John 15:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

NASB: Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

CSB: Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

NLT: He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

References to vines and vineyards are common in Scripture, picturing God as someone who plants and tends to the "vine" of His people. In this verse, there is a clear sense of expected growth. First mentioned is barrenness, then productivity, then abundance. In terms of our spiritual lives, this is how God expects us to progress. As part of that process, God removes and prunes the branches.

While the analogy of the vine and branches is deep and important, it is like any other analogy in that it should not be taken out of context. When Jesus refers to a "branch in me," in this instance, the context does not imply those who are "saved." Rather, focus is entirely on the analogy of a vine and branches. Some branches appear to be connected to the main body, but are not—those branches are dead and will never produce fruit. The vinedresser removes those branches, to allow room and resources for the living branches to accomplish their purpose. This relates to upcoming comments where Jesus refers to those who "abide" in Him (John 15:6).

In both the vine, and in our relationship to God, merely being "around" or "attached" to the concept of Christ is not enough. It is possible for a person to claim the name of Christ, and to associate with believers, and yet not have a life-giving connection to the "true vine" which is Jesus. Like a branch "in the vine" which produces no fruit, these are people who have attached themselves to the church, but are not connected to the Source of life. The One with ultimate knowledge and authority—God as the "vinedresser"—will eventually remove those false branches and discard them.

John 15:1–11 contains one of Jesus' most well-known metaphors: the vine and the branches. This features the seventh of seven "I Am" statements as recorded by John. Jesus lays out several nuanced ideas, touching on Christian perseverance, faith, false conversion, and spiritual effectiveness. This ends with another reference to loving obedience, which sets up the next passage of Jesus' teaching.

This passage begins with a celebrated analogy from Christ: the vine and the branches. This includes the seventh and final "I Am" statement of the gospel of John. Jesus uses this metaphor to explain how our spiritual life, as born-again believers, is drawn from His life. God's intent for our lives is to progress from barrenness to fruitfulness, to spiritual abundance. Jesus also repeats His command for believers to love each other. In this context, He goes so far as to refer to those who follow His teachings as His "friends."

Jesus is in the middle of a long discourse given to the disciples, which began during the last supper. He presents the analogy of a vine and branches, then repeats His command for believers to love each other. Jesus also warns about how the unbelieving world will hate and persecute Christians. This leads into the teachings of chapter 16, which focus on perseverance in the face of trials.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.