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Calvin's Commentaries
Gospel of John 15:1-11
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1. I am the true Vine,
and my Father is the Husbandman. 2. Every
branch in me that beareth not fruit he will take
away, and every branch that beareth fruit he
will prune, that it may bear more fruit. 3.
You are already clean, on account of the word
which I have spoken to you. 4. Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so
neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5.
I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who
abideth in me, and I in him, beareth much fruit;
for without me you can do nothing. 6. If
any one abide not in me, he shall be cast out,
and wither as a branch; and men shall gather it,
and cast it into the fire, and it shall be
burned. |
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1.
I am the true Vine.
The general meaning of this comparison is, that we are, by nature, barren
and dry, except in so far as we have been engrafted into Christ, and draw
from him a power which is new, and which does not proceed from ourselves. I
have followed other commentators in rendering
ἄμπελος
by vitis, (a vine,) and
κλήματα
by palmites, (branches.) Now, vitis (a vine)
strictly denotes the plant itself, and not a field planted with vines,
which the Latin writers call vinea, (a vineyard;) although
it is sometimes taken for vinea a vineyard; as, for example, when
Cicero mentions in the same breath, pauperum agellos et vlticulas,
the small fields and small vineyards of the poor Palmites (branches)
are what may be called the arms of the tree, which it sends out above
the ground. But as the Greek word
κλὢμα
sometimes denotes a vine, and
ἄμπελος,
a vineyard, I am more disposed to adopt the opinion, that Christ
compares himself to a field planted with vines, and compares us to
the plants themselves. On that point, however, I will not enter into a
debate with any person; only I wish to remind the reader, that he ought to
adopt that view which appears to him to derive greater probability from the
context.
First, let him
remember the rule which ought to be observed in all parables; that we ought
not to examine minutely every property of the vine, but only to take
a general view of the object to which Christ applies that comparison. Now,
there are three principal parts; first, that we have no power of doing good
but what comes from himself; secondly, that we, having a root in him, are
dressed and pruned by the Father; thirdly, that he removes the unfruitful
branches, that they may be thrown into the fire and burned.
There
is scarcely any one who is ashamed to acknowledge that every thing good
which he possesses comes from God; but, after making this acknowledgment,
they imagine that universal grace has been given to them, as if it had been
implanted in them by nature. But Christ dwells principally on this, that the
vital sap — that is, all life and strength
[Note:
— proceeds from
himself alone. Hence it follows, that the nature of man is unfruitful and
destitute of everything good; because no man has the nature of a vine,
till he be implanted in him. But this is given to the elect alone by special
grace. So then, the Father is the first Author of all blessings, who plants
us with his hand; but the commencement of life is in Christ, since we begin
to take root in him. When he calls himself the true vine the
meaning is, I am truly the vine, and therefore men toil to no
purpose in seeking strength anywhere else, for from none will useful fruit
proceed but from the branches which shall be produced by me.
2.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit
As some men corrupt the grace of God, others suppress it maliciously, and
others choke it by carelessness, Christ intends by these words to awaken
anxious inquiry, by declaring that all the branches which shall be
unfruitful will be cut off from the vine But here comes a question.
Can any one who is engrafted into Christ be without fruit? I answer, many
are supposed to be in the vine, according to the opinion of men, who
actually have no root in the vine Thus, in the writings of the
prophets, the Lord calls the people of Israel his vine, because, by
outward profession, they had the name of The Church.
And every branch that beareth, fruit he pruneth.
By these words, he shows that believers need incessant culture that they may
be prevented from degenerating; and that they produce nothing good, unless
God continually apply his hand; for it will not be enough to have been once
made partakers of adoption, if God do not continue the work of his grace in
us. He speaks of pruning or cleansing,
[Note:
]
because our flesh
abounds in superfluities and destructive vices, and is too fertile in
producing them, and because they grow and multiply without end, if we are
not cleansed or pruned
[Note: .”]
by the hand of God. When he
says that vines are pruned, that they may yield more abundant
fruit, he shows what ought to be the progress of believers in the course
of true religion?
[Note:
.”]
3. You are already clean, on
account of the word. He reminds them that they have already
experienced in themselves what he had said; that they have been planted in
him, and have also been cleansed or pruned He points out the
means of pruning, namely, doctrine; and there can be no doubt that he
speaks of outward preaching, for he expressly mentions the word,
which they had heard from his mouth. Not that the word proceeding
from the mouth of a man has so great efficacy, but, so far as Christ works
in the heart by the Spirit, the word itself is the instrument of
cleansing Yet Christ does not mean that the apostles are pure from all
sin, but he holds out to them their experience, that they may learn from it
that the continuance of grace is absolutely necessary. Besides, he commends
to them the doctrine of the gospel from the fruit which it produces, that
they may be more powerfully excited to meditate on it continually, since it
resembles the vine-dresser’s knife to take away what is useless.
4. Abide in me. He again
exhorts them to be earnest and careful in keeping the grace which they had
received, for the carelessness of the flesh can never be sufficiently
aroused. And, indeed, Christ has no other object in view than to keep us
as
a hen keepeth her chickens under her wings,
(Matthew
23:37)
lest our indifference should carry us
away, and make us fly to our destruction. In order to prove that he did not
begin the work of our salvation for the purpose of leaving it imperfect in
the middle of the course, he promises that his Spirit will always be
efficacious in us, if we do not prevent him. Abide in me, says he;
for I am ready to abide in you And again, He who abideth in me
beareth much fruit. By these words he declares that all who have a
living root in him are fruit-bearing branches
5. Without me you can do nothing.
This is the conclusion and application of the whole parable. So long as we
are separate from him, we bear no fruit that is good and acceptable to God,
for we are unable to do anything good. The Papists not only extenuate this
statement, but destroy its substance, and, indeed, they altogether evade it;
for, though in words they acknowledge that we can do nothing without Christ,
yet they foolishly imagine that they possess some power, which is not
sufficient in itself, but, being
aided by the grace of God, co-operates (as they say,) that is, works along
with it;
[Note:
]
for they cannot endure that man should be so much annihilated as to do
nothing of himself. But these words of Christ are too plain to be
evaded so easily as they suppose. The doctrine invented by the Papists is,
that we can do nothing without Christ, but that, aided by him, we have
something of ourselves in addition to his grace. But Christ, on the other
hand, declares that we can do nothing of ourselves. The branch, he says,
beareth not fruit of itself; and, therefore, he not only extols the aid of
his co-operating grace, but deprives us entirely of all power but what he
imparts to us. Accordingly, this phrase, without me, must be
explained as meaning, except from me.
Next follows another sophism; for they
allege that the branch has something from nature, for if another
branch, which is not fruit-bearing, be engrafted in the vine, it will
produce nothing. But this is easily answered; for Christ does not explain
what the branch has naturally, before it become united to the vine, but
rather means that we begin to become branches at the time when we are united
to him. And, indeed, Scripture elsewhere shows that, before we are in him,
we are dry and useless wood.
6. If any one abide not in me.
He again lays before them the punishment of ingratitude, and, by doing so,
excites and urges them to perseverance. It is indeed the gift of God, but
the exhortation to fear is not uncalled for, lest our flesh, through too
great indulgence, should root us out.
He is cast out, and withered, like a
branch. Those who are cut off from Christ are said to wither like
a dead branch; because, as the commencement of strength is from him, so also
is its uninterrupted continuance. Not that it ever happens that any one of
the elect is dried up, but because there are many hypocrites who, in outward
appearance, flourish and are green for a time, but who afterwards, when they
ought to yield fruit, show the very
opposite of that which the Lord expects and demands from his people.
[Note:
]
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7.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what
you will,
[Note: ]
and it shall be done for you. 8. In this my
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and become my
disciples. 9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved
you; abide in my love. 10. If you keep my commandments, you
will abide in my love, as I also have kept my Father’s commandments,
and abide in his love. 11. These things I have spoken to you,
that my joy may abide in you, and that your joy may be full. |
7. If you abide in me.
Believers often feel that they are starved, and are very far from that rich
fatness which is necessary for yielding abundant fruit. For this reason it
is expressly added, whatever those who are in Christ may need, there is a
remedy provided for their poverty, as soon as they ask it from God. This is
a very useful admonition; for the Lord often suffers us to hunger, in order
to train us to earnestness in prayer. But if we fly to him, we shall never
want what we ask, but, out of his inexhaustible abundance, he will supply us
with every thing that we need, ( 1
Corinthians 1:5.)
If my words abide in you. He means
that we take root in him by faith; for as soon as we have departed from the
doctrine of the Gospel, we seek Christ separately from himself. When he
promises that he will grant whatever we wish, he does not give us leave to
form wishes according to our own fancy. God would do what was ill fitted to
promote our welfare, if he were so indulgent and so ready to yield to us;
for we know well that men often indulge in foolish and extravagant desires.
But here he limits the wishes of his people to the rule of praying in a
right manner, and that rule subjects, to the good pleasure of God, all our
affections. This is confirmed by the connection in which the words stand;
for he means that his people will or desire not riches, or
honors, or any thing of that nature, which the flesh foolishly desires, but
the vital sap of the Holy Spirit, Which enables them to bear fruit.
8. In this my Father is
glorified This is a confirmation of the former statement; for he shows
that we ought not to doubt that God will listen to the prayers of his
people, when they desire to be rendered fruitful; for this contributes very
greatly to his glory. But by this end or effect he likewise kindles in them
the desire of doing good; for there is nothing which we ought to value more
highly than that the name of God may be glorified by us. To the same effect
is the latter clause, that you may become my disciples; for he
declares that he has no one in his flock who does not bear fruit to
the glory of God.
9. As the Father hath loved me.
He intended to express something far greater than is commonly supposed; for
they who think that he now speaks of the sacred love of God the
Father, which he always had towards the Son, philosophize away from the
subject; for it was rather the design of Christ to lay, as it were, in our
bosom a sure pledge of God’s love towards us. That abstruse inquiry,
as to the manner in which the Father always loved himself in the Son,
has nothing to do with the present passage. But the love which is
here mentioned must be understood as referring to us, because Christ
testifies that the Father loves him, as he is the Head of the Church.
And this is highly necessary for us; for he who without a Mediator, inquires
how he is loved by God, involves him in a labyrinth, in which he will
neither discover the entrance, nor the means of extricating himself. We
ought therefore to cast our eyes on Christ, in whom will be found the
testimony and pledge of the love of God; for the love of God was fully
poured out on him, that from him it might flow to his members. He is
distinguished by this title, that he is the beloved Son, in whom the
will of the Father is satisfied, ( Matthew
3:17.) But we ought to observe the end, which is, that God may accept us in
him. So, then, we may contemplate in him, as in a mirror, God’s paternal
love towards us all; because he is not loved apart, or for his own
private advantage, but that he may unite us with him to the Father.
Abide in my love. Some explain
this to mean, that Christ demands from his disciples mutual love; but
others explain it better, who understand it to mean the love of
Christ towards us. He means that we should continually enjoy that love with
which he once loved us, and, therefore, that we ought to take care not to
deprive ourselves of it; for many reject the grace which is offered to them,
and many throw away what they once had in their hands. So, then, since we
have been once received into the grace of Christ, we must see that we do not
fall from it through our own fault.
The conclusion which some draw from these
words, that there is no efficacy in the grace of God. unless it be aided by
our steadfastness, is frivolous. For I do not admit that the Spirit demands
from us no more than what is in our own power, but he shows us what we ought
to do, that, if our strength be deficient, we may seek it from some other
quarter. In like manner, when Christ exhorts us, in this passage, to
perseverance, we must; not rely on our own strength and industry, but we
ought to pray to him who commands us, that he would confirm us in his love.
10. If you keep my
commandments. He points out to us the method of perseverance. his, to
follow where he calls, for, as Paul says,
They who are in Christ walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit,
(Romans
8:1.)
For these two things are continually
united, that faith which perceives the undeserved love of Christ toward us,
and a good conscience and newness of life. And, indeed, Christ does not
reconcile believers to the Father, that they may indulge in wickedness
without reserve, and without punishment; but that, governing them by his
Spirit, he may keep them under the authority and dominion of his Father.
Hence it follows, that the love of Christ is rejected by those who do not
prove, by true obedience, that they are his disciples.
If any one object that, in that case, the
security of our salvation depends on ourselves, I reply, it is wrong to give
such a meaning to Christ’s words; for the obedience which believers render
to him is not the cause why he continues his love toward us, but is rather
the effect of his love. For whence comes it that they answer to their
calling, but because they are led by the Spirit of adoption of free grace?
But again, it may be thought that the
condition imposed on us is too difficult, that we should keep the
commandments of Christ, which contain the absolute perfection of
righteousness, — a perfection which far exceeds our capacity, — for hence it
follows, that the love of Christ will be useless, if we be not endued with
angelical purity. The answer is easy; for when Christ speaks of the desire
of living a good and holy life, he does not exclude what is the chief
article in his doctrine, namely, that which alludes to righteousness being
freely imputed, in consequence of which, through a free pardon, our duties
are acceptable to God, which in themselves deserved to be rejected as
imperfect and unholy. Believers, therefore, are reckoned as keeping the
commandments of Christ when they apply their earnest attention to them,
though they be far distant from the object at which they aim; for they are
delivered from that rigorous sentence of the law,
Cursed be he that hath not confirmed all the words of this law to do them,
( Deuteronomy
27:26).
As I also have kept my Father’s
commandments. As we have been elected in Christ, so in him the image of
our calling is exhibited to us in a lively manner; and therefore he justly
holds himself out to us as a pattern, to the imitation of which all the
godly ought to be conformed. “In me,” says he, “is brightly displayed the
resemblance of those things which I demand from you; for you see how
sincerely I am devoted to obedience to my Father, and how I persevere
in this course. My Father, too, hath loved me, not for a moment, or
for a short time, but his love toward me is constant.” This conformity
between the Head and the members ought to be always placed before our eyes,
not only that believers may form themselves after the example of Christ, but
that, they may entertain a confident hope that his Spirit will every day
form them anew to be better and better, that they may walk to the end in
newness of life.
11. These things I have spoken
to you. He adds, that his love is far from being unknown to the godly,
but that it is perceived by faith, so that they enjoy blessed peace of
conscience; for the joy which he mentions springs from that peace
with God which is possessed by all that have been justified by free grace.
As often, then, as God’s fatherly love towards us is preached, let us know
that there is given to us ground for true joy, that, with peaceable
consciences, we may be certain of our salvation.
My joy and your joy. It is called
Christ’s joy and our joy in various respects. It is
Christ’s, because it is given to us by him; for he is both the
Author and the Cause of it. I say that he is the Cause of it, because
we were freed from guilt, when
the chastisement of our peace was laid on him, ( Isaiah
53:5.)
I call him also the Author of it, because
by his Spirit he drives away dread and anxiety in our hearts, and then
arises that calm cheerfulness. It is said to be ours for a different
reason; because we enjoy it since it has been given to us. Now since Christ
declares that he spake these things, that the disciples might have
joy, we conclude from these words, that all who have duly profited by
this sermon have something on which they can rest.
That my joy may abide in you. By
the word abide he means, that it is not a fleeting or temporary
joy of which he speaks, but a joy which never fails or passes
away. Let us therefore learn that we ought to seek in the doctrine of Christ
the assurance of salvation, which retains its vigor both in life and in
death.
That your joy may be full. He
adds, that this joy will be solid and full; not that believers
will be entirely free from all sadness, but that the ground for joy
will be far greater, so that no dread, no anxiety, no grief, will swallow
them up; for those to whom it has been given to glory in Christ will not be
prevented, either by life, or by death, or by any distresses, from bidding
defiance to sadness.
[With gratitude to the
Christian Classics Ethereal Library for this text.]
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