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The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1–17 · Passion week in Jerusalem

Scripture

John 15:1–17

am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every 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. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17These things I command you, that ye love one another.

King James Version · public domain

Joani 15:1–17

në jam veshti i-vërtetë, edhe im Atë është bujku. 2Çdo hardhi që nukë bie pemë, e këput; edhe çdo që bie pemë, e qëron, që të bierë më tepërë pemë. 3Ndashti ju jeni të-qëruarë, për fjalënë që u kam folurë juve. 4Mbetuni tek unë, edhe unë te ju. Sikundrë hardhia s’munt të bënjë pemë prej vetiu, ndë mos mbettë ndë veshtët, kështu as ju, ndë mos mbeçi tek unë. 5Unë jam veshti, ju jeni hardhitë; ay që mbetetë tek unë, edhe unë tek ay, ky bën pemë shumë; sepse pa mua s’munt të bëni asgjë. 6Ndë mos mbettë ndonjë tek unë, hidhetë jashtë posi hardhia, edhe thahetë; pastaj i mbledhën’ e i hedhënë ndë zjarr, edhe digjenë. 7Ndë mbeçi tek unë, edhe fjalët’ e mia ndë mbeçinë te ju, dotë lypni ç’të doni, edhe dot’u bënetë juve. 8Im Atë ndë këtë lavduronetë, të bini shumë pemë; edhe kështu dotë jini nxënës të mi. 9Sikundrë më deshi Ati, edhe un’ u desha juve; mbetuni ndë dashurit t’ime. 10Ndë ruajçi porosit’ e mia, dotë mbeteni ndë dashurit t’ime; sikundrë unë ruajta porosit’ e t’im Eti, edhe mbetem ndë dashurit t’ati. 11U fola juve këto, që të mbetetë gëzimi im mbë ju, edhe gëzimi juaj të jet’ i-plottë. 12Këjo është porosia ime, të doni njëri tjatërinë, sikundrë un’ u desha juve. 13Asndonjë s’ka dashuri më të-madhe se këtë, të vërë ndonjë jetën’ e ti për miqt’ e ti. 14Ju jini miqt’ e mi, ndë qoftë se bëni sa u porosit juve. 15Nuk’ u them juve më shërbëtorë, sepse shërbëtori nukë di se ç’bën i zoti; po u thashë juve miq, sepse u dëfteva juve gjithë sa dëgjova prej t’im Eti. 16Ju nukë më sgjothtë mua, po un’ u sgjodha juve, edhe u urdhërova juve të shkoni e të bëni pemë, edhe pema juaj të mbesë; që çdo që t’i lypni Atit mb’emërit t’im t’ua apë juve. 17Këto u porosit juve, të doni njëri tjatrinë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

Who then could conceive any thing greater, and what will he say is more glorious, than to be and be called the friend of Christ?

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book X (on John 15:14–15)

The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1–17)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homilies 76 and 77 (on John 15:1–17) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lxxviii.html

On "every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it" as a pruning that strengthens under persecution:

The one branch, because it is fruitless, cannot even remain in the Vine, but for the other, because it beareth fruit, He rendereth it more fruitful. This ... was said with relation also to the persecutions then coming upon them. For the "purgeth it," is "pruneth," which makes the branch bear better. Whence it is shown, that persecutions rather make men stronger.

On the penalty contained in "without me ye can do nothing":

Now it were a great penalty, the being able to do nothing, but He stayeth not the punishment at this point, but carrieth on His discourse farther.

On "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you":

Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you. ... That is, I ran upon your friendship.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book X (on John 15:1–17) Source: trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_10_book10.htm

On "I am the true vine," the root ministering its own nature to the branches:

For just as the root of the vine ministers and distributes to the branches the enjoyment of its own natural and inherent qualities, so the Only-begotten Word of God imparts to the Saints as it were an affinity to His own nature and the nature of God the Father, by giving them the Spirit, insomuch as they have been united with Him through faith and perfect holiness; and He nourishes them in piety, and worketh in them the knowledge of all virtue and good works.

On "Ye are my friends":

Who then could conceive any thing greater, and what will he say is more glorious, than to be and be called the friend of Christ?

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of John (on John 15:12–15) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On "This is my commandment, that ye love one another":

Having said, If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, He shews what commandments they are to keep: This is My commandment, That ye love one another.

On "I have called you friends":

The servant knoweth not the counsels of his lord; but since I esteem you friends, I have communicated my secrets to you.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractates 80, 81, and 86 (on John 15:1–17) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.lxxxi.html

On the vine and the branches as Christ the Head and His members:

This passage of the Gospel, brethren, where the Lord calls Himself the vine, and His disciples the branches, declares in so many words that the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, is the head of the Church, and that we are His members.

On "the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing":

For just to keep any from supposing that the branch can bear at least some little fruit of itself, after saying, "the same bringeth forth much fruit," His next words are not, Without me ye can do but little, but "ye can do nothing." Whether then it be little or much, without Him it is impracticable; for without Him nothing can be done.

On "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you":

But how could He say, "Ye have not chosen me," save only because His mercy anticipated us?

St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

On the Trinity, Book IX (on John 15:1) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On why He unfolds the mystery of the vine, "I am the true vine":

He rises in haste to perform the sacrament of His final passion in the flesh, (such is His desire to fulfil His Father's commandment:) and therefore takes occasion to unfold the mystery of His assumption of His flesh, whereby He supports us, as the vine doth its branches: I am the true vine.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 27 (on John 15:12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On why, of all commandments, He gives this special one of love:

But when all our Lord's sacred discourses are full of His commandments, why does He give this special commandment respecting love, if it is not that every commandment teaches love, and all precepts are one? Love and love only is the fulfilment of every thing that is enjoined. As all the boughs of a tree proceed from one root, so all the virtues are produced from one love: nor hath the branch, i. e. the good work, any life, except it abide in the root of love.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Chrysostom, Homilies on John (CCEL) · Augustine, Tractates on John (CCEL) · Cyril of Alexandria on John, Book 10 (tertullian.org) · Catena Aurea on John (isidore.co)