THE TRUE VINE] i.e. the ideally perfect vine. 'The vine was the symbol of Israel, not in their national but in their church capacity' (Edersheim): cp. Psalms 80:8; Isaiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1. It was also a symbol of the Messiah (Delitzsch). Accordingly Christ here affirms, (1) that He is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRUE YINE. THE WITNESS OF THE COMFORTER AND OF THE APOSTLES 1-17. The allegory of the True Vine and its interpretation. The metaphor of 'the vine' was suggested by 'the fruit of the vine' which had just been consecrated in the Holy Supper (Matthew 26:29), and the allegory was intended to illustr... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY BRANCH] refers primarily to individual Christians; yet what is said applies also to Churches (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 3:16). TAKETH AWAY] yet not finally till the Last Judgment. PURGETH] RV 'cleanseth,' or, still better, 'pruneth.' The reference is (1) to the disciphne of sorrow, disappoint... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE WORD] The 'word' is the whole training of the Twelve, including the admonitions and severe rebukes with which He strove to correct their faults, and make them 'clean,' i.e. 'pruned,' and in a fruit-bearing state.... [ Continue Reading ]
'See that ye abide in Me by diligently using the means of grace, and I will abide in you.'... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A BRANCH] i.e. as a useless branch. MEN (RV 'they') GATHER THEM] The angels gather the useless branches (i.e. persons who are not in Christ), and cast them into the fire (of future punishment in Hades or Gehenna), and they are burned (punished). 11, 12. The Saviour now resolves His commands int... [ Continue Reading ]
MY JOY] i.e. the joy which I have in loving the Father, and being loved by Him (John 15:10). This joy Christ imparts to the disciples, thereby fiilfilling (i.e. perfecting) their imperfect joy: cp. John 16:24; John 17:13; 1 John 1:4; 2 John 1:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
See John 13:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
LAY DOWN] see John 10:11, and cp. 1 John 3:16. The Saviour regards the offering up of life, and that for friends, as the highest expression of love, and expects the disciples to prove themselves capable of similar self-sacrifice.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THINGS] This apparently contradicts John 16:12; (cp. John 14:26), but only apparently. Christ's teaching during His ministry was complete in the sense that it set forth all the principles of Christianity. Yet there was required the subsequent illumination of the Spirit, (1) to interpret the deep... [ Continue Reading ]
ORDAINED] RV 'appointed.' BRING FORTH FRUIT] This mainly refers to the conversion of the world, which was the fruit of the spiritual labours of the Apostles. SHOULD REMAIN] Their work has lasted nearly 2,000 years, and the vitality of Christian missionary work is still unimpaired. WHATSOEVER] see on... [ Continue Reading ]
I command you to abide in Me, that by so doing you may have the power to love one another.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. 1 John 3:13. The world is mankind regarded as alienated from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORLD'S HATRED] cp. the similar predictions, Matthew 10:16; Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:12; Luke 21:16 cp. also 1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 4:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD] see Matthew 10:24. The reference is not to John 13:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR LAW] i.e. their Scriptures (see John 10:34). The passage alluded to is Psalms 69:4 : cp. Psalms 35:11. David is the person hated, but David's case is typical of Christ's. 26, 27. The Witness of the Holy Spirit and of the Apostles to Christ. 26. The Comforter] see on John 14:16. WHOM I WILL SEN... [ Continue Reading ]