John 15

1I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2He takes away any branch in me that bears no fruit, and he prunes clean every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will bear more fruit. 3Because of the word I have spoken to you, you are clean already. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me remaining in them, is the one who bears much fruit, because you can do nothing apart from me. 6Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up. People gather the branches, throw them into the fire, and they burn. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 8This is how my Father is glorified: that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10You will remain in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept the commandments my Father gave me and remain in his love. 11I have said this to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete.

12My commandment is this: love one another in the same way that I have loved you. 13No one has a love greater than this: that someone lays down their life for their friends. 14You are my friends if you carry out what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, since a servant is not aware of what his master is doing. I have called you friends instead, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me; I chose you. I appointed you for this: to go and bear fruit, and for your fruit to remain, so that the Father may give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I give you these commands so that you will love one another.

18If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. But you do not belong to the world; I chose you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you. 20Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they have kept my word, they will keep yours too. 21But all this they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 22Had I not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But as it is, they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24Had I not done among them works that no one else has done, they would have no sin. But as it is, they have seen, and they have hated, both me and my Father. 25But this has happened so that the word written in their Law would be fulfilled: ‘They hated me for no reason.’

26The Advocate, whom I will send to you from the Father, is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When he comes, he will testify about me. 27And you also testify about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.