John 15:4 Commentary - Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1) "Abide in me, and I in you." (meinate en emoi kago en humin) "You all remain in me, and I remain in you all," as my church, my chosen witnesses. Go on in your witness and work, living as I have lived, loving as I have loved, and serving as I have served my Father, Joh 20:21.

2) "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself," (kathos to klema ou dunatai karpon pherein aph' heautou) "Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself," apart from its vital heart-connected engrafting, Jas 1:21, drawing strength from the true wine, the feeder source, without the Spirit and nature of the vine itself, the new nature, Rom 8:9; 2Co 5:17; Eph 2:10.

3) "Except it abide in the vine;” (ean me mene en te ampelo) "Unless it remains in the vine," Christ Jesus, from whose Divine nature the believer lives and bears fruit, as a new creature; This was an object of our Lord's prayer, (for them and for His branches today) later that evening, Joh 17:23; Paul asserted that he lived through this new life, bearing a like kind of fruit through Him, 1Co 9:27; Gal 2:20.

4) "No more can ye, except ye abide in me." (houtos oude humeis ean me en emoi menete) "Nor can you all, unless you all remain in me," where I am, in the midst of the church, caring for my branches, my vineyard, Mat 28:20; Heb 13:5; Rev 1:12-20. One who falls into sin does not confess his sins, as a child of God, becomes unfruitful to the Master, not unsaved, not a child of the devil.