves shall not wither (Psa. 1:3). These withered branches are gathered, not by the angel reapers, but by men, who cast them into the fire of testing, and they are burned. A religious, Christless life will never be of much use to men, far less to God. Like savourless salt, they are good for nothing. III. Pruning of the Fruitful. “Every branch that beareth fruit, He cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit” (vv. 2, 3). There are growths about the Christian life, as there are about the vine, which do not tend to fruitfulness, shoots that show signs of a vigour which is only fit for the pruning knife. The riches of the grace of God is seen here in seeking to make the fruitful more fruitful. Those fit for His service He desires to make more fit. The process may be painful, to have our new-born desires and fresh efforts nipped off and thrown away as hindrances; but His will be done. The heart life is to be kept pure by faith (Acts 15:9). The pruning knife is the Word of God which is sharp and powerful … discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. “Now are ye clean through the Word.” IV. Nature of the Fruit. “Bear much fruit, so shall ye be My disciples” (v. 8). That branch is a true disciple of the vine that bears much of the fruit of the vine. We are the true disciples of Christ when His character manifests itself in our lives. What the sap of the vine is to the branch, the Spirit of Christ is to the Christian. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc., because the Spirit Himself is all this, and when He has free access into our hearts, and full control of them, His own personal characteristics will appear as fruit in our lives. V. Condition of Fruitfulness. “He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (v. 5). The human side is, “He in me;” the Divine, “I in Him.” “The branch cannot bear fruit of itself … no more can ye except ye abide in Me” (v. 4). “In me,” that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, but in HIM all fullness dwells. His grace will be perfected in us, as we by faith abide in Him. Constant contact with Him implies the attitude of continual receptiveness, “I in Him.” To abide in Him is to abide in His Word, His will, and His work, then God works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. VI. Results of Fruitfulness. “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples” (v. 8). The results are twofold: the Father is glorified, and our true discipleship is proven. It is to the honour of the husbandman that the tree brings forth fruit abundantly. It is also to the credit of the tree that it so proves its good character by its works. Where there is wholehearted discipleship there will be fruitfulness and a life glorifying to the Father. Fruit is the natural outcome of a faithful following of Christ, as well as an evidence of it. The life lived in Christ, and for Him, is the only God-glorifying life. “Much fruit” means much love, much joy, much peace, etc. Beecher - I know enough of gardening to understand, that, if I would have a tree grow upon its south side, I must cut off the branches there. Then all its forces go to repairing the injury; and twenty buds shoot out, where, otherwise, there would have been but one. When we reach the garden above, we shall find, that, out of those very wounds over which we sighed and groaned on earth, have sprung verdant branches, bearing precious fruit, a thousandfold. When trees grow so that their branches are mostly on one side, we never restore branches to the deficient side by cutting the opposite side. We cut the most barren side, and there nature in seeking to restore what we cut, drives out new buds and branches. So the gardener knows that where he puts his knife there will follow the fruit of the tree. And blessed are they whom the Heavenly Husbandman prunes, that they may bring forth more fruit, if, when He cuts, there is a bud behind the knife. But woe to them who, being cut, have no bud to grow, and are more disbranched and barren from being pruned. C H
João 15
MacArthur explains that discipline includes suffering which "is merely the handle of the Father’s knife; the blade is the Word of God....The Word is instrumental in believers’ initial cleansing at salvation (cf. Ro 1:16), and it also continually purges, prunes, and cleanses them. God uses His Word as the pruning knife, because it “is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12), but He uses affliction to prepare His people for the Word’s pruning." (SEE John Commentary - Page 148) There are myriads of professing Christians in every Church whose union with Christ is only outward and formal. J C
João 15
MacArthur has an excellent summary of spiritual fruit - A popular misconception equates fruit with outward success. By that common standard, external religion, superficial righteousness, having a large church, a popular ministry, or a successful program are considered fruitful. But the Bible nowhere equates fruit with superficial, external behavior or results, which deceivers and hypocrites, as well as non-Christian cults and religions can duplicate. Instead, Scripture defines fruit in terms of spiritual qualities. “The fruit of the Spirit,” Paul reminded the Galatians, “is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23). Those Christlike traits mark those through whom His life flows. Praise offered to God is also fruit. The writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15; cf. Isa. 57:19; Hos. 14:2). The Bible also identifies sacrificial love in meeting the needs of others as fruit. Referring to the monetary gift he was collecting for the needy believers at Jerusalem, Paul wrote to the Romans, “Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain” (Rom. 15:28). Acknowledging the Philippians’ financial support of his ministry, Paul told them, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account” (Phil. 4:17 NKJV). Supporting others who are in need is a tangible expression of love, which is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Fruit may also be defined as holy, righteous, God-honoring behavior in general. Such conduct is “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8); the fruit produced by the good soil (Matt. 13:23) of a transformed life; the “fruit of the Light [that] consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Eph. 5:9); the “fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11); the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). Paul prayed that the Colossians would be continually “bearing fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:10), because Christians were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Finally, the Bible defines fruit as converts to the gospel—not the artificial fruit of superficial “believers,” but genuine disciples who abide in the true vine. Referring to the Samaritans who were coming out to Him from the village of Sychar, many of whom would believe savingly in Him (John 4:39, 41), Jesus said, “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (v. 36). He declared of His sacrificial death, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Paul expressed his desire to the Christians in Rome to win converts in the imperial capital: “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles” (Rom. 1:13). At the close of his letter, Paul greeted “Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ” (16:5 NKJV). In 1 Corinthians 16:15 the apostle referred to “the household of Stephanas,” as “the first fruits of Achaia,” while in Colossians 1:6 he rejoiced that “in all the world also it [the gospel; v. 5] is constantly bearing fruit and increasing.” John wrote of the 144,000 evangelists, who will be redeemed during the tribulation, “These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4). I agree with the conclusion in this excellent note from the NET Bible - NET NOTE - The Greek verb airo can mean "lift up" as well as "take away," and it is sometimes argued that here it is a reference to the gardener "lifting up" (i.e., propping up) a weak branch so that it bears fruit again. In Johannine usage the word occurs in the sense of "lift up" in 8:59 and 5:8–12, but in the sense of "remove" it is found in Jn 11:39, 11:48, 16:22, and Jn 17:15. In context (theological presuppositions aside for the moment) the meaning "remove" does seem more natural and less forced (particularly in light of Jn 15:6, where worthless branches are described as being "thrown out" - an image that seems incompatible with restoration). One option, therefore, would be to understand the branches which are taken away (Jn 15:2) and thrown out (Jn 15:6) as believers who forfeit their salvation because of unfruitfulness. However, many see this interpretation as encountering problems with the Johannine teaching on the security of the believer, especially John 10:28–29. (Related: Eternal security - is it biblical?) This leaves two basic ways of understanding Jesus' statements about removal of branches in Jn 15:2 and Jn 15:6: (1) These statements may refer to an unfaithful (disobedient) Christian, who is judged at the judgment seat of Christ "through fire" (cf. 1 Cor 3:11–15). In this case the "removal" of Jn 15:2 may refer (in an extreme case) to the physical death of a disobedient Christian. (2) These statements may refer to someone who was never a genuine believer in the first place (e.g., Judas and the Jews who withdrew after Jesus' difficult teaching in 6:66), in which case Jn 15:6 refers to eternal judgment. In either instance it is clear that Jn 15:6 refers to the fires of judgment (cf. OT imagery in Ps 80:16 and Ezek 15:1–8). But view (1) requires us to understand this in terms of the judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ. This concept does not appear in the Fourth Gospel because from the perspective of the author the believer does not come under judgment; note especially Jn 3:18, 5:24, 5:29. The first reference (Jn 3:18) is especially important because it occurs in the context of Jn 3:16–21, the section which is key to the framework of the entire Fourth Gospel and which is repeatedly alluded to throughout. A similar image to this one is used by John the Baptist in Matt 3:10, "And the ax is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Since this is addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to John for baptism, it almost certainly represents a call to initial repentance. More importantly, however, the imagery of being cast into the fire constitutes a reference to eternal judgment, a use of imagery which is much nearer to the Johannine imagery in Jn 15:6 than the Pauline concept of the judgment seat of Christ (a judgment for believers) mentioned above. The use of the Greek verb meno in Jn 15:6 also supports view (2). When used of the relationship between Jesus and the disciple and/or Jesus and the Father, it emphasizes the permanence of the relationship (John 6:56, 8:31, 8:35, 14:10). The prototypical branch who has not remained is Judas, who departed in Jn 13:30. He did not bear fruit, and is now in the realm of darkness, a mere tool of Satan. His eternal destiny, being cast into the fire of eternal judgment, is still to come (ED: BECAUSE HE IS NOW IN "HADES" AWAITING HIS FINAL DISPOSITION AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE - Rev 20:11-15+). It seems most likely, therefore, that the branches who do not bear fruit and are taken away and burned are false believers, those who profess to belong to Jesus but who in reality do not belong to him. In the Gospel of John, the primary example of this category is Judas. In 1 John 2:18–19+ the "antichrists" fall into the same category; they too may be thought of as branches that did not bear fruit. They departed from the ranks of the Christians because they never did really belong, and their departure shows that they did not belong. Fruit (2590) karpos is used in its literal sense to refer to fruit, produce or offspring, which describes that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism. Karpos is what something naturally produces. Figuratively, karpos is used of the consequence of physical, mental, or spiritual action. In the NT the figurative (metaphorical) uses predominate and this is particularly true in the Gospels, where human actions and words are viewed as fruit growing out of a person's essential being or character. Karpos refers to that which originates or comes from something producing an effect or result (benefit, advantage, profit, utility). See also English word fruit. W. E Vine has an excellent summary of karpos explaining that... Karpos frequently in the New Testament in its natural sense of that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism, Matthew 13:8, and also, in a derived sense, of the result, in the spiritual and moral sphere, of the energy of the Holy Spirit operating in those who through faith are brought into living union with Christ, John 15:4-5. Fruit is thus the outward expression of power working inwardly, and so in itself beyond observation, the character of the fruit giving evidence of the character of the power that produces it, Matthew 7:16 (note). As lust manifests itself in works, the restless and disorderly activities of the flesh, or principle of evil, in man, so the Spirit manifests His presence in His peaceable Hebrews 12:11 (note), and orderly fruit. In this connection fruit presents an advance upon “works.” “Works” gives prominence to the notion of activity; fruit directs attention to the power that works within. Fruit is also used by the apostle Paul of the converts resulting from his ministry, Philippians 1:22 (note); and of the manifestation of the character of Christ in the lives of believers in consequence of his ministry of the Word among them, Romans 1:13 (note); and of the care of the believers for the poor, for this is the fruit, or outward expression, of love, attesting its reality, Romans 15:28 (note); and of the care of laborers in the gospel, for this is the fruit, or outward expression, of thankfulness to God for spiritual blessings enjoyed, attesting its reality, Philippians 4:17 (note). The singular form, fruit, is used here perhaps to suggest the unity and harmony of the character of the Lord Jesus which is to be reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit, in contrast with the discordant and often mutually antagonistic “works of the flesh.” In Christ actually, and in the Christian potentially, the fruit of the Spirit is harmonious, the various elements being mutually consistent, and each encouraging and enhancing the rest in happy coordination and cooperation in that “new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth,” Ephesians 4:24 (note). The verb “fruit-bearing,” karpophoreo, is found in the New Testament in both the natural, Mark 4:28, and the spiritual sense, Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 8:15. The two states of men, the regenerate and the unregenerate, are contrasted in Romans 7:4, 7:5 (note); in the former “the passions of sins,” i.e., sinful impulses, see at v. 24, below, bore fruit unto death, that is these activities arose out of a state of alienation from God; in the latter the power of the indwelling Spirit, who unites the soul with the risen Lord, bears fruit unto God; so also Colossians 1:10 (note). Colossians 1:6 (note) corresponds with Philippians 1:22 (note), mentioned above. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson ) Larry Richards summarizes the Biblical concept of spiritual fruit writing that "Fruitfulness is a consistent concept in the OT and the NT. The fruit God seeks in human beings is expressed in righteous and loving acts that bring peace and harmony to the individual and to society. But that fruit is foreign to sinful human nature. Energized by sinful passions, fallen humanity acts in ways that harm and bring dissension. God's solution is found in a personal relationship with Jesus and in the supernatural working of God's Spirit within the believer. As we live in intimate, obedient relationship with Jesus, God's Spirit energizes us as we produce the peaceable fruits of a righteousness that can come only from the Lord. (BORROW Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words PAGE 298) Karpos - 66x/56v - benefit(2), crop(5), crops(2), descendants*(1), fruit(43), fruitful(1), fruits(4), grain(1), harvest(1), proceeds(1), produce(4), profit(1). Matt. 3:8; Matt. 3:10; Matt. 7:16; Matt. 7:17; Matt. 7:18; Matt. 7:19; Matt. 7:20; Matt. 12:33; Matt. 13:8; Matt. 13:26; Matt. 21:19; Matt. 21:34; Matt. 21:41; Matt. 21:43; Mk. 4:7; Mk. 4:8; Mk. 4:29; Mk. 11:14; Mk. 12:2; Lk. 1:42; Lk. 3:8; Lk. 3:9; Lk. 6:43; Lk. 6:44; Lk. 8:8; Lk. 12:17; Lk. 13:6; Lk. 13:7; Lk. 13:9; Lk. 20:10; Jn. 4:36; Jn. 12:24; Jn. 15:2; Jn. 15:4; Jn. 15:5; Jn. 15:8; Jn. 15:16; Acts 2:30; Rom. 1:13; Rom. 6:21; Rom. 6:22; Rom. 15:28; 1 Co. 9:7; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9; Phil. 1:11; Phil. 1:22; Phil. 4:17; 2 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 12:11; Heb. 13:15; Jas. 3:17; Jas. 3:18; Jas. 5:7; Jas. 5:18; Rev. 22:2 Branch (2814) klema from klao = to break means that which is broken off from a plant - a branch or shoot, especially of grapevines. This noun denotes a more or less tender, flexible branch, as of a vine. Classical Greek - Klēma is fairly common in Greek literature and usually refers to a flexible branch or vine, usually a young twig which is broken off to be replanted (Behm, “klēma,” Kittel, 3:757). It is used of a switch or cane carried by Roman centurions and also of a navel cord. One papyrus record speaks of it in connection with the operation of a vineyard (cf. Moulton-Milligan). Septuagint Usage - In the Septuagint it occurs more than 10 times for 6 Hebrew words, frequently referring to a literal “branch” of a tree or vine (cf. Numbers 13:24) and occasionally as a symbol for Israel (cf. Nahum 2:2). New Testament Usage - In the New Testament klēma occurs only in John 15:2,4-6 as Jesus compared His disciples to branches, and himself to the vine (ampelos [286]) which supports the branches. Unless the branches bear fruit, they are pruned and destroyed. “So it is essential for the disciples, if they are to fulfill the task which is laid upon them, that they should abide in fellowship with Jesus” (Behm, ibid.). The fruit produced by complete dependence on Jesus is love, obedience, and prayer (Embry, “Tree,” Colin Brown, 3:869). (Complete Biblical Library) Takes away (142) airo literally means to lift up something (Mt 17:27) and to carry it (Lxx - Ge 44:1, Ex 25:28 = the Ark). In the first Septuagint use of airo in Ge 35:2 Jacob told his household "Put away (airo) the foreign gods." Jesus used airo figuratively when He declared "Take (aorist imperative) My yoke" (Mt 11:29-note) and again when he said "Take (aorist imperative) up (your) cross." (Mk 8:34) Figuratively in this passage airo speaks of the taking away of sins. John used this same verb (airo) in John 1:29 writing "The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away (airo) the sin of the world! To take up, to lift up, to raise (Jn 8:59, Acts 27:3, Rev 10:5, "lift up My hand" = Dt 32:40, Isa 49:22); figuratively to raise one's eyes (Jn 11:41, Ps 121:1, 123:1), one's voice (cry out, sing - Lk 17:13, Acts 4:24, Jdg 21:2, 1Sa 11:4). "Keep (hold) us in suspense" (Jn 10:24) Gingrich —1. raise, lift, take up, pick up Mt 16:24; Lk 17:13; Jn 8:59; keep in suspense Jn 10:24; weigh (anchors) Ac 27:13; take or carry along Mt 16:24; 27:32; cry out loudly Lk 17:13. The transition to mng. 2 may be seen in Jn 1:29, where it means both take up and remove.—2. take or carry away, remove Lk 6:29; Jn 2:16; 19:38. Do away with, kill J 19:15 (s. a=ron); sweep away Mt 24:39; conquer, take over J 11:48; expel 1 Cor 5:2; cut off J 15:2. Supply ti something Mt 9:16. [arsis] [pg 5] Friberg's summary of airo - (1) literally, as lifting up something take up, pick, raise (Mt 17.27; Rev 10.5); absolutely, of a ship weigh anchor, depart (Acts 27.13); hyperbolically, of a mountain arise (Mt 21.21); idiomatically literally raise one’s eyes, i.e. look up (Jn 11.41); literally take up the cross, i.e. be prepared to suffer to the point of death (Mt 16.24); literally lift up someone’s soul, i.e. keep someone in suspense without being able to come to a conclusion (Jn 10.24); (2) as lifting up and carrying something away remove, carry off, take away (Jn 11.39); idiomatically = literally take from, i.e. cause to no longer experience (Mt 21.43); (3) of removing by force; (a) do away with, kill, execute (Jn 19.15); (b) sweep away as with a flood (Mt 24.39); (c) destroy, do away with (Jn 11.48); (d) as a religious technical term, of the effect of Christ’s paying the complete penalty for sin remove, take away (Jn 1.29) James Rosscup on airo - In the lexicons, the verb often has the thought of removal. There are vivid examples in the New Testament and in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint). A man takes away another’s cloak (Luke 6:29); a stronger man overpowers a strong man and takes his weapons from him (Luke 11:22); a member of a local church is removed or excommunicated for immorality (1 Cor. 5:2); a man is taken away in death (Matt. 24:39; John 19:15); the devil takes away the Word of God sown in a person’s life (Luke 8:12, 18); our “certificate of debt consisting of decrees” is taken away by Christ (Col. 2:14 Nassp) who is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29); members of the bodies belonging to Christ are taken away from one sphere — sanctification — and devoted to sinful use in another sphere — immorality with a harlot (1 Cor. 6:15); Jacob told his household to put away other gods (Gen. 35:2); the Lord denounces the wicked, who take away the rights of those who are in the right (Isa. 5:23); the dominion of Christ in His Kingdom shall not be taken away (Dan. 7:14); saved persons are not generally taken out of this world by God but left here to serve Him (John 17:15). There are many other examples. Liddell and Scott also point out an extrabiblical source in which the word is used of clearing away dinner. * Prunes (2507)(kathairo from katharos - pure, clean, without stain or spot. It means to make clean; of a vine clear, prune by removing superfluous wood. The idea is to make clean by taking away an undesirable part. It indicates removing that which is unclean or of no use. It gives us English cathartic. Related to katharizo. It occurs in some ceremonial contexts in antiquity. Kathairo - 2x - John 15:2, Hebrews 10:2 - reference is made to worshipers who had been “purged” of their sins under the Mosaic law. There are 2 uses in the Septuagint- 2Sa. 4:6; Isa. 28:27 Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” This passage creates a difficulty for the Free Grace position because it shows that if someone’s life is unfruitful, that person will be taken away from Christ, who is the true vine. To avoid this difficulty, Free Grace supporters argue that “takes away” should instead be translated “he lifts up” (another possible meaning of the Greek verb airo), so that the branches may get more sunlight and become fruitful. They say the verse means, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he lifts up.” For support, they refer to sources that say that grapevines were supported on wooden poles or trellises in the ancient world. However, when I consulted the Bible dictionaries and other reference works on ancient viticulture (raising vines) that Bing and Dillow cited, though there was evidence that grapevines were sometimes supported on wooden posts or frames (which no one denies), there was no evidence given by any source showing that unfruitful vines or branches were “lifted up” so that they would bear more fruit. No Free Grace publication that I could find produced any evidence from the ancient world that said that unfruitful vines or branches were “lifted up.” This means that the unusual Free Grace interpretation of this passage is a purely speculative argument with no supporting evidence. Moreover, this position does not fit the wording of the verse. The only kind of branch that the Father does anything to “that it may bear more fruit” is the branch “that does bear fruit.” Even if we try the meaning “lifts up” in the verse, the verse does not say, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he lifts up that it may bear more fruit,” nor does it say, “that they [plural, meaning both kinds of branches] may bear more fruit.” It says only that the fruitful branch is pruned “that it may bear more fruit.” The most extensive description that I found of ancient agricultural methods with regard to grapevines is the discussion in Natural History by Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79, very close to the time of Jesus’s earthly ministry). He includes some instructions that are relevant for understanding John 15, for they show that unfruitful vines are to be cut off and burned: If a vine is making poor growth, make a bonfire of its shoots and plow in the ashes therefrom. If a meager vine has not got suitable branches, it is a very good plan to cut it back to the ground and get it to put out new branches. … pruning away only the decayed parts of the vine and those beginning to wither, and leaving the rest to bear grapes relieved of superfluous weight. Pliny thus says the opposite of what Free Grace supporters argue. Far from being “lifted up,” he says unfruitful branches were cut off and unfruitful vines were burned up in a “bonfire.” (See "Free Grace" Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel) QUESTION - What is free grace? What is Free Grace Theology? ANSWER - Free Grace Theology is essentially a view of soteriology grown from more traditional Baptist roots. It was systematized by theologians such as Dr.’s Charles Ryrie and Zane Hodges in the 1980s, mainly as a response to Lordship Theology or Lordship Salvation, which has its roots in Reformed theology. Today, Free Grace is still going strong, supported by Charles Bing, Joseph Dillow, and the Grace Evangelical Society. (ED: SEE RELATED ARTICLE - The Teachings of Zane Hodges, Joseph Dillow, Robert Wilkin) The basic teaching of Free Grace Theology is that responding to the “call to believe” in Jesus Christ through faith alone is all that is necessary to receive eternal life. This basic, simple belief brings assurance of “entering” the kingdom of God. Then, if a person further responds to the “call to follow” Jesus, he becomes a disciple and undergoes sanctification (ED: See What is the difference between a Christian and a disciple? - Excerpt: "Biblically speaking, a Christian is a disciple of Christ....A true Christian (and not one in name only) will have to be a disciple of Christ as well). The follower of Christ has the opportunity to “inherit” the kingdom of God, which includes receiving particular rewards based on works accomplished for God on earth. Free Grace theologians point to a number of passages to validate their distinction between having saving faith and following Christ, mainly from the Gospel of John and the Pauline Epistles. For instance, Jesus’ explanation to the woman at the well of how to receive salvation—that she simply ask Him for it (John 4:10)—is compared to Jesus’ words to the disciples a few minutes later—that they must “do the will of him who sent me” (John 4:34). Other verses in John’s Gospel mention the act of belief as the sole requirement for salvation, including John 3:16 and John 5:24. And John 6:47 says, “The one who believes has eternal life.” The fact that works lead to rewards in heaven may be seen in passages such as Matthew 5:1–15; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15; and Hebrews 10:32–36, particularly verse 36, which reads, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Many Reformed theologians are appalled by the assertions of Free Grace theologians, accusing them of “easy believism” or even antinomianism. Antinomianism is the heretical belief that a Christian is under no law whatsoever, whether biblical or moral, and thus may do whatever he pleases. The fact of the matter is that Free Grace Theology can make it easier to arrive at antinomianism. However, Free Grace teaching is not antinomian per se. Free Grace theologians consider their position more biblical than Lordship Salvation, which they consider to be a works-based theology. According to Free Grace theologians, Lordship Salvation holds that saving faith includes inherently the “act” of accomplishing radical internal change leading to good works. This leads to the Free Grace emphasis on assurance of salvation, again based on the basic promises in John’s Gospel, that belief is all that is necessary for salvation. To the Free Grace theologian, this is a simple, cut-and-dried issue—if you believe, you are saved. For the Lordship Salvation camp, assurance of salvation comes through the observation of change in the professing believer, i.e., that he is accomplishing good works. Each camp views the other as possibly leading to heresy. QUESTION - What does it mean to abide in Christ? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - To “abide” is to live, continue, or remain; so, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him. When a person is saved, he or she is described as being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17), held secure in a permanent relationship (John 10:28–29). Therefore, abiding in Christ is not a special level of Christian experience, rather, it is the position of all true believers. The difference between those abiding in Christ and those not abiding in Christ is the difference between the saved and the unsaved. Abiding in Christ is taught in 1 John 2:5–6, where it is synonymous with “knowing” Christ (verses 2 and 3). Later in the same chapter, John equates “remaining” in the Father and the Son with having the promise of eternal life (verses 24 and 25). Biblically, “abiding in,” “remaining in,” and “knowing” Christ are references to the same thing: salvation. The phrase abiding in Christ pictures an intimate, close relationship, and not just a superficial acquaintance. In John 15:4–7, Jesus tells His disciples that drawing life from Him is essential, using the picture of branches united to a vine: “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. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Without that vital union with Christ that salvation provides, there can be no life and no productivity. Elsewhere, the Bible likens our relationship with Christ to that of a body with a head (Colossians 1:18)—another essential union. Some people take the warning of John 15:6 (branches that do not abide in the vine are thrown away and burned) to mean that Christians are always in danger of losing their salvation. In other words, they say it’s possible to be saved but not “abide,” in which case we would be cast away. But this could only be true if “abiding” were separate from salvation, referring to a state of intimacy with Christ we must strive to attain post-salvation. The Bible is clear that salvation comes by grace and is maintained by grace (Galatians 3:2–3). Also, if a branch could somehow fall away from the vine, resulting in the loss of salvation, then other, very clear passages of Scripture would be contradicted (see John 10:27–30). It is best to interpret the True Vine metaphor this way: Jesus is the True Vine, obviously. The branches who “abide” in Him are the truly saved—they have a real and vital connection to the Savior. The withered branches who do not “abide” in Him are the unsaved pretenders who feigned an attachment to the Vine but drew no life from Him. In the end, the pretenders will be seen for what they were: hangers-on who had no authentic attachment to Jesus. For a while, both Peter and Judas seemed identical in their walk with Christ. But Peter was attached to the Vine; Judas was not. John restates the withered-branch principle this way: “They [people now opposed to Christ] went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19). One of the proofs of salvation is perseverance, or sustained abiding in Christ. The saved will continue in their walk with Christ (see Revelation 2:26). That is, they will “abide” or remain in Him. God will complete His work in them (Philippians 1:6), and they will bring forth much fruit to the glory of God (John 15:5). Those who fall away, turn their backs on Christ, or fail to abide simply show their lack of saving faith. Abiding is not what saves us, but it is one of the signs of salvation. Proofs of abiding in Christ (i.e., proofs that one is truly saved and not just pretending) include obedience to Christ’s commands (John 15:10; 1 John 3:24); following Jesus’ example (1 John 2:6); living free from habitual sin (1 John 3:6); and the awareness of a divine presence within one’s life (1 John 4:13). What does “abide in him” mean in 1 John 3:6? QUESTION - Does the vine and branches passage in John 15 mean salvation can be lost? ANSWER - In John 15 Jesus uses the relationship of branches to the vine to illustrate our relationship to Him: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. . . . If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (verses 1–2, 6). Many take the verses about the fruitless branches being taken away and burned as a proof-text that salvation can be lost. The teaching is that a person who was at one time in Christ might later cease to “abide in Christ” and become good for nothing; that person is then cut off and burned up. Now, if the parable of the vine and the branches were the only passage that addressed the issue of eternal security, then we might have good reason to fear that salvation could be lost. However, this is not the only passage in Scripture that addresses security and assurance, nor is it the only passage in John where these issues are addressed. There are several passages in John where the security of the believer is clearly assured (John 3:16–17; 6:35–40; 10:27–29). This is an issue that we find throughout the Bible. There are passages that speak of the security of the believer in very explicit terms and others that would make one wonder if salvation cannot be lost after all. It is always best to interpret more obscure passages in light of clearer passages. Since John 15 is in the form of an allegory, it is best to let the clearer passages inform our understanding. The background of Jesus’ words in John 15 is most likely the Old Testament imagery where Israel is called a vine or vineyard—although one that did not produce the expected fruit (see Isaiah 5:1–7) (ED: THERE MAY BE SOME TRUTH IN THIS BUT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE CONTEXT WHICH ALLOWS ONE TO DEFINITIVELY MAKE THIS ASSOCIATION SO BE AN Acts 17:11+ BEREAN). Jesus replaces Israel with Himself as the “true vine.” Unlike Israel, Jesus will not fail to produce fruit in all the branches that are connected to Him. The point of Jesus’ metaphor is that He will succeed where Israel failed. (ED: BUT AGAIN HE DOES NOT REALLY MAKE THAT ASSOCIATION.) The disciples simply need to be connected to Him. According to John 15, it is unthinkable that any branch who is connected to Christ will fail to produce fruit. Yet, according to the illustration, some branches “in Him” will not produce fruit and be taken away. There seems to be a contradiction within the illustration itself that would warn us not to press the details too far. The apparent problem is the same with all of the other passages in Scripture that warn Christians about falling away. If a true Christian cannot lose salvation, why warn about falling away? The best explanation is that these warnings are directed toward professing Christians who appear, at least outwardly, to be connected to the Vine. They are branches in the vicinity of the Vine, but there is a disconnect. Judas Iscariot is a good example of a false professor. The parable of the seed and the soils (Matthew 13) presents young plants that seem to start out well but then wither away. The book of Hebrews, with its many warning passages, seems to be directed at those who have made an initial positive response to Jesus but are considering turning back. They are like the children of Israel who left in the exodus with Moses but then refused to enter the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:16–19). They started out on the journey but didn’t complete it. ...the genuine believer attached to the True Vine will bear fruit Based on outward appearances at any given moment, it may be difficult to tell genuine believers (connected in vital unity with the True Vine) from those who have merely attached themselves to some of the trappings of Christianity. However, time will tell the difference, because the genuine believer attached to the True Vine will bear fruit. A false professor appears to be attached but does not bear fruit, and it’s the lack of fruit that shows a branch is not receiving the fruit-bearing energy that comes from attachment to the Vine. Regardless of how attached this branch may appear to be on the surface, it is lacking the one absolute evidence of attachment—fruit! That “branch” should not console himself with false notions that he is attached, because his lack of fruit bears condemning evidence against him. In this case, the branch was never really attached in the first place. The metaphor (or allegory) of the vine and the branches can only be pressed so far. QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the True Vine”? ANSWER - “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1) is the last of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. Jesus said, “I am the True Vine” to closest friends gathered around Him. It was only a short time before Judas would betray Him; in fact, Judas had already left to do his infamous deed (John 13:30). Jesus was preparing the eleven men left for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them (John 14:2). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements. Jesus wanted His friends, not only those eleven, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy—His spiritual reality—would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while they develop their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as we “abide” in Him. Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship. Then Jesus underscored His point even more strongly by saying, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This illustration of the vine and branches is no thoughtless generality or careless simile. It is absolute, stark reality. No believer can achieve anything of spiritual value independently of Christ Jesus. He also reminds us that there are some who are “in” Him who bear no fruit. But these are not, as some would suppose, true branches that just happen to be fruitless. All true branches bear fruit. Just as we know a healthy, living tree by the good fruit it produces, so do we recognize fruitless branches as having no connection to the True Vine. This is why Jesus tells us, “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:16–20). Those who do not produce good fruit are cut away and burned. The reference here is to apostates, those who profess to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is insincere. He neither called them nor elected them nor saved them nor sustains them. Eventually, the fruitless branches are identified as not belonging to the Vine and are removed for the sake of truth and the benefit of the other branches.So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life—“For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)—and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10). No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service. The Purpose Of Pain Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. —John 15:2 Today's Scripture : John 15:1-14 When Alexander Whyte (1837-1921), the great Scottish preacher, was a boy, he badly injured his arm in a threshing machine. Instead of going to a hospital for almost certain amputation, he was treated at home by a neighbor. When the boy complained of his suffering, she simply said to him, “I like the pain. I like the pain.” She knew it was the first step to recovery. Years later when people complained that Whyte’s sermons were too critically soul-searching, he would reply, “I like the pain. I like the pain.” He believed that conviction of sin was needed for their spiritual healing. Pain may be discipline from God for disobedience to His Word. But sometimes when we suffer pain, we wrongly interpret God’s purpose in it. While prayerfully examining our lives to detect disobedience, we ought to consider another possible reason for our affliction. Pain may be God’s pruning of our already fruitful lives to make us more spiritually productive (Jn. 15:2). The Lord desires that we bear “much fruit” so that we will glorify Him (v.8). God has a purpose in our heartaches, The Savior always knows what's best; We learn so many precious lessons In each sorrow, trial, and test. —Jarvis Problems are opportunities for progress. C H
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MacArthur has an interesting thought on the command to abide - The Lord’s command “Abide in Me” (v. 4) is primarily a plea to false disciples of Christ to repent and express true faith in Him. It also serves to encourage genuine believers to abide in Him in the fullest, deepest, most complete sense. He is the vine, the Father the vinedresser, the abiding branches illustrate the eleven and all other true disciples, and the non-abiding branches picture Judas and all other false disciples like him. One last time before His death, Jesus warned against following the pattern of Judas. He challenged all who claim to believe in Him to demonstrate the genuineness of their faith by enduring faith in Him. (See The MacArthur Commentary) Faithfulness is God’s requirement; fruitfulness is His reward. James Rosscup has an entire book on abiding in Christ and he sums up the concept of abiding in three ways - “Abiding involves a person’s relating himself to Christ the Vine, to His Person and His purpose; rejecting attitudes, words, actions, or interests which Christ’s Word reveals He cannot share; and receiving the quality-essence of Christ’s imparted life for authentic fulfillment.” (BORROW Abiding in Christ PAGE 116)
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MacArthur - One research group recently estimated that about 100 million people, who call themselves Christians, are under persecution in the world today – about 100 million. Probably a low figure. The persecution by Islam is the most open persecution against Christians. It started back in the seventh century and is still going on today in at least 41 Muslim countries. But Christians have not just been the object of Muslim hatred; Christians have been, throughout the whole history of the church, the most hated and the most persecuted people in the world, particularly true Christians. But even nominal Christians in name have been persecuted. Persecute (1377) dioko from dío = pursue, prosecute, persecute) means to follow or press hard after, literally to pursue as one does a fleeing enemy. It means to chase, harass, vex and pressure and was used for chasing down criminals. Dioko speaks of an intensity of effort leading to a pursue with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain. To go after with the desire of obtaining or in some contexts the desire to harm. It gives us the picture of going on the track of something like the hounds on the hunt and pursuing after the fox and implying a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain the goal. To persecute - 30/45 NT uses convey the sense of the intention of doing harm. To hunt down like an animal. To run swiftly after something. To in any way whatever, to harass, trouble, molest. To carry out physical persecution, to harass, to abuse, to treat unjustly. (Mt 5:10, 11, 12, Mt 5:44, Mt 10:23, Lk 21:12, Jn 5:16; 15:20; Acts 7:52; 9:4, 5; 22:4,7, 8; 26:14, 15; Ro 12:14; 1Co 4:12; 15:9; 2Co 4:9; Gal 1:13,23; Gal 4:29; Gal 5:11; Php 3:6; 2Ti 3:12; Passive sense - to be maltreated, suffer persecution on account of something -Gal 6:12. Dioko conveys a sense of urgency and a sense of of intensity of purpose. Related Resources: WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER? - Bob Utley D L Moody - A general was leading his army to battle. His men asked what he would give them. “Hunger, cold, wounds, and death.” They were silent for a time, then threw up their hands and said, “We will go.” Dare To Be Different "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20 My dad was a pastor, so I got stuck with the label known to every pastor’s kid: PK. But, much to the congregation’s disappointment, the title didn’t stop me from being my mischievous little self. I have to tell you, I would like to have a $5 bill for every time somebody came to me and said, “Little Joe, you’re the pastor’s son. You should be an example.” They wanted me to be different, but they didn’t understand. I didn’t want to be an example! I was only five—I wanted to have fun with my friends and get into all the mischief they got into. Nobody wants to be different. We want people to like us, and one of the safest ways to do that is to blend in, to be like them. But following Christ has never been about “blending in.” Following Him means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people the way He did. Inevitably, there are times when doing that makes you different. Granted, it can be risky and uncomfortable to be different. But that’s what being a follower of Jesus is all about—bringing the difference of your King to bear on the territory you’ve been assigned to: your home, your office, and your friendships. We need to keep in mind that Jesus never promised that following Him would be a cakewalk. In fact, He made it clear that following Him would often create tension in a world that is going in the opposite direction. Just before His death, He spoke candidly to His disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. . . . If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:18, 20). I’ll never forget the story of Abdul Rahman, the Afghani who accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and faced the outrage of Muslim clerics in the courtrooms of Afghanistan. Although his conversion was considered a capital crime and his life was at risk, his faith stood the test. Right now while we are talking about this, thousands of believers in places like China, the Sudan, and Vietnam are making the point that Jesus is more important than personal peace and comfort. But for those of us who don’t live in life-threatening environments, being a fully committed follower brings its own kinds of trouble. It may be the threat of being cut out of the group and losing a promotion when the boss takes you and your colleagues out to dinner and then takes everyone but you to the strip club for an after- dinner drink. Or when your evolution-promoting biology professor scoffs at your stance on creation and gives you a lower grade on your paper. Forgiving a serious offense may have other fellow travelers thinking that you are the “village idiot.” Refusing to enter a gossipy conversation and declining opportunities to speak in unloving ways about others may even cost you something with fellow believers. Yup, sad but true! Today, you will no doubt have opportunities to be different—to go against the flow. Don’t be intimidated. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” But then He said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What an interesting thought: When I stick with Him through thick and thin, I may feel like I’ve lost, but in reality, I ultimately win! In retrospect, I can now see how my antics as a PK reflected poorly on my Dad. It’s motivating to remember that our non-Jesus attitudes and actions not only leave us on the losing side but also end up reflecting poorly on the One we love so much. Go ahead today. Make a difference by daring to be different for Jesus! YOUR JOURNEY… Read John 15:18-27. In what ways have you dared to be different for Christ and felt the tension? When was the last time you chose to blend in with the crowd rather than follow Christ? Why did you cave to the pressure? What can you do to stand for Jesus the next time you are in that situation? Making a plan for the next opportunity to follow Jesus is important. Be prepared! What does it mean personally for you that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”? Check out the whole story in Luke 9:21-26. Be specific, honest, and courageous in your answer. When was the last time you realized that in this upside-down world, it is followers who are willing to go into the face of adversity for Jesus who are truly blessed? (Don’t miss Matthew 5:10-12!) Set aside some time to look at the Voice of the Martyrs Web site: www.persecution.com and pray for those who are facing persecution today. Ask that God would continue to turn Satan’s attacks into victories, and that followers of Jesus around the globe would boldly stand for Him and rise to the challenge of being different for His sake. John 15:21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. all: John 16:3 Ps 69:7 Isa 66:5 Mt 5:11 10:18,22,39 24:9 Lu 6:22 Ac 9:16 1Pe 4:13 because: John 8:19,54 Ac 17:23 28:25-27 Ro 1:28 1Co 2:8 15:34 2Co 4:3-6 2Th 1:8 1Jn 2:3,4 John 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 16:3 “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. THE WORLD - KNOW BUT DO NOT KNOW GOD! The title may sound like double talk, but read through the comments below and you will understand why this title is apropos. But - Term of contrast. What is Jesus contrasting in this context? He has just given them an encouraging word at the end of Jn 15:20, but now He reverts back to the reality of future persecution. All these things they will do to you for My name’s sake - These things reiterates the world's hatred and persecution Jesus had just prophetically promised. Because - This is a term of explanation which is always a key "hinge word" to query, asking what is the speaker explaining (and what is the explanation)?
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MacArthur - LOVE OF THE TRUTH BRINGS HATRED - (BORROW STRENGTH FOR TODAY - PAGE 140) “All these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” John 15:21 ✧✧✧ The world, in its general hatred of the truth and ignorance of God, will also hate believers. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time hated Him intensely. If we are committed to following Him wholeheartedly today, we can’t expect to avoid persecution and hardship any more than He did. In John 15:20 our Lord tells us what to expect: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” If our perspective is right, however, this expectation should actually make us happy and even provide a certain sense of security. Receiving persecution from the world because we are Christ’s representatives means we have an opportunity to experience what Paul called “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). As one commentator has said, Christian suffering “is the very means God uses to transform us into the image of His Son.” Troubles and pains can be great reassurances that we have been united with Christ. As we saw yesterday, it’s no surprise that the world hates us. It despises our general opposition to its system, but aside from that, the world hates believers simply because it doesn’t know God. This basic ignorance of God usually appears in one of two ways. Either it shows up as apathy and religious superstition (Acts 17:22–23) or as more glaring actions and attitudes of moral and spiritual deviation (Romans 1:18–2:2). Whatever the case, people in the world are just doing what is natural for them because of their sin and depravity. As a Christian, what should your response be? You should not be indifferent or accommodate the serious challenges you’ll face from the world. Instead, you ought to, by faith, realistically accept the truth of John 15:21, comfortably rest in the teaching of Philippians 3:10, and confidently seek to minister to the world “because the foolishness of God [the gospel] is wiser than men, and the weakness of God [the cross] is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). ✧✧✧ Suggestions for Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you begin grasping what it means to partake in “the fellowship of His sufferings.” For Further Study: Read Acts 5:17–42. How is the world’s attitude toward the gospel displayed in this passage? ✧ What did the apostles appeal to when faced with severe opposition? John 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. they: John 3:18-21 9:41 12:48 19:11 Eze 2:5 33:31-33 Lu 12:46 Ac 17:30 2Co 2:14-16 Heb 6:4-8 Jas 4:17 cloak: or, excuse, Ro 1:20 2:1 1Pe 2:16 John 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries If I had not come and spoken to them they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin- This is a second class condition which signifies what follows is "contrary to fact." An accurate paraphrase that helps understand this distinction is "If I had not come back and spoken to them, which I did, then they would not have sin, which they do." Jesus is not speaking of sin in general but associates this sin with the fact that He came as the God-Man and He spoke the words from His Father. Their sin was the fact that they rejected Jesus and His words. This is the worst sin that anyone can commit, because to reject Jesus leaves eternal punishment as the only alternative! The reason they had no excuse for their sin of rejecting Jesus and His words is simply because He came to them and revealed Himself to them by many words and many miraculous works. There was nothing else He could have done. The conclusion is that they had no excuse.
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MacArthur - Meno is used in a theological sense to refer to the truth that resides in believers (1John 2:14, 24-27; cf. John 5:38 where Jesus upbraids the unbelieving Jews for not having the Word abiding in them), to true believers abiding in the Word (John 8:31) and thus not being in spiritual darkness (John 12:46), to the Spirit abiding in believers (John 14:17; cf. 1 John 4:12, 15, 16) and, most significant, to believers abiding in Christ (John 6:56; 14:10; 15:4-7, 9-10; 1 John 2:6, 10, 28; 3:6, 24; 4:13). The truth of the Word, which abides in believers forever, gives them “the mind of Christ” (1Cor. 2:16). (SEE 1-3 John MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 219) NET Bible Note on abide (meno) "The Greek word (menō) translated resides indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God. It is very important to note that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship (cf. 2 John 9) is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim). Meno in Gospel of John and John's Letters - Jn. 1:32; Jn. 1:33; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:39; Jn. 2:12; Jn. 3:36; Jn. 4:40; Jn. 5:38; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:56; Jn. 7:9; Jn. 8:31; Jn. 8:35; Jn. 9:41; Jn. 10:40; Jn. 11:6; Jn. 11:54; Jn. 12:24; Jn. 12:34; Jn. 12:46; Jn. 14:10; Jn. 14:17; Jn. 14:25; Jn. 15:4; Jn. 15:5; Jn. 15:6; Jn. 15:7; Jn. 15:9; Jn. 15:10; Jn. 15:16; Jn. 19:31; Jn. 21:22; Jn. 21:23; 1 Jn. 2:6; 1 Jn. 2:10; 1 Jn. 2:14; 1 Jn. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:19; 1 Jn. 2:24; 1 Jn. 2:27; 1 Jn. 2:28; 1 Jn. 3:6; 1 Jn. 3:9; 1 Jn. 3:14; 1 Jn. 3:15; 1 Jn. 3:17; 1 Jn. 3:24; 1 Jn. 4:12; 1 Jn. 4:13; 1 Jn. 4:15; 1 Jn. 4:16; 2 Jn. 1:2; 2 Jn. 1:9; Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (BORROW) IVP Series - This is the first edition, not the second edition published in 2013. This is worth checking out. Here is a sample on the entry for ABIDING... As a common translation of the Greek verb menein, “to abide” has rich theological associations in the Fourth Gospel where 40 of the 112 NT occurrences of the verb occur (it appears another 26 times in the Epistles of John). It is used to communicate the enduring character of Christ*, and more importantly, when used with the preposition “in” and a personal object, it points to the relationship of mutual indwelling of the Father, the Son (see Son of God) and the believer. 1. Abiding As a Quality of Character In the Greek OT menein, when used in a theological sense, most commonly speaks of the abiding character of God*. In contrast to the transitory nature of all things human, God remains, he endures, he is immutable. In the NT period this was considered to be a trait of the Messiah also, as evidenced by the crowds in John’s Gospel who say, “We have heard from the Law* that the Christ abides forever” (Jn 12:34). And John would have us know that Jesus is the Son who abides forever (Jn 8:35), who gives food that abides unto eternal life (Jn 6:27), and who enables one to produce fruit that abides (Jn 15:16). In addition, in the first use of the verb in the Gospel, the Evangelist relates that John the Baptist (see John the Baptist) saw the Holy Spirit (see Holy Spirit) coming down from heaven* as a dove and remaining (emeinen) on Jesus (Jn 1:32). This was no momentary experience of the Spirit, perhaps like that of the judges or prophets*, but an enduring reality in Jesus’ life. 2. Abiding in Relationship Of greater interest is the use in John’s Gospel of the phrase “to abide in” with a personal object to express the relationship of Jesus to the Father and both to believers. The priority must be given to Jesus’ mutual indwelling with the Father: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you are not from myself, but the Father who abides in me does his work” (Jn 14:10). This is a dynamic relationship which energizes the ministry of Jesus. Out of this personal union come his words and his works which manifest the character of God. “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (Jn 10:37–38 NIV). The Son obeys the Father and imitates the Father (Jn 5:19–20; 14:31), but the Father imparts his life to the Son (“I live because of the Father,” Jn 6:57; also Jn 5:26), and together they share this common life and are united in love (Jn 3:35; 5:20; 14:31; 15:10; 17:21–23). This relationship between the Father and the Son becomes the model and source of the relationship between Jesus and his disciples*. Jesus called men and women into this relationship of mutual indwelling using the most graphic imagery: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56). Just as the Father has loved Jesus, so Jesus has loved his disciples, and they are to abide in his love (Jn 15:9). Just as Jesus has remained in his Father’s love by obeying his commands (see Commandment), so the disciples are to abide in Jesus’ love by obeying his commands (Jn 15:10). And as they abide in him, Jesus will convey his life to them, even as a vine* gives life to its branches (Jn 15:4–6). His life will manifest itself in their lives as they bear fruit, even as his works were the work of his Father. Apart from him the disciples can do nothing, just as Jesus could do nothing apart from the Father (Jn 5:19, 30). Jesus mediates to his disciples the relationship he enjoys with his heavenly Father. “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me” (Jn 6:57 NIV). The one who loves Jesus will be loved by the Father, and together the Father and the Son will make their abode (monē—a cognate of menein) with him (Jn 14:23). “I have given them the glory* that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me” (Jn 17:22–23). This is the perfect unity that results from the mutual indwelling of the Father, the Son and the believers. “Abiding in Christ” assumes the most intimate union possible. The identification of Jesus with the true vine (Jn 15:1), a symbol of Israel* (cf. Hos 10:1; Jer 2:21; Ps 80:9–12, 15–16; Is 5:7), in which the disciples are to abide, suggests a corporate dimension to his person that has important christological implications. This union with Christ, however, must not be confused with ideas of the Hellenistic mystery cults (see Hellenism), some of which taught a loss of individuality or a pantheistic absorption of the believer into the being of the divine. The teaching of the Fourth Gospel maintains throughout a moral dimension that assumes individual responsibility. It is a relationship that always begins with the divine initiative, but which calls for a human response: “Abide in me … abide in my word … abide in my love” (Jn 15:4, 7, 9). F B
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MacArthur - THE SPOTLIGHT STAYS ON CHRIST (BORROW STRENGTH FOR TODAY PAGE 267) “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.” John 15:26 ✧✧✧ After He has drawn us to Christ, the Holy Spirit helps us give Christ the preeminence. In the spiritual realm it is important that our attention be kept focused in the right direction—toward the object of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, through the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, helps us understand what such focus is all about: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2). John 15:26 is one of two references in the Gospel of John in which the Holy Spirit bears witness to Christ (see also John 16:14–15). Commentator Leon Morris tells us, “This bearing of witness was not an end in itself. Behind it was the purpose ‘that all might believe through him.’ ” It has always been the Spirit’s desire that people recognize Christ’s authority and submit to His will (Phil. 2:9–13). Thus Paul further reminds us that “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). We saw yesterday that the power and wisdom of the Spirit are crucial if any individual is to be transformed from spiritual condemnation to spiritual life. After that, it is just as necessary that we rely on the Holy Spirit to keep us focused on Jesus Christ and our ongoing responsibilities of obedience and service to Him. How foolish it is for any of us who profess Christ to then follow Him by looking to our own strength rather than His glory. We forget that the Spirit has given us a clear view of the freedom involved in following Jesus as Lord: “But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:16–17). What About The Trinity? When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, . . . He will testify of Me. —John 15:26 Today's Scripture : John 15:15-27 A pupil asked the noted philosopher Hegel (1770-1831) to explain a passage he had written. Hegel read it and said, “When that was written, there were two who knew its meaning—God and myself. Now, alas! There is but one, and that is God.” Some people feel that way about the doctrine of the Trinity, noting that the word isn’t even in the Bible. This truth, however, is clearly taught in Scripture. A. H. Strong defined it well: “We do not say that one God is three Gods, nor that one person is three persons, nor that three Gods are one God, but only that there is one God with three distinctions in His being.” Baffling? Yes! Absurd? No! The idea of a triune God is biblically sound and makes sense. Here’s one way of explaining the logic behind the Trinity: The Bible says that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8). Love always needs an object. If God were an eternal, absolute unity, without the distinction of persons within Himself, eternal love could not exist. But because God is a Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can express love to one another. Not only that, but we benefit as well because the Son reveals the Father’s love and truth to us by the work of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 15:10,26). For Further Study Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; John 1:1-18; 14:16-17; 15:15-27; 17:5,24; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 9:14. There's perfect unity in the Trinity. John 15:27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. you will testify John 21:24 Lu 24:48 Ac 1:8,21,22 3:15 4:20,33 10:39-42 13:31 Ac 18:5 23:11 1Pe 5:1,12 2Pe 1:16-18 Rev 1:2,9 because you have been with Me: Mk 1:1 Lu 1:2,3 1Jn 1:1,2 John 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES and you will testify (martureo in present tense) also - So not just the Spirit will testify of Jesus, but here Jesus gives the prophetic promise that His followers will also testify about HIm.. THOUGHT - This was directed to the first disciples, but it is applicable to every follower of Jesus. Have you testified to others about Jesus? And remember that when you live like Jesus, this will undergird your testimony about Jesus. If your life fails to match what your lips say, don't be surprised if others discount your testimony of Jesus. because you have been with Me from the beginning - The 11 disciples were first hand witnesses. In the phrase from the beginning Jesus is explaining the scope of their testimony, the 3+ years that the disciples had been with Him. Their testimony would be recorded in the Gospel records and in their subsequent proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bob
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MacArthur- We had a peach tree in our backyard, and one year it went wild with fruit. We had enough peaches to feed the whole neighborhood! Another year, we could find only one tiny, shriveled peach. Some Christians can be like that, exhibiting little evidence of belonging to God—but God wants us to grow and produce much fruit for His glory. The fruit you bear is the manifestation of your character, and the only way people will know that you are a child of God. He wants to present Himself to the world through what He produces in you, so His character is at stake in your fruit. He wants you to be fruitful far above what the world or the flesh can produce. (BORROW Truth for Today) Holy Fruit If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 2 Peter 1:8 Today's Scripture : 2 Peter 1:1-8 Billy Graham told about the conversion of H. C. Morrison, the founder of Asbury Theological Seminary. He said that Morrison, a farm worker at the time, was plowing in a field one day when he saw an old Methodist preacher coming by on his horse. Morrison knew the elderly gentleman to be a gracious, godly man. As he watched the old saint go by, a great sense of conviction of sin came over Morrison and he dropped to his knees. There between the furrows in his field, alone, he gave his life to God. When he concluded the story, Billy Graham earnestly prayed, “Oh, God, make me a holy man.” Augustine said, “Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being.” True and lasting greatness stems from what we are. Though we may seem to be doing nothing at all, we can be doing everything worthwhile if our lives are being styled by God’s grace. Even if we are set aside through old age, sickness, or seclusion, we can still be productive. Are you bedridden or house-bound? Your holy life can still bear fruit. I lived so that all whom I met could see His Holy Spirit shining through me; O friend, is this what our hearts can say As we sit and think at the close of day? —Nicholson The most powerful testimony is a holy life. TORREY'S TOPIC - FRUIT - Fruits The produce of corn, &c. Deu. 22:9. Psa. 107:37. The produce of trees. Gen. 1:29. Ecc. 2:5. CALLED THE Fruit of the ground. Gen. 4:3. Jer. 7:20. Fruit of the earth. Isa. 4:2. Increase of the land. Psa. 85:12. Given by God. Acts 14:17. Preserved to us by God. Mal. 3:11. REQUIRE A fruitful land. Psa. 107:34. Rain from heaven. Psa. 104:13. Jas. 5:18. Influence of the sun and moon. Deu. 33:14. Produced in their due seasons. Mat. 21:41. First of, devoted to God. Deu. 26:2. DIVIDED INTO Hasty or precocious. Isa. 28:4. Summer fruits. 2 Sam. 16:1. New and old. So. of Sol. 7:13. Goodly. Jer. 11:16. Pleasant. So. of Sol. 4:16. Precious. Deu. 33:14. Evil or bad. Mat. 7:17. To be waited for with patience. Jas. 5:7. Often sent as presents. Gen. 43:11. OFTEN DESTROYED In God’s anger. Jer. 7:20. By blight. Joel 1:12. By locusts, &c. Deu. 28:38, 39. Joel 1:4. By enemies. Eze. 25:4. By drought. Hag. 1:10. ILLUSTRATIVE Of effects of repentance. Mat. 3:8. Of works of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22, 23. Eph. 5:9. Of doctrines of Christ. So. of Sol. 2:3. Of good works. Mat. 7:17, 18. Phi. 4:17. Of a holy conversation. Pro. 12:14. Pro. 18:20. Of praise. Heb. 13:15. Of the example, &c. of the godly. Pro. 11:30. Of effects of industry. Pro. 31:16, 31. Of the reward of saints. Isa. 3:10. Of the reward of the wicked. Jer. 17:9, 10. Of converts to the church. Psa. 72:16. Jno. 4:36. (Bad,) of the conduct and conversation of evil men. Mat. 7:17. Mat. 12:33. FRUIT, FRUITFULNESS - Dictionary of Biblical Imagery - page 1070 - click for full article on fruit as this excerpt deals only with fruit as a metaphor. Metaphoric Extensions. The consequences of an action are frequently described as its fruit (Jer 17:10). Creation is the fruit of God’s work (Ps 104:13). In later Judaism, especially, the righteous person was described as bearing good fruit (Prov 31:31; Is 3:10), while the unrighteous person would bear bad fruit (Prov 1:31; Jer 6:19; 21:14; Hos 10:13; Mic 7:13). The tongue is capable of bearing both good and evil fruit (Prov 12:14; 18:20). Heresy leads to unfruitfulness (Jude 12). Conversely, prayer and worship are described metaphorically as the fruit of the lips (e.g., Prov 12:14; 13:2; 18:20; Is 57:18; Heb 13:15). Bearing fruit is an archetype for righteous living in OT wisdom literature. Psalm 1:3 sounds the keynote, describing the godly person as “a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season” (RSV; cf. Jer 17:7–8). In the NT, Matthew, especially, draws upon such imagery from the wisdom tradition. John the Baptist urges the fruit of repentance and warns that unfruitful trees will be cut down and burnt (Mt 3:8–10). Jesus himself confirms this judgment and points out that false prophets can be identified in the same way as trees are identified, by their fruit (Mt 7:15–20; cf. 12:33). Seed that has been sown on good ground is extremely fruitful (Mt 13:23). Ultimately the kingdom belongs to those who produce its fruit (Mt 21:43). James draws upon the same wisdom tradition (Jas 3:17). Paul uses the metaphor of a fruitful harvest to describe the outcome of his own ministry (Rom 1:13). For Paul continuance in life promises further fruitful labor (Phil 1:22). The gospel, like righteousness, bears fruit (Col 1:6, 10). In terms of behavior Paul echoes the language of the wisdom writings, writing of the “fruit of the light” and the “unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph 5:8ff). In Hebrews discipline “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb 12:11 RSV). Literal fruitfulness is, of course, dependent on an adequate sources of water. Thus water becomes a potent metaphor for the Spirit (Ezek 47:1–12; Jn 7:37–39). In Galatians 5:22–23 Paul employs the image of the “fruit of the Spirit” to describe the workings of God’s Spirit in contrast to the “works of the flesh” (Gal 5:17–21). Here Paul draws an intended contrast between the naturally growing fruit of God’s Spirit and the sin that is the outcome of humanity’s actions independent of God. Thorns and thistles enter the scene following the spoiling of the Garden of Eden through sin (Gen 3:17–19). They represent the encroachment of untamed nature. They can be the result of idleness (Prov 24:30–31) or the judgment on a city (Is 34:13). In either case, creation is out of control. The nature miracles of Jesus give some idea of what might have been had sin not intervened (e.g., Mk 4:35–41; 6:30–44; Jn 2:1–11; cf. Heb 2:8–9). Metaphorically speaking, unfruitfulness strangles spiritual life and vigor (e.g. Mk 4:7, 18–19). Isaiah describes Israel as unable to bear the fruit expected of her (Is 5:2, 4). The unfruitful fig tree, representing Israel, is cursed by Jesus (Mk 11:12–14, 20–25; Mt 21:18–22). The unwholesome consequences of idolatry and injustice are referred to a “wormwood,” a notoriously bitter and poisonous fruit (Deut 29:18; Amos 5:7; 6:12), which can spread throughout the whole community of Israel. See also ABUNDANCE; FIG, FIG TREE; FIRST; FOOD; GARDEN; GRAPES; HARVEST; TREE, TREES; TREE OF LIFE; VINE, VINEYARD. James Smith - BRANCHES, DISCIPLES, FRIENDS JOHN 15 These are not empty titles, the Lord Himself is the Author of each of them, but they are each conditioned with something else. The first with abiding, the second with fruit bearing, the third with obedience. These three names are suggestive of three different experiences. I. As Branches, we Receive. “I am the Vine, ye are the branches” (v. 5). This process and privilege of receiving of the fullness that is in Christ cannot begin until we as branches have been broken off the old fruitless Adam-stock, and grafted into Him who is the second Adam, the True Vine. The precious sap of this Vine (Spirit) will never minister to the pride of the old selfish sinful life. But having been planted into Christ, we now live by faith that is in Him. The branch cannot live apart from the vine, no more can ye. To live apart from Christ is to be dead while we live. “Because I live ye shall live also” (John 14:19), if ye abide in Me. The life of the branch, then, is a life of continual appropriation. The call of the vine to the branch is to take, take, take. “Let him that is athirst, take.” “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” This receiving of the sap by the branch was to manifest itself in fruitfulness To be filled with the Spirit is to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, as it is possible to grow apples of different quality on the same stock, so, by the same Spirit there may be different manifestation, according to the character of the branch. While our union with Christ is the death of our sinful life, it is not the death of our individuality. In every Christian life the whole fruit of the Spirit should be found (Gal. 5:22, 23), but, as a rule, in the lives of Christians, some one or two aspects of this fruit are often found prominent, this may be partly due to the nature of the recipient. Still, “the wind bloweth where it listeth.” II. As Disciples, we Follow. “So shall ye be My disciples” (v. 8). In continuing the metaphor of the vine and branches here, the idea is, that the branch truly follows the vine, when it abides in it, and when by the power imparted to it, it faithfully carries out the purpose for which the vine had been given. So, by an adherence to the mind and will of our Lord, and by the bringing forth of much of the fruit of the Spirit, we are declaring ourselves to be walking in His footsteps. “If ye continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). This discipleship implies a readiness to sit at His feet, like Mary, and to learn of Him who is the Great Teacher come from God. It implies also a willingness to believe every word He says. How can His words abide in us if they are not received by faith (v. 7). How can we follow His example if we do not live and walk by faith in the Word of God as He did. Another mark of discipleship is love one to another (John 13:35). III. As Friends, we Commune. “Ye are My friends … I have called you friends (not patients), for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you” (vv. 14, 15). A friend comes closer to the heart than a servant, “A servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth.” It is a very sacred and humbling privilege to walk among men as the friends of Jesus Christ. As His friends, living in communion with Him, we become— 1. Sharers of His SECRETS. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him” (Psa. 25:14). It was of him who was “the friend of God” that God said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” The deep heart purposes of the Son of God are revealed to those who live in fellowship with Him. In the light of His presence they see light clearly. They walk among the gloomy shadows of a sinful world, with the secrets of life, peace, and eternal glory in their souls. 2. Sharers of His SYMPATHIES. As a devoted wife becomes a partaker of her husband’s likes and dislikes, so does the friend of Jesus, through close contact with Him, becomes imbued with His thoughts and feelings. They love all that He loves and hate all that He hates. They are in real heart sympathy with Him in His desire to honour the Father, and at the same time to love, and seek to save, the sinful sons of men. 3. Sharers of His SUFFERINGS. “The world hated Me … because ye are not of the world … therefore the world hateth you” (vv. 18, 19). Christ suffered because of His unlikeness to the world. His true friends will fare little better. Christ suffered in His daily life because of His sympathy with God His Father, and His separation from the sins and false conception of His age. The more we become like Him the more shall we feel the power of those forces in the world which were opposed to Him. 4. Sharers of His CONSOLATIONS. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5). To be made a partaker of His sufferings, is to become an heir of His consolations. Such consolations are neither few not small, good measure, pressed down and running over. What the Father was to the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter is to us an ever present, all sufficient compensation for all the sorrows and sufferings incurred through our sympathy with Christ, and service for Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him, that is consolation indeed. C D Foss - Without me ye can do nothing. There are two kinds of magnets, steel magnets and soft iron magnets. The steel magnet receives its magnetism from the loadstone, and has it permanently; it can get along very well alone in a small way; it can pick up needles and do many other little things to amuse children. There is another kind of magnet which is made of soft iron, with a coil of copper wire round it. When the battery is all ready and the cups are filled with the mercury, and the connection is made with the wires, this magnet is twenty times as strong as the steel magnet. Break the circuit, and its power is all gone instantly. We are soft iron magnets; our whole power must come from the Lord Jesus Christ; but faith makes the connection, and while it holds we are safe. Good Question I am the vine, you are the branches. . . . Without Me you can do nothing. — John 15:5 Today's Scripture : John 15:1-11 Several years have passed since the publication of my book Finding the God-Dependent Life. It’s the story of how I learned to depend on God through the gradual breakdown of my self-sufficiency. My inadequacies forced me to depend on Him. In time, it became clear that the same principles that helped me in a crisis could surely help me all the time. So God-dependence became my chosen way of life. The result was greater wholeness and fruitfulness. A churchgoer who read my book commented to a friend, “If you ask me, Joanie Yoder depends on God too much!” To help me explain the God-dependent life, I’ve turned that comment into a question: Is it possible to depend on God too much? Let’s answer that question by asking another: Is it possible for a branch to depend too much on the vine? Catherine Marshall wrote, “The point is not that the branches will do better when they are attached to the vine. Unless attached, the branches must wither and die.” Jesus taught that unless the branches (you and I) abide in the vine (remain dependent on Him), it’s impossible for us to bear His fruit. I could not do without Thee, I cannot stand alone, I have no strength or goodness, No wisdom of my own. —Havergal Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ. As I approach the ripe old age of 80, one of my favorite verses has become Psalm 92:14+ "They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green". Here is a devotional related to this psalm... Fruitful to the End - Although Lenore Dunlop was ninety-four years young, her mind was sharp, her smile was bright, and her contagious love for Jesus was felt by many. It wasn’t uncommon to find her in the company of the youth of our church; her presence and participation were sources of joy and encouragement. Lenore’s life was so vibrant that her death caught us off guard. Like a powerful runner, she sprinted across life’s finish line. Her energy and zeal were such that, just days before her death, she completed a sixteen-week course that focused on taking the message of Jesus to the peoples of the world. When we see in our lives the budding and blossoming fruit of loving, sharing, helping, and leading others to Christ, we should rejoice. The fruitful, God-honoring life of Lenore illustrates what’s seen in Psalm 92:12–15. This psalm describes the budding, blossoming, and fruit-bearing of those whose lives are rooted in a right relationship with God (Ps 92:12–13). The two trees pictured were valued for their fruit and wood, respectively; with these the psalmist captures a sense of vitality, prosperity, and usefulness. When we see in our lives the budding and blossoming fruit of loving, sharing, helping, and leading others to Christ, we should rejoice. How does your life reflect the fruit found in a growing relationship with Jesus? What can you add or eliminate to help you grow? Father, give me the strength to bear fruit that clearly demonstrates that my life is rooted in the life of Jesus, Your Son. -------- This devotional thought reminds me of the T-shirt that was seen on a radiant white-haired lady with the words “I’m not 80. I’m 18 with 62 years experience!” Fruit Juice I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. John 15:5 Today's Scripture & Insight : John 15:5–8 A thrift-store bargain, the lamp seemed perfect for my home office—the right color, size, and price. Back at home, however, when I plugged in the cord, nothing happened. No light. No power. No juice. No problem, my husband assured me. “I can fix that. Easy.” As he took the lamp apart, he saw the trouble immediately. The plug wasn’t connected to anything. Without wiring to a source of power, the “perfect” pretty lamp was useless. The same is true for us. Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” But then he added this reminder: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This teaching was given in a grape-growing region, so His disciples readily understood it. Grapevines are hardy plants, and their branches tolerate vigorous pruning. Cut off from their life source, however, the branches are worthless deadwood. So it is with us. What does it mean for you to remain in Jesus? How has He equipped you to bear fruit for Him? All-powerful God, empower me to remain in You and allow Your loving Word to yield good fruit in me. Dependence Day 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. — John 15:5 Today's Scripture & Insight : John 15:1-13 In the US, the Fourth of July is a national holiday when outdoor grills are heated up; beaches are packed; and cities and towns have parades and fireworks displays, picnics, and patriotic celebrations. All of this is in remembrance of July 4, 1776, when the 13 American colonies declared their independence. Independence appeals to all ages. It means “freedom from the control, influence, support, and aid of others.” So it’s not surprising that teenagers talk about gaining their independence. Many adults have the goal of being “independently wealthy.” And senior citizens want to maintain their independence. Whether anyone is ever truly independent is a discussion for another time and place—but it sounds good. Craving political or personal independence is one thing; daring to pursue spiritual independence is problematic. What we need instead is a recognition and acceptance of our deep spiritual dependence. Jesus said, “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” (John 15:5). I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine can peace afford. I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee. —Hawks/Lowry Our greatest strength comes from dependence on our strong God. C H
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MacArthur explains that "Agape love is the greatest virtue of the Christian life. Yet that type of love was rare in pagan Greek literature. That’s because the traits agape portrays—unselfishness, self-giving, willful devotion, concern for the welfare of others—were mostly disdained in ancient Greek culture as signs of weakness. However, the New Testament declares agape to be the character trait around which all others revolve. The apostle John writes, “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1John 4:16)". (SEE The Power of Integrity: Building a Life Without Compromise - Page 133) (Bolding added) Agape love does not depend on the world’s criteria for love, such as attractiveness, emotions, or sentimentality. Believers can easily fall into the trap of blindly following the world’s demand that a lover feel positive toward the beloved. This is not agape love, but is a love based on impulse. Impulsive love characterizes the spouse who announces to the other spouse that they are planning to divorce their mate. Why? They reason “I can’t help it. I fell in love with another person!” Christians must understand that this type of impulsive love is completely contrary to God’s decisive love, which is decisive because He is in control and has a purpose in mind. There are many reasons a proper understanding of the truth of God's word (and of the world's lie) is critical and one of the foremost is Jesus' declaration that "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another." (John 13:35). Bob
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MacArthur writes that agapao "expresses the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship. (SEE 1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary)
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MacArthur - OPPOSITION TO THE WORLD BRINGS HATRED (BORROW Strength for Today - page 138) “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18–19 ✧✧✧ Because they are not part of the world’s system, Christians should expect it to hate and oppose them. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, you doubtless remember how soon you realized that you were no longer in step with the world’s culture. You were no longer comfortable with its philosophy. You no longer had the world’s desires and yearnings. You no longer felt good about doing some of the things the world takes for granted. In fact, you even felt constrained to speak out against such things and urge unbelievers to turn from their sins and embrace Christ. All that opposition to worldliness, when added up, can and will result in hatred toward us from people in the world. In John 15, the Greek word translated “world” (kosmos) refers to the world’s system of sin, which is devised by Satan and acted out by sinful people. The Devil and his angels sometimes make it even more difficult for us by subtly presenting their “religion” as if it were true. Such deception can lull us into complacency and leave us spiritually weak when persecution comes. Because of the world’s relentless opposition to God’s kingdom, it is crucial that we remember Christ’s call to stand for Him in our sinful society. The apostle Paul exhorts us to be “children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Phil. 2:15). If we take Scripture seriously and prayerfully spend time in it daily, we will not be caught off guard when our faith is opposed. Instead, we will be heartened by Jesus’ words, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). ✧✧✧ Suggestions for Prayer: Ask the Lord to strengthen you today and to remind you that even though you are not of the world, you are to be a light to it. For Further Study: Read the account of John the Baptist’s death in Mark 6:14–29. How did John suffer before he was killed? ✧ What character differences do you see between John and Herod? John 15:18-19 First Century Believers Those first believers turned to Christ with the full understanding that they were espousing an unpopular cause that could cost them everything. Shortly after Pentecost some were jailed, many lost all their earthly goods, a few were slain, hundreds were ‘scattered abroad.’ They could have escaped all this by the simple expedient of denying their faith and turning back to the world. This they steadfastly refused to do. To make converts, we are tempted to play down the difficulties and play up the peace of mind and worldly success enjoyed by those who accept Christ. We will never be completely honest with our hearers until we tell them the blunt truth that, as members of a race of moral rebels, they are in a serious jam, and one they will not get out of easily. If they refuse to repent and believe on Christ, they will most surely perish. If they do turn to Him, the same enemies that crucified Him will try to crucify them. -- A. W. Tozer, Source unknown John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. were of the world: Lu 6:32 1Jn 4:4,5 because: John 15:16 17:14-16 Eph 1:4-11 2:2-5 Tit 3:3-7 1Pe 2:9-12 4:3 1Jn 3:12 1Jn 5:19,20 Rev 12:9,17 20:7-9 John 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Luke 6:22+ “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Luke 21:17+ and you will be hated by all because of My name. DISCIPLES HATED BY WORLD AS ALIENS If - "If" is a second class conditional sentence which means contrary to fact. This should be translated "if you were of the world, which you are not, then the world would love you, but it does not." You were of the world (kosmos) ("WHICH YOU ARE NOT"), the world (kosmos) would love (phileo) its own - Of the world is a descriptive definition of a non-believer, one who is still in the kingdom of darkness (Acts 26:18, Col 1:13) and whose father is still the devil (Jn 8:44). And since the father is the devil and the devil hates Jesus, as the saying goes "Like father, like son!" We should never be surprised that the world hates us. THOUGHT - Believers are those who now "reside as aliens" (1Pe 1:1), veritable "aliens and strangers" (1Pe 2:11) in this God hating world because "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." (Php 3:20-21) In other words, disciples are short timers ("a person, as a soldier, who has a short period of time left to serve on a tour of duty") on this morally decaying planet, continually fixing their hope on the grace to be brought to them at the revelation of Jesus (1Pe 1:13). HANG ON BELOVED! IT WON'T BE LONG! Maranatha! But - Term of contrast. Always pause to ponder asking what's the change of direction? Because (term of explanation) you are not (absolutely not) of the world (kosmos), but (Term of contrast) I chose (eklego/eklegomai - "elected") you out of the world (kosmos), because of this the world (kosmos) hates (miseo) you - One positive feature of the fact that the world hates us is that this is a sign to us that we are the real deal (assuming their hatred is not because we are being obnoxious, etc -- that's another matter!) The seed of the serpent never will love the seed of the woman. -- C H Spurgeon C H