John 15:6 Commentary - Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1) "If a man abide not in me," (ean me tis mene en emoi) "if anyone remains not in me," is not vitally engrafted in me, the living Word, the true vine, Joh 15:1; Jas 1:12; He exists as already barren, unfaithful, unproductive, unfitted for eternity, though sustained by my mercy in this life; If he have not the incorruptible seed nature of the new birth, 1Pe 1:23; 1Pe 1:25.

2) "He is cast forth as a branch, and withered;" (eblethe ekso hos to klema kai eksenanthe) "He is (and) was cast outside as the branch and is (was) dried up," Joh 15:2; Mat 25:30, revealed for what he is, and has been by nature, though he may have had the leaves and blooms of outward show, but no spiritual fruit as Israel had come to do. He is to be cursed, as Jesus cursed the barren fig tree, Mat 21:18-19.

3) "And men gather them, and cast them into the fire," (kai sunagousin auta kai eis to pur ballousin) "And they gather them together and cast them into the fire," that they may not cover the ground, in marring the landscape, or using the soil, without returning any fruit to the husbandman, John 1; 2Pe 1:8-11.

4) "And they are burned." (kai kaietai) "And they are burned," destroyed. Only the chaff, the unregenerate are burned, none that has ever borne any spiritual fruit; For every grain of wheat, every true branch, like every good tree, bears some fruit. Jesus said it; and every true branch or tree that bears fruit He purges that it bear more fruit. Each tree or branch, physically existing in and sustained by Him, that bears no fruit, is or represents an unregenerate person, a vine-sucker, like a leech or barnacle, no part of the body or boat to which it attaches itself, for personal benefit, but on behalf of which it bears no good fruit, See? Mat 7:17-20; Luk 3:17. The wheat, every grain is saved, but the chaff, every earthly flake, will be burned, See also Psa 1:5-6; Mat 3:12.