John 15
Jesus describes himself as the true vine and his Father as the vinedresser, stating that those who abide in him will bear much fruit, while those who do not will be cast away. He commands his disciples to love one another as he has loved them, and notes that the world will hate them because it hated him first. Jesus also promises to send the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to testify about him, and that his disciples will also offer testimony because they have been with him from the beginning.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresserEvery branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away. And each one that does bear fruit, he will cleanse, so that it may bring forth more fruitYou are clean now, because of the word that I have spoken to youAbide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so also are you unable, unless you abide in meI am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you are able to do nothingIf anyone does not abide in me, he will be cast away, like a branch, and he will wither, and they will gather him and cast him into the fire, and he burnsIf you abide in me, and my words abide in you, then you may ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done for youIn this, my Father is glorified: that you should bring forth very much fruit and become my disciplesAs the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my loveIf you keep my precepts, you shall abide in my love, just as I also have kept my Father’s precepts and I abide in his loveThese things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be fulfilledThis is my precept: that you love one another, just as I have loved youNo one has a greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friendsYou are my friends, if you do what I instruct youI will no longer call you servants, for the servant does not know what his Lord is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything whatsoever that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to youYou have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I have appointed you, so that you may go forth and bear fruit, and so that your fruit may last. Then whatever you have asked of the Father in my name, he shall give to youThis I command you: that you love one anotherIf the world hates you, know that it has hated me before youIf you had been of the world, the world would love what is its own. Yet truly, you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world; because of this, the world hates youRemember my saying that I told you: The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they have kept my word, they will keep yours alsoBut all these things they will do to you because of my name, for they do not know him who sent meIf I had not come and had not spoken to them, they would not have sin. But now they have no excuse for their sinWhoever hates me, hates my Father alsoIf I had not accomplished among them works that no other person has accomplished, they would not have sin. But now they have both seen me, and they have hated me and my FatherBut this is so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law: ‘For they hated me without cause.But when the Advocate has arrived, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will offer testimony about meAnd you shall offer testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.
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