John

The True Vine

I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower.

If any of my branches don’t bear fruit, he breaks it off; and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit.

You have already been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in me as I remain in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don’t remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing.

Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away as they do with branches and they wither. Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you want, and it will be given to you.

My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples.

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love!

You will remain in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

I have told you all this that my own joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you!

There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends;

and you are my friends if you do what I command you.

I shall not call you servants anymore, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead, I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father.

You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will remain. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

This I command you: love one another.

The Hostile World

If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.

This wouldn’t happen if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are not of the world, since I have chosen you out of it; because of this, the world hates you.

Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they would also persecute you. If they kept my word, they would also keep yours.

All this they will do to you because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Whoever hates me, hates my Father also.

If I had not done among them what no one else has ever done, they would have no sin. But after they have seen all this, they hate me and my Father

and the words written in their law become true: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

The Testimony of the Spirit and the Disciples

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.

You also will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.