John 15:2–27

^2aEvery branch in Me that does not bear fruit He ¹takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear ^bmore fruit. ^3cYou are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ^4dAbide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much ^efruit; for without Me you can do ^fnothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, ^ghe is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If you abide in Me, and My words ^habide in you, ⁱyou ²will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ^8jBy this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; ^kso you will be My disciples.

⁹“As the Father ^lloved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ^10mIf 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“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and ⁿthat your joy may be full.

The Relationship of Believers to Each Other

^12oThis is My ^pcommandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ^13qGreater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ^14rYou are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, ^sfor all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ^16tYou did not choose Me, but I chose you and ^uappointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father ^vin My name He may give you. ¹⁷These things I command you, that you love one another.

The Relationship of Believers to the World

^18w“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ^19xIf you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet ^ybecause you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the word that I said to you, ^z‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. ^aIf they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹But ^ball these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ^22cIf I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, ^dbut now they have no excuse for their sin. ^23eHe who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴If I had not done among them ^fthe works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have ^gseen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ^h‘They hated Me without a cause.’

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

²⁶ⁱ“But when the ³Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, ^jHe will testify of Me. ²⁷And ^kyou also will bear witness, because ^lyou have been with Me from the beginning.