1 "I am the vine, the true one,* and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Any branch in me which does not produce fruit He lifts up,* and every one producing fruit He prunes, so that it may produce more fruit.* 3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.* 4 Abide in me and I in you.* Just as a branch is incapable of producing fruit by itself, except it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.

5 "I am the vine, and you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him, he is the one who produces much fruit, because apart from me you are incapable of doing anything.* 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown out, like a branch, and dries up; well they gather such and throw them into the fire, and he is burned up.* it ‘fit’. But I am also a linguist (PhD), and I know that human language is governed by rules—to disobey those rules is a form of lying, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), so if in interpreting the Bible you disobey those rules, you make a liar out of God, which is not very smart! In this passage the Lord Jesus Christ gives instruction that is perfectly plain. If the Word of Christ says one thing and your doctrinal package says another, then you had better stop and think. Which holds more authority for you, which are you going to follow, the Word of Christ or your doctrinal package? If you choose the latter, you are an idolater—to place your church's doctrine above the Word of God is a form of idolatry. Idolatry always has negative consequences. 7 If you abide in me and my sayings* abide in you, you will ask whatever you desire and it will happen for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit; and you will become disciples to me.* as we produce much fruit.

9 "Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you;* abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,* just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.* 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.* 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone should lay down his life for his friends.* 14 You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.

15 "I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his owner is doing; rather I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from my Father.* 16 It was not you who chose me but I who chose you, and I appointed you so that you should go and produce fruit, and that your fruit should endure, so that whatever you may ask the Father in my name He may give you. 17 These things I command you so that you love one another.*

18 "When the world hates you, you can be sure that it has hated me first. 19 If you were of the world, the world would be fond of its own.* So because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, that is why the world hates you.* 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his owner.’* If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 Now they will do all of these things to you because of my name, in that they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be having sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else has done, they would not be having sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.* 25 However, this was so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’*

26 "Now when the Enabler comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of the Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify concerning me. 27 And you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.*