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The Vine and the Branches (vv. 1-8)
15:1. The comparison of Jesus to a Tree, and of His disciples to the branches which derive their life from the life of the Tree, is similar in some respects to an illustration used by Paul to explain the relation of the individual Israelite to his forefathers, Abraham and the rest. “If the root is holy, so are the branches” (Rom_11:16). Israel is compared to an olive tree, the roots being the patriarchs and the branches their descendants. But the illustration of Jesus conveys a deeper lesson, as we shall see.
The question presents itself: Why is the vine selected as the tree best fitted to bring out the lesson which it was the purpose of Jesus to teach? A vine has none of the dignity of the olive, with its fine trunk and spreading branches. Vines, indeed, in the East generally trail on the ground, although they are sometimes supported on stakes (cf. Eze_17:6f.), or entwine themselves round a greater tree (as in the parable in Hermas, Sim. ii.). The olive was regarded in an older parable as fit to be the king of trees (Jdg_9:8). It is the most important of the fruit trees of Palestine, and was a familiar object in Jerusalem, as the name “the Mount of Olives” indicates. Vines were also plentiful, especially in Judæ (cf. Gen_49:11), but for strength and stateliness they are much inferior to the olive, as to many other trees.
The reason generally assigned by exegetes for the employment here of the figure of a vine is that it is frequently used in the O.T. as a type of Israel. But it is always thus used of degenerate Israel. “What is the vine tree more than any other tree?” Ezekiel asks (15:2), and he declares that as vine branches are only fit for burning, the vine of Jerusalem must be devoured by fire. So again (Eze_19:10), Israel was once a fruitful vine, but she was plucked up and destroyed. The choicest vine was planted in the vineyard of Yahweh, but it only brought forth wild grapes (Isa_5:1). Israel was planted as a noble vine, but it became degenerate (Jer_2:21). Israel is a luxuriant vine, but judgment comes on her (Hos_10:1). The vine from Egypt of God’s planting spread far and wide, but the fences of its vineyard were broken, and it was ravaged by wild beasts (Psa_80:8-13). God had chosen “of all the trees …one vine,” as He had chosen one people, but it came to dishonour (2 Esd. 5:23). Always in the O.T., where Israel is compared to a vine, the comparison introduces a lament over her degeneracy, or a prophecy of her speedy destruction. See also Rev_14:19, where the vintage of the earth is cast into the winepress of the wrath of God. None the less, the vine was the national emblem, and on the coins of the Maccabees Israel is represented by a vine. And it has been thought that when Jesus said “I am the True Vine,” the comparison in view was that between the degenerate vine of Israel and the Ideal Vine represented by Himself. That is to say, the True Vine is now brought before the disciples as the new ideal of the spiritual Israel.
This, however, involves a comparison of the Church of Christ with the True Vine (cf. Justin, Tryph. 110), rather than an identification of Christ Himself with it. No doubt, by describing His disciples as the branches, Jesus connected them as well as Himself with the mystic vine of His similitude; but the emphasis in the sentence ἐώεμ ἡἄπλςἡἀηιήis on ἐώ as in all the other great similitudes of the Fourth Gospel. ἐώεμ marks the style of Deity, which cannot be shared (see Introd., p. cxviii). The main thought is not of the Vine as the Church, but of the Vine as representing Him who is the source of the Church’s life. We take the view that the Vine of the allegory was directly suggested here by the wine of the first Eucharist, which had just been celebrated.1
ἡἄπλςἡἀηιή Burkitt2 points out that an early Syriac rendering of this similitude was “I am the Vineyard of Truth,” i.e. the True Vineyard. This does not appear in Syr. sin. or the Peshitta, but it may have been in the Diatessaron. The confusion between Vineyard and Vine may be due to ἄπλςhaving been taken as equivalent to ἀπλν a usage which Moulton-Milligan (s.v.) illustrate from the papyri. ἄπλςoccurs again in the N.T. only in Jam_3:12, Jam_3:14:18, 19, and Mar_14:25 (and parls.), where Jesus said that He would not drink again of τ γνμ τςἀπλυuntil He drank it new in the kingdom of God.
For ἀηιό, see on 1:9. Jesus is the genuine Vine.
κὶὁπτρμυ(see on 2:16) ὁγωγςἐτν γωγςoccurs again only at 2Ti_2:6, Jam_5:7, and in the parable of the wicked husbandmen (Mar_12:1 and parallels). Cf. 1Co_3:9 θο γώγο …ἐτ.
2. πνκῆακλNote the pendent nominative, as at 6:39, 17:2. κῆαis a word which does not appear again in the N.T.; but it is habitually used in the LXX for the “shoot” of a vine (e.g. Num_13:24, Eze_17:6), as distinct from the “branch” (κάο) of other trees.
ἐ ἐο μ φρνκρό. Note that a κῆαor branch may be truly in Christ, and yet may not bear fruit. μ expresses a hypothetical possibility. This severe warning, coming so soon after the beginning of the allegory, was probably an allusion to the failure and doom of Judas, who had gone forth to his treachery just before, in the arrangement of chapters here adopted.
αριατ. “He takes it away.” So, too, the κάο of the olive which represented Israel in Paul’s illustration, were of the true stock, but some of them were broken off by God (Rom_11:16, Rom_11:17). The action of the Great Husbandman in this is like that of every earthly γωγς inutilesque falce ramos amputans (Horace, Epod. ii. 13). Cf. Mat_3:10, Luk_3:9.
κὶπντ κρὸ φρν κθίε ατ The play on the words αρι, κθίεν(suavis rhythmus, as Bengel says), cannot be reproduced in English.
κθίεν to cleanse, occurs in the N.T. again only at Heb_10:2 (of religious cleansing), and is rare in the LXX. It is used here in the sense of “to cleanse by pruning,” as it is in Philo (de somn. ii. 9, cited by Cremer): “As superfluous shoots grow on plants, which are a great injury to the genuine shoots (τνγηίν and which the husbandmen (γωγῦτς cleanse and prune (κθίοσ κὶἀοένυι knowing what is necessary; so likewise the false and arrogant life grows up beside the true and humble life, of which to this day no husbandman (γωγς has been found to cut off by the roots the superfluous and injurious growth.” In this passage κθίεν “to cleanse,” can hardly be distinguished from ἀοένι, “to prune.”
In the verse before us, however, the Great Husbandman does “cleanse” the fruitful branches by pruning off useless shoots, so that they may bear fruit more abundantly. It is not as if the branches were foul; on the contrary, they are already clean by virtue of their share in the life of the Vine (v. 3). But pruning may be good for them, none the less. Such pruning, according to Justin (Tryph. 110), illustrates God’s painful discipline for His true servants. The vine is a tree which specially needs attention, and it is essential to its fruitfulness that the already fruitful branches should be pruned regularly. Perhaps this is a warning anticipatory of the more explicit warning of vv. 20, 21.
ἵακρὸ πεοαφρ. Cf. Mat_13:12. The order κρὸ πεοαis that of א latt.
3. ἤηὑεςκθρίἐτ. So Jesus had said before (13:10), the primary reference then being to bodily cleanness, although with an allusion to spiritual purity as well (see note in loc.). Here, the thought is carried on from v. 2, which spoke of the cleansing of the branches by the Great Husbandman (κθίεν The disciples were not useless branches, presently to be cut off; they were in the way of bearing fruit, and already they had been “cleansed” δὰτνλγνὃ λλλκ ὑῖ, “by the word which I have spoken to you.”
We have seen (on 6:57) that δάfollowed by an acc. is to be distinguished from δάwith a gen. The text here is not δὰτῦλγυ which would suggest that the Word of Jesus is the instrument of cleansing; but δὰτνλγνsignifies rather that it is because of the Word abiding in them (v. 7) that they are kept pure. The λγςwhich had thus, in some measure, been assimilated by them (cf. 5:38, 8:43) was the whole message that Jesus had delivered during His training of the Twelve. In so far as this continued to “abide” in them (v. 7), in that degree were they “clean.” As it abides in them, so do they abide in the True Vine (1Jn_2:24).
The cleansing τῦὕαο ἐ ῥμτ of Eph_5:26 does not constitute a true parallel to the thought here.
4. μίαεἐ ἐο, κγ ἐ ὑῖ. This is an imperative sentence (for the aor. imper. see on 2:5). No doubt, the practical precept which was the issue of all the teaching of Jesus was just this; but we must not join the words to the preceding δὰτνλγνὃ λλλκ ὑῖ, as if the precept itself were the λγς The words ἐ ἐο μνι κγ ἐ ατ had been used before (6:56), but the promise of that passage has not heretofore been turned into an explicit precept (cf. 14:20). For λγςas signifying not a single sentence, but the whole purport of the Divine revelation given by Christ, see on 5:38.
κθςτ κῆακλ Even the fruitful branch does not bear fruit of itself (cf. for ἀʼἑυο, 5:19, 7:18, 11:51, 16:13), but only in so far as it assimilates and is nourished by the sap of the vine. So the disciple of Jesus cannot bear fruit, unless he abide (ἐνμ μν) in the Vine. Here is the difference between the natural and the spiritual order. The vine shoot has not the power of choosing whether it will “abide” in the vine, or cut itself loose. But in the spiritual sphere this “abiding” is not maintained without the constant and conscious endeavour of the disciple’s own will. Hence the urgency of the precept μίαεἐ ἐο.
5. ἐώεμ ἡἄπλςκλ “I am the Vine, ye are the branches,” the main theme being repeated with slight verbal alteration, as frequently in Jn. Cf. the repetitions of “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35, 41, 48, 51), “I am the Door” (10:8, 9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11, 14); and see on 3:16.
ὁμννἐ ἐο κγ ἐ ατ. The two “abidings” go together; see on 6:56.
οτςφρικρὸ πλν This was the purpose for which the disciples were chosen (v. 16). For the emphatic οτς “he it is that …” cf. 4:47.
ὅιχρςἐο ο δνσεπιῖ οδν The branch is wholly dependent on the tree, by whose sap it is quickened and made fruitful.
6. ἐνμ τςμν κλ μν is the true reading (א as against the rec. μίῃ ἐνμ with the pres. subj. is rare in the N.T., but we have it three times in vv. 4, 6.
ἐλθ ἔω The branch that does not bear grapes is cast out (apparently, out of the vineyard). The aorists ἐλθ, ἐηάθ, seem to look forward to the future Judgment of mankind, and treat it as already past, so certain and inevitable is it. Abbott (Diat. 2445) compares Isa_40:7, Isa_40:8 ἐηάθ ὁχρο κὶτ ἄθςἐέεε, τ δ ῥμ τῦθο ἡῶ μνι where the aorists are used in the same way. But a Greek aorist may be used without reference to any special moment of time.
ἐηάθ (it does not occur again in Jn.) is the word used, Mar_4:6, of the withering of the seed that had no root, as here of the vine shoot that is no longer “in” the vine.
κὶσνγυι ατ. So אΔfam. 13; the rec. has ατ with ABΓ. “They” (sc. the servants of the Lord of the Vineyard, the subject being understood. but not expressed) “collect” the useless branches.
κὶεςτ πρβλοσνκλ “and fling them into the fire.” Cf. Eze_15:4, where the prophet says of the vine branch, “it is cast into the fire for fuel.” The vivid picture of the labourers burning at the harvest all that is worthless, appears also in Mat_13:40 as an illustration of the Last Judgment.
7. The figure of the tree and its branches is left aside for the moment; and the consequence of abiding in Christ is declared to be not only the capacity for “bearing fruit,” but the acquisition of the power of efficacious prayer. This is the secret of the saints.
ἐνμίηεἐ ἐο (cf. v. 4 and 8:31) κὶτ ῥμτ μυ(sc. the “sayings” which make up the λγςof v. 3) ἐ ὑῖ μίῃκλ The man of whom this is true is a master of prayer, and his petitions will be answered. In the Synoptists faith is the prerequisite for efficacious prayer: πναὅαποεχσεκὶατῖθ, πσεεεὅιἐάεεκὶἔτιὑῖ (Mar_11:24); “if you had faith you would say to this tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you” (Luk_17:6; cf. Mat_17:20). πναδντ τ πσεοτ (Mar_9:23) is true of the life of prayer. But in Jn. faith in Christ is more than belief in His message, or fitful attraction to His Person; it is a continual abiding “in Him.” See further on v. 16 below; and cf. 6:29.
ὃἐνθλτ ατσσε For ὃἐν(ADLΘ B has ὃἄ, and אhas ὅαἐν ABDL support the imperative ατσσε while א have ατσσε
ὃἐνθλτ κλ “whatever you will, etc.”; petitions prompted by the indwelling words of Jesus cannot fail to be in harmony with the Divine Will. A petitioner who “abides in Christ” asks habitually “in His Name”; i.e. he asks as Christ would ask, and so his satisfaction is sure. See 14:13 and the note there; cf. also v. 16 below, and 16:23.
γνστιὑῖ, “it shall come to pass for you,” not as a boon granted arbitrarily, but as the inevitable sequence of the prayer.
8. ἐ τύῳ sc. in the fact that His followers abide in Christ (v. 7), the reference being retrospective: “in this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” The γωγς(v. 1) is always glorified if the trees of his planting are fruitful; and so in Isa_61:3 the purpose of the mission of Yahweh’s servant was “that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.” The perfection of human character is the glory of God: all good works are ad maiorem Dei gloriam (cf. Mat_5:16). So Jesus spoke of His signs as exhibiting the glory of God (11:40).
The aor. ἐοάθ is used proleptically. The issue is so sure that it is spoken of as already a fact. See, for a similar usage, v. 6 and 12:23, 13:1, 31.
For the phrase ὁπτρμυ see on 2:16.
γνσσε So א γνσεis read by BDLΘ If γνσεis read, the rendering is “that ye bear much fruit and become my disciples.” But γνσσεis better: “that ye bear much fruit: so shall you become my disciples,” or literally “disciples to me,” ἐο (cf. 13:35.) expressing the relationship more affectionately than μυ(which is read by D*). Cf. 8:31, “if ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples.”
It is to have gone a long way in the Christian course to be able to appropriate the promise of v. 7; but the final cause of such progress is that “fruit” may appear, not in service only but in the development of character, to the glory of God. And the highest aspiration of all is to become “a disciple.” “True discipleship is hardly begun until the earthly life is near its end and the fruit hangs thick and ripe upon the branches of the Vine”1 Cf. the saying of Ignatius, when on his way to martyrdom, ννἅχμιμθτςενι(Rom_5).
The Love of Jesus for His Disciples (vv. 9-11)
9. κθςἠάηέ μ ὁπτρ(cf. 5:20, 17:24), κγ ὑᾶ ἠάηα(13:34), “As the Father loved me, so also I loved you.” The words are spoken in retrospect of His association with the apostles, now that the hour of parting has come; but they convey an assurance of the depth and intimacy of His love to all future disciples.
For the constr. κθς…κγ in Jn., see on 6:57, 10:15; and cf. also 17:18. For the verb ἀαᾶ, see on 21:15.
μίαεἐ τ ἀάῃτ ἐῇ “abide in my love,” i.e. “continue in the shelter of my love for you.” See on 5:42 for the Johannine use of the phrase ἡἀάητῦΧιτῦ Judas had fallen away from the reach of this love of Christ, and so may any disciple. Hence the need of the precept μίαε “continue.” (Cf. Jud_1:21 ἑυοςἐ ἀάῃθο τρστ.) This “is perhaps the nearest approach to an authoritative command to obey a moral or spiritual precept” that occurs in Jn. (Abbott, Diat. 2438). For the aor. imperative μίαε see on 2:5.
10. The precept is “abide in my love,” and the way to obey it is to keep His commandments: ἐντςἐτλςμυτρστ, μνῖεἐ τ ἀάῃμυ The ἀάηis the love of Jesus for His disciples, not their love for Him, as it is in 14:15. It is over subtle to attempt a distinction between ἐ τ ἀάῃτ ἐῇof v. 9 and ἐ τ ἀάῃμυof v. 10. Both phrases mean the same thing, sc. the love of Jesus for His own. Jn. is specially fond of ἐό, which occurs 37 times in the Gospel, and always in words of Jesus.1
κθςἐὼ(א have κθςκγ) τῦπτό μυ(B. om. μῦ τςἐτλςττρκ. This is the high example set before the Christian disciple. Jesus had claimed (8:29) ἐὼτ ἀετ ατ πι πνοε and now, looking back, He can say ττρκ (cf. 17:4). No man could say with such complete assurance, “I have kept the commandments of my Father”; while it is possible at the end to say, with Paul, τνπσι ττρκ (2Ti_4:7).
κὶμν ατῦἐ τ ἀάῃ This is the eternal issue of the ministry of Christ, the resumption of His place in the bosom of Deity, who is Love (cf. 17:24).
Westcott2 finds here an advance on the teaching of 14:15, 21; and if this could surely be traced, the traditional order of chapters (c. 14 preceding c. 15) would be in some degree corroborated. But his reasoning is precarious. The idea of the ἐτλίgiven by Jesus is only found in cc. 13, 14, 15; and the relevant passages are quite consistent with the order of chapters adopted here, viz.:
15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye will abide in my love.” As we have seen, this is the fundamental idea in the Allegory of the Vine.
15:12 Next, Jesus bids them love one another.
13:34 This commandment is repeated and described as “new.” See Introd., p. xxi.
14:15 He tells His disciples that if they love Him, they must keep His commandments.
14:21 And, finally, He gives them the great promise, that if they thus show their love for Him, the Father will love them, and He Himself will love them and will manifest Himself to them. There is no “advance” on this teaching in c. 15, nor could there be.
The truth is, that we must not expect a continuous logical sequence in the discourses of the Fourth Gospel. The sacred words are set down as they are remembered by the aged disciple of Jesus,1 but there is no attempt to present them in the manner which would be suitable to a theological treatise.
11. In these Last Discourses the phrase τῦαλλλκ ὑῖ recurs like a solemn refrain seven times (15:11, 16:1, 4, 6, 25, 33, 14:25), just as ἐὼκρο λλλκ recurs several times in Ezekiel (5:13, 15, 17, 6:10, 17:21, 24 etc.). The ἐώof dignity (see Introd., p. cxvii) is, however, not prefixed to λλλκ in Jn. It is improbable that there is significance in there being seven repetitions of τῦαλλλκ ὑῖ and no more.2 16:6 is a reference to 16:5 “because I said these things”; and in 16:25 ἐ πριίι comes between τῦαand λλλκ, the emphasis being on the words “in proverbs” and not on “these things have I spoken.” See, for similar refrains, on 6:33, 39.
In each case τῦαrefers to what has been said in the preceding sentences; and in three cases the purpose of the teaching is indicated, sc. that the disciples might have joy (15:11), that they might have peace (16:33), and that they might be warned of future persecution (16:1, 4).
To come back on a phrase in this way is thoroughly characteristic of the style of Jn.: cf. note on 3:16.
ἵαἡχρ ἡἐήκλ Paul afterwards expressed the hope that his joy might be the joy of his disciples (2Co_2:3; cf. Php_2:2); but ἵαἡχρ ἡἐὴἐ ὑῖ ᾖhas a more mystical significance here. Jesus had spoken τῦα i.e. ἐντςἐτλςμυτρστ, μνῖεἐ τ ἀάῃτ ἐῇ and He now says that the purpose of His speaking these words was ἵαἡχρ ἡἐὴἐ ὑῖ ᾖ For the joy of Christ must be shared by those who abide in His love. So shall their “joy be fulfilled” (cf. 16:24, and especially 17:13). This is a favourite expression of Jn.; cf. 1Jn_1:4 and 2Jn_1:12, as also Joh_3:29, where it is put into the mouth of John the Baptist.
The New Commandment to Love the Brethren (vv. 12-17)
12. ατ ἐτνἡἐτλ ἡἐήκλ Jesus had spoken of “commandments” to the disciples whom He was so soon to leave, and had promised that if they kept His commandments they would “abide in His love.” But He gives no detailed instructions, no set of precepts for the conduct of their lives. He gives only one commandment, for it will be enough, if fully realised.
ἵαἀαᾶεἀλλυ κλ “that you love one another.” This was the commandment, repeated a little later in the evening, when it is described as a new commandment, as something that had never been enjoined before (13:34, where see note). That Christian disciple must “love” Christian disciple, because of their common discipleship, was a new idea, perhaps not yet universally understood.
κθςἠάηαὑᾶ. This mutual love is to be no faint affection of goodwill; it must be a love which will pour itself out in sacrifice, if it is to be like the love of Jesus for all of them. This is the commandment which must be fulfilled by the disciple who will claim the promise “Ye shall abide in my love” (v. 10). You can live in the shelter of my love only if you love one another. Cf. Eph_5:2.
Abbott (Diat. 2529) calls attention to the frequent use of the present subjunctive in these Last Discourses, “that you may be loving,” etc., the precept extending to all future generations of Christian disciples.
13. μίοατύη ἀάη κλ He reminds the disciples what was the measure of His love for them, having just told them that their love for each other must be of the same type. He was about to lay down His life for them, and this is the supreme sacrifice of love. A man can show no greater proof of his love for his friends than to die on their behalf. The love of God, indeed, has a wider range, as Paul reminds us: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” thus showing the all-embracing character of God’s love (Rom_5:7, Rom_5:8). But here something less is commended to the imitation of the Christian disciple, for the “new commandment” does not speak of universal brotherhood, but only of the obligations of Christian brethren to each other. The precept is reproduced, 1Jn_3:16: ἐ τύῳἐνκμντνἀάη, ὅιἐενςὑὲ ἡῶ τνψχνατῦἔηε·κὶἡεςὀελμνὑὲ τνἀεφντςψχςθῖα. For the expression τνψχντθνι see on 10:11; and for the position of οδί, see on 1:18.
ἵατςτνψχνκλ This is in apposition to τύη: cf. 4:34 for a similar use of ἵα τςis omitted by אΘand some Latin vss., but א have it.
14. ὑεςφλιμύἐτ κλ This is another way of expressing what has already been said in v. 10. Those who abide in Christ’s ἀάηare His φλι see on 21:15 for ἀαᾶ and φλῖ.
ἃἐὼἐτλοα ὑῖ. According to Mat_28:20, this was also to be the burden of the apostles’ preaching: δδσοτςατὺ τρῖ πναὅαἐεελμνὑῖ.
ἅ So א fam. 13. B has ὅ and AΓΘhave ὅα
15. οκτ λγ ὑᾶ δύοςκλ They were accustomed to call Him Mar as well as Rabbi (see on 1:38, 13:13), and δῦο, “slave,” is the correlative of Mar, “Lord.” He had applied the term δῦο to them, 13:16; and He had implied that to be His δάοο was a dignity.
There is nothing derogatory in being described as δῦο κρο, עבדיהֹה on the contrary, it was a title of honour, and as such is used of Joshua (Jos_24:29), Moses (Deu_34:5), David (Psa_89:20 etc.); in the N.T. Simeon uses it of himself (Luk_2:29), the Epistle to Titus begins Πῦο δῦο Θο, and the Epistle of James has ἸκβςΘο κὶΚρο ἸσῦΧιτῦδῦο (Jam_1:1). To this day, Abd-allah is a favourite name in the East. Abraham was singularly honoured by being called the friend of Yahweh (Ἀρὰ ὃ ἠάηα Isa_41:8; cf. 2Ch_20:7, Jam_2:23), and still is called by the Arabs, El-Khalil.
This distinction between God’s “slave” and His “friend” appears in Philo. He says that while we speak of God as the δσόη or κρο of the external world, in reference to the spiritual world (τ νηὸ ἀαό) He is called στρκὶεεγτς “For wisdom is God’s friend rather than His slave” (φλνγρτ σφνθῷμλο ἢδῦο, de sobrietate, 11). Philo then cites Gen_18:17 in the form “Shall I hide it from Abraham my friend?” According to the Book of Wisdom (7:27), to be God’s friend (φλς is a privilege of holy men in every generation.
Thus the difference drawn out in the text between the δῦο and the φλιof Jesus corresponds to the difference, familiar to the Jews, between the δῦο and the φλιof God, and conveys an additional suggestion of the Divinity of Jesus, which is behind the teaching of the Fourth Gospel from beginning to end.
The chief officials of an Eastern monarch were called his “friends” (1 Macc. 2:18, 3:38, 10:65 etc.), and Swete suggests that there is here an allusion to this nomenclature. “He has lifted them out of the condition of menial service, and raised them gradually into that of the friends of the Messianic king.” But this does not seem to be in harmony with vv. 14, 15b, where the duties and privileges of “friends” as distinct from “slaves” are explained.
To be a δῦο of Jesus was the first stage in the progress of a Christian disciple; and the early Christian leaders, speaking of themselves, claim to be His δῦο (Act_4:29, Rom_1:1, Gal_1:10, etc.), while they do not venture to claim the further honour of His φλα which was given to the Eleven on the eve of the Lord’s Passion. The difference appears in this, that a slave obeys his lord, without claiming to know the reason for his lord’s actions, while a friend shares his knowledge and is admitted to his secrets. ὁδῦο οκοδνκλ Thus the apostles did not know the significance of the action of Jesus in washing their feet (13:7, 12).
ὑᾶ δ ερκ φλυ. So Luke records (Luk_12:4), at an earlier stage of their training, that Jesus addressed His disciples as “my friends.” And He had implied many times that they were His friends, because He had expounded to them more freely than to others the mysteries of the kingdom of God (Mar_4:11).
ὅιπναἃἤοσ πρ τῦπ κλ Always His message was of the things which He had “heard” from His Father (cf. 8:26, 40); but He did not disclose everything to the multitudes. It was only to His chosen friends that He had made known the ὄοαof the Father (17:26); but from them He had hidden nothing that they were able to bear (cf. 16:12).
γωίεν “to make known,” occurs in Jn. again only at 17:26.
16. The apostles were henceforth His chosen friends, and herein was encouragement for them, who were so soon to take up their mission, in the absence of their Master. It would be a mission of difficulty, but their Call was their Power.
οχὑεςμ ἐεέαθ, ἀλ ἐὼἐεεάη ὑᾶ, “You did not choose me, but I chose you,” the personal pronouns being repeated for emphasis. See on 6:70, 13:18 and v. 19, where the aor. ἐεεάη is used as here to mark the moment when the apostles were selected from the larger body of disciples. Each of them was a σεο ἐλγς(Act_9:15), and had been chosen by Jesus after a night of prayer (Luk_6:13). It is constantly taught in the Fourth Gospel that God’s love precedes the movement of man’s soul to Him (see on 3:16).
κὶἔηαὑᾶ,1 “and appointed you,” sc. to your special work; cf. for τθμ used thus, Act_20:28, 1Ti_1:12.
ἵαὑεςὐάηε ὑάενis used at Luk_10:3 of the “going forth” of the Seventy on their mission. For ὑάενin Jn., see on 7:33.
κὶκρὸ φρτ, primarily the fruit of success in their apostolic labours, but also indicating the perfecting of personal character (cf. v. 4).
κὶὁκρὸ ὑῶ μῃ “and your fruit may abide.” Jesus had said to a group of disciples on a former occasion, ὁθρζν…σνγικρὸ εςζὴ αώιν(4:36), and the thought is the same in this passage. Cf. Rev_14:13 and 1Co_15:58.
ἵαὅτ ἂ ατστ (so אΘ but BL have αττ) τνπτρ ἐ τ ὀόαίμυδ ὑῖ (cf. v. 7). This great promise occurs six times (with slight variations) in the Last Discourses (cf. 16:23, 24, 26, 14:13, 14); and in these passages the philosophy, so to speak, of Christian prayer is unfolded, as nowhere else in the N.T.
In the Sermon on the Mount we have the simple words ατῖεκὶδθστιὑῖ (Mat_7:7). But, when the Lord’s Prayer is prescribed for use, it is made plain that there are conditions which must be fulfilled, if prayer is to be acceptably offered, and one of these is Thy Will be done. Prayer that is not submissive to that condition has no promise of answer. Another condition is suggested Mat_18:19: “If two of you shall agree as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father.” Prayer may be selfish, so that the granting of one man’s petition may be the refusal of another’s. But if men agree, that barrier is removed. If all men agreed in asking the Eternal for the same thing, the prayer could be offered with entire confidence. And Jn. tells that Jesus expressed the supreme condition of Christian prayer by saying that it must be offered ἐ τ ὀόαίμυ “in my Name.” For Christ embraces all men. He is the Man. A petition which is one that He could offer is one the fulfilment of which could hurt none and would benefit all (cf. 11:22). So, in Johannine language, the prayer which is of certain efficacy must be ἐ τ ὁόαιατῦ and that is enough. Jn. doe not speak of importunity in prayer, as Lk. does (Luk_11:8); but it is reiterated in the Fourth Gospel that the will of the man who prays must be in harmony with Christ’s will (cf. 1Jn_5:14). The man must be ἐ ἐο, a phrase used several times in these Last Discourses (14:20, 15:4, 7, 16:33; cf. 6:56, 1Jn_5:20), with which Paul’s ἐ Χιτ should be compared (Rom_12:5, Rom_12:16:7, 1Co_15:18, 2Co_5:17).1 This condition has been already expressed in different words at v. 7: “If ye abide in me, and my sayings abide in you, ask (ατσσε what you will, and it shall be done to you.” To pray “in the Name” of Christ is not any magical invocation of the Name, nor is it enough to add per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum, but it is to pray as one who is “in Christ.” Such are the prayers of the saints.
For the significance of “the Name,” see on 1:12; and for ἐ τ ὀόαίμυin other contexts, cf. Luk_10:17, Joh_14:26, Joh_20:31, Eph_5:20.
The repeated ἵα…ἵαchallenges attention. The final cause of the choice of the apostles was that they should “go forth and bear fruit,” in their own lives as well as in their missionary labours, so that at last they should become masters of effectual prayer.
17. τῦαἐτλοα ὑῖ (cf. v. 14), ἵαἀαᾶεἀλλυ (v. 12). The purpose of these instructions was that they might appreciate the urgency of this novel precept (see on 13:34) which enjoined the love of Christian disciple for Christian disciple. This is not any vague recommendation of universal brotherhood; it is something much more definite. Indeed, as vv. 18, 19 show, the doctrine of mutual love cannot be extended so as to embrace all mankind. For the “world” hates Christians, as it hated Christ. There can be no reciprocity of ἀάη in the special sense in which it is here enjoined, between the Church and the world.
See on 1:9 for the Johannine use of the term κσο. It is solemnly repeated five times in vv. 18, 19.
The World Hates Christian Disciples Because It Hated Christ (vv. 18-25)
18. ε ὁκσο ὑᾶ μσῖκλ The disciples are not to expect that the world will love them (cf. 1Jn_3:13), and of its future hostility they are now warned explicitly (see on 16:4 below). Jesus had told His “brethren” that the world could not hate them (7:7), but that was because they were on the world’s side, and not on His, as all His disciples must be.
γνσεεὅοἐὲπῶο ὑῶ μμσκν “know (scitote) that it has hated me first.” γνσεεis imperative, like μηοεεεin v. 20. Despite His words on a former occasion (7:7), the disciples had not yet realised the measure of the “world’s” hatred for Jesus, the world being here represented by the hostile Jews.
ὑῶ is omitted by א a b c e ff2, but is found in אΘf g l vg. etc. and the Syriac vss. If it be omitted, the constr. is easy; but if it be retained, πῶο ὑῶ presents the same difficulties as πῶό μυin 1:15. Abbott (Diat. 1901) would translate here “that it hath hated me, your Chief, ” which might be defended by the vg. priorem uobis. But this seems unsatisfactory, and it is best to take πῶο ὑῶ as if it were πόεο ὑῶ (see on 1:15).
19. ε ἐ τῦκσο ἦε Those who are “of the world” (cf. 1Jn_4:5) are sharply contrasted by Jn. with the Christian disciples, whose “otherworldliness” he always speaks of with emphasis. See, particularly, 17:14, 16. One of the characteristics of the writings of Jn. is that he always paints in black and white, without allowing for intermediate shades of colour. He will have no compromise with evil. For him the Church and the world are set over against each other, and he does not contemplate their reconcilement.1
ὁκσο ἂ τ ἴινἐίε, “the world would have loved its own,” that which is in harmony with worldly ideals. The apostles, on the other hand, are not “of the world.” Out of it they had been chosen (see v. 16, and cf. 13:18), and so the world hated them. δὰτῦοrefers to what has gone before, as at 6:65. Thus vv. 16-20 taught the apostles that if to abide in Christ is the secret of fruitful lives and of effectiveness in prayer, it also provokes the world’s hostility. But this hostility carries with it a promise and a benediction (cf. 1Pe_4:14, Mat_5:11).
With the Johannine teaching as to the hatred of the Church by the world (7:7, 17:14, 1Jn_3:13), cf. the fine saying of Ignatius: “Christianity (χιταιμς is not talk, but power, when it is hated by the world” (Rom_3).
20. μηοεεετῦλγυο ἐὼεπνὐῖ, “Be mindful of the saying which I said to you.” μηοεενoccurs again in Jn. only at 16:4, 21. אreads here τνλγνὃ ἐὼἐάηαὑῖ.
We have already had the saying οκἔτνδῦο μίω τῦκρο ατῦat 13:16 (where see note), but Jesus probably repeated it more than once, the reference here perhaps being to the occasion when He gave a charge to the newly chosen apostles (Mat_10:24; cf. Luk_6:40). They had been warned then that they would not be exempt from persecution (cf. Mat_10:17-23); it was even more necessary that they should bear this in mind in the days that were coming. He had told them that He counted them as friends rather than servants (v. 15), but for all that the saying “The servant is not greater than his lord” would be applicable to their situation in a hostile world. The moral He had drawn from this saying at the Last Supper, earlier in the evening, was different (13:16).
ε ἐὲἐίξν “If they persecuted me,” the subject being ὁκσο, taken as a noun of multitude, from v. 19. Jn. has already spoken of the persecution (ἐίκν of Jesus by the Jews, because of the freedom with which He treated the rules of the Sabbath (5:16).
κὶὑᾶ δώοσν “they will persecute you also,” a warning repeated in other language at 16:33. Lk. records a similar warning (Luk_21:12), and Mar_10:30 notes that Jesus accompanied a promise of temporal blessings to the faithful with the significant addition of μτ δωμν There is no reason to doubt that Jesus did thus predict that persecution would be the lot of His disciples; and it is unnecessary to accumulate proofs that the prediction came true (cf. 1Co_4:12, 2Co_4:9, Gal_4:29, 2Ti_3:12).
ε τνλγνμυἐήηα, κὶτνὑέεο τρσυι, “if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.” For the phrase τνλγντρῖ, a favourite phrase in Jn., see on 8:51, 14:15. In Eze_3:7 Yahweh is represented as saying to the prophet, “They will not hearken unto thee, because they will not hearken unto me”; and this would apply to the apostles of Jesus. But the saying recorded here by Jn. goes farther. Those who observe the word of Jesus will also observe the word of His apostles, it being implied of course that the apostles will utter no “word” for which they have not the authority of their Master. A world which “observed” the teaching of Jesus would inevitably “observe” the teaching of those who could rightly claim His commission. The difficulty of drawing inferences from this great assurance, once Christendom was divided, is illustrated by the whole course of Christian history. Jesus, however, goes on to insist that it is the other alternative which the apostles must prepare to face; not acquiescence, but opposition, will be the portion of those who proclaim His gospel.
21. ἀλ τῦαπναπισυι εςὑᾶ (the rec. has ὑῖ, with AD2NΓ but אΘsupport εςὑᾶ), “but all these things will they do to you.” The “things” are not defined here. The whole verse is repeated in slightly different words at 16:3 (see note), where it follows the mention of excommunication and death; and if we could treat it here as a gloss that has crept into the text from below, the sequence of thought in vv. 20-24 would be easier to follow. But this would be an arbitrary alteration of the text. The sequence in Jn. is not always determined by logical considerations, and his reports of the words of Jesus are not to be taken as complete or exhaustive. Much more, doubtless, was said on this last night; what is preserved represents the long-pondered reminiscences of an aged disciple.
δὰτ ὄοάμυ “for my Name’s sake.” Persecution will come, but it will be easier to bear if they remember why it comes, and whose cause it is that they are upholding. This, again, had been said to them before, when they received their apostolic commission: ἔεθ μσύεο ὑὸπνω δὰτ ὄοάμυ(Mat_10:22; see above on v. 20). The same warning appears in the Marcan tradition in a different context (Mar_13:13, Mat_24:9, Luk_21:17), but in identical terms. A few verses before these passages in Mk. and Lk., the apostles had been told that they would be haled before rulers and kings, ἕεε ἐο (Mar_13:9) or ἕεε τῦὀόαό μυ(Luk_21:12); and there is no substantial difference in meaning between these expressions and δὰτ ὄοάμυ
The Name of God is equivalent in the O.T. to His revealed character (see on 1:12); and in 1Sa_12:22, 2Ch_6:32, Jer_14:21, we find δὰτ ὄοα[τ μγ], “on account of His great Name,” sc. because He is what He is. In the N.T. we have the phrase δὰτ ὄοαατῦ used of the Name of Christ, not only in the passages cited above, but at 1Jn_2:12, Rev_2:3