John 15:1-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:4

Abide in me, and I in you ,.... The former of these is an exhortation to continue in the exercise of faith and love upon Christ, holding to him the head, cleaving to him with full purpose of heart, and so deriving life, grace, strength, and nourishment from him; the latter is a promise encouraging to the former; for as Christ is formed in the hearts of his people, he continues there as the living principle of all grace. And so, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches ,.... Christ here repeats what he said of himself, "the vine", for the sake of the application of "the branches" to his disciples: which expresses their sameness of nature with Christ; their strict and close union to him; and the communication of life and grace, holiness and fruitfulness, of support and strength, and of perseverance in grace and holiness to the end from him: he that abideth in me, and I in him ; which is the case of all that are once in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:6

If a man abide not in me ,.... Christ does not say, "if ye abide not in me"; he would not suppose this of his true disciples; Judas now being removed, to whom he may have some respect in this verse; though it may be applied to anyone who has made a profession of Christ, and denies the truths of the Gospel, neglects the ordinances of it, or walks unworthy of his profession: of whom the following things may be truly said, he is cast forth as a branch ; that is unfruitful, and is therefore... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:7

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you ,.... Abiding in Christ is here explained by his words or doctrines abiding in his disciples; by which are meant his Gospel, and the truths of it. This abides when it comes in power, and becomes the engrafted word; and may be said to do so, when such, in whose hearts it has a place, and has taken deep root, continue to have a relish and savour of it, a true and hearty affection for it, esteeming it above their necessary food; when they hold fast... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:8

Herein is my Father glorified ,.... This does not so much refer to what goes before, concerning the disciples abiding in Christ, and he and his words abiding in them, and doing for them whatever they ask, though by all this God is glorified; as to what follows, the fruitfulness of the disciples: that ye bear much fruit ; of doctrine, grace, and good works, which show them to be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and the work of his hands; wherein the glory of his power,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:9

As the Father hath loved me ,.... As his own Son, and as Mediator, from everlasting; and in time, in his state of humiliation, throughout the course of his obedience, and under all his sufferings; which he testified more than once by a voice from heaven; which he showed by concealing nothing from him as Mediator, by giving all things into his hands, by showing him all that he himself did, by appointing him the Saviour of the body, and making him the head of the church, by exalting him at his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:10

If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love ,.... Not that their continuance in the heart's love and affection of Christ depended upon their observation of his commands; for as the keeping of them is not the cause or reason of the saints having an interest in the love of Christ, so it is not the cause or reason of their abiding in it; but to such that observe the commandments of Christ he will continue to make further discoveries of his love, and let them see more clearly and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:11

These things have I spoken unto you ,.... Concerning the vine and branches, his abiding in them, and they in him, their fruitfulness from him, and perseverance in him, his love to them, and theirs to him: that my joy might remain in you ; meaning either that joy with which he joyed in and over them, as united to him, and which is of the same nature as the joy of the bridegroom over the bride, and which will always remain and continue the same; or rather that joy which he is the author,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:12

This is my commandment, that ye love one another ,.... Christ had been before speaking of his commandments; and he mentions this as the principal one, and to which all the rest may be reduced; for as the precepts of the second table of the moral law may be briefly comprehended in this one duty, love to our neighbour, so all the duties of Christianity, relative to one another, are reducible to this, by love to serve each other. This was the commandment which lay uppermost on Christ's heart,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this ,.... By these words our Lord shows, how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for the brethren; which is the highest instance of love among men; that a man lay down his life for his friends ; and in which believers, should not come short of them; and also his great love to his people, and explains what he had just said, "as I have loved you", John 13:34 ; which in a little time would be seen, by his laying down his... read more

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