John 15
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 15 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
15 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Augustine of Hippo.
John 15
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστι.
2Every branch in Me which does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch which bears fruit He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.Πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπόν, αἴρει αὐτό· καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον, καθαίρει αὐτό, ἵνα πλείονα καρπὸν φέρῃ.
3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.Ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν λελάληκα ὑμῖν.
4Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit on its own, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.Μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. Καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ μείνῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μείνητε.
5I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; because apart from Me you can do nothing.Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα. Ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολύν· ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν.
6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.Ἐὰν μή τις μείνῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα, καὶ ἐξηράνθη, καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσι, καὶ καίεται.
7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask whatever you may desire, and it shall be done for you.Ἐὰν μείνητε ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσεσθε, καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν.
8By this My Father is glorified, that you may bear much fruit; and you will become My disciples.Ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου, ἵνα καρπὸν πολὺν φέρητε· καὶ γενήσεσθε ἐμοὶ μαθηταί.
9“Just as the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.Καθὼς ἠγάπησέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς· μείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ.
10If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and I abide in His love.Ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου· καθὼς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ πατρός μου τετήρηκα, καὶ μένω αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.
11“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may abide in you, and that your joy may be full.Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ.
12This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμή, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς.
13Greater love has no one than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends.Μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.
14You are My friends if you do what I command you.Ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε, ἐὰν ποιῆτε ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν.
15No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things which I heard from My Father I have made known to you.Οὐκέτι ὑμᾶς λέγω δούλους, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ οἶδε τί ποιεῖ αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος· ὑμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους, ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν.
16You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you may ask the Father in My name He may give to you.Οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔθηκα ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑπάγητε καὶ καρπὸν φέρητε, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς ὑμῶν μένῃ· ἵνα ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, δῷ ὑμῖν.
17These things I command you, that you may love one another.Ταῦτα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.
18“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.
19If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.Εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.
20Remember the word which I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.Μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν, Οὐκ ἔστι δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. Εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.
21But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν ὑμῖν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασι τὸν πέμψαντά με.
22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
23He who hates Me hates My Father also.Ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν, καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.
24If I had not done the works among them which no one else has done, they would have no sin; but now they have both seen and they have hated both Me and My Father.Εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος πεποίηκεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασι καὶ μεμισήκασι καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.
25But this was so that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’Ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν ὅτι Ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν.
26“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος, ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·
27And you also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε, ὅτι ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.
The Fathers on John 15
Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Augustine of Hippo comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 15:1Saint John Chrysostom“Arise, let us go hence. I am the true Vine, (ye are the branches, ) and My Father is the Husbandman.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:1–3Saint Augustine of Hippo1. This passage of the Gospel, brethren, where the Lord calls Himself the vine, and His disciples the branches, declares in so many words that the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5 is the head of the Church, and that we are His members. For as the vine and its branches are of one...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:11–12Saint John Chrysostom“These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:2–12Saint Augustine of Hippo1. You have just heard, beloved, the Lord saying to His disciples, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might be in you, and that your joy might be full.” And what else is Christ's joy in us, save that He is pleased to rejoice over us? And what is this joy of ours which He says is to be made full, but our...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:4–7Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Jesus called Himself the vine, and His disciples the branches, and His Father the husbandman; whereon we have already discoursed as we were able. But in the present passage, while still speaking of Himself as the vine, and of His branches, or, in other words, of the disciples, He said, “Abide in me, and I in you.”...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:8–10Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Saviour, in thus speaking to the disciples, commends still more and more the grace whereby we are saved, when He says, “Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear very much fruit, and be made my disciples.” Whether we say glorified, or made bright, both are the rendering given us of one Greek verb, namely...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:13Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord, beloved brethren, has defined that fullness of love which we ought to bear to one another, when He said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Inasmuch, then, as He had said before, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you;” and...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:14–15Saint Augustine of Hippo1. When the Lord Jesus had commended the love which He manifested toward us in dying for us, and had said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” He added, “You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.” What great condescension! When one cannot even be a good...
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On John 15:15–16Saint Augustine of Hippo1. It is a worthy subject of inquiry how these words of the Lord are to be understood, “But I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” For who is there that dare affirm or believe that any man knows all things that the only-begotten Son has heard of the...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:17–19Saint Augustine of Hippo1. In the Gospel lesson which precedes this one, the Lord had said: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.” On these words you remember...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 15:20–21Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord, in exhorting His servants to endure with patience the hatred of the world, proposes to them no greater and better example than His own; seeing that, as the Apostle Peter says, “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 And if we really do so, we do it by...
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On John 15:22–23Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord had said above to His disciples, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not Him that sent me.” And if we inquire of whom He so spoke, we find that He...
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On John 15:23Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord says, as you have just been hearing, “He that hates me, hates my Father also:” and yet He had said a little before, “These things will they do unto you, because they know not Him that sent me.” A question therefore arises that cannot be overlooked, how they can hate one whom they know not? For if it is not...
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On John 15:24–25Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord had said, “He that hates me, hates my Father also.” For of a certainty he that hates the truth must also hate Him of whom the truth is born; on which subject we have already spoken, as we were granted ability. And then He added the words on which we have now to discourse: “If I had not done among [in] them...
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On John 15:26–27Open John 15 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord Jesus, in the discourse which He addressed to His disciples after the supper, when Himself in immediate proximity to His passion, and, as it were, on the eve of departure, and of depriving them of His bodily presence while continuing His spiritual presence to all His disciples till the very end of the...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →