be safe to say at this point that Jesus was talking about disciples. Some disciples bear fruit, but others—such as the “disciples” (broadly defined as interested listeners) who turned away from Jesus after His hard teaching in John 6—bear no fruit (John 6:60, 66). Two divine actions are taken with regard to the fruitless and fruitful branches. The fruit-bearing branches are pruned (καθαίρω), and the fruitless branches are removed (αἴρω). The word translated “pruned” (καθαίρω) literally means