the spiritual sphere. The interest is in what happens with people rather than with vines. The action of the Father is such as to cleanse his people so that they will live fruitful lives. The “fruit” is not defined here, but we need not doubt that qualities of Christian character are in mind as elsewhere in the New Testament (Matt. 3:8; 7:20; Rom. 6:22; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9; Phil. 1:11, etc.). Bultmann speaks of it as “every demonstration of vitality of faith, to which, according to vv. 9–17, reciprocal