John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches , etc.] 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 Christ, and he in them: the same bringeth forth much fruit ; in the exercise of grace, and performance of good works; and continues to do so as long as he lives, not by virtue of his own free will, power, and strength, but by grace continually received from Christ: for without me ye can do nothing ; nothing that is spiritually good; no, not anything at all, be it little or great, easy or difficult to be performed; cannot think a good thought, speak a good word, or do a good action; can neither begin one, nor, when it is begun, perfect it. Nothing is to be done without Christ; without his Spirit, grace, strength, and presence; or as separate from him. Were it possible for the branches that are truly in him, to be removed from him, they could bring forth no fruits of good works, any more than a branch separated from the vine can bring forth grapes; so that all the fruitfulness of a believer is to be ascribed to Christ, and his grace, and not to the free will and power of man.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the human an Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is in him, resembl the root of the vine made fruitful by the moisture from a rich soil Believers are branches of this Vine. The root is unseen, and our lif is hid with Christ; the root bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all supports and supplies. The branches of the vine ar many, yet, meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus all tru Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, mee in Christ. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are weak, an unable to stand but as they are borne up. The Father is the Husbandman Never was any husbandman so wise, so watchful, about his vineyard, a God is about his church, which therefore must prosper. We must be fruitful. From a vine we look for grapes, and from a Christian we loo for a Christian temper, disposition, and life. We must honour God, an do good; this is bearing fruit. The unfruitful are taken away. And eve fruitful branches need pruning; for the best have notions, passions and humours, that require to be taken away, which Christ has promise to forward the sanctification of believers, they will be thankful, for them. The word of Christ is spoken to all believers; and there is cleansing virtue in that word, as it works grace, and works ou corruption. And the more fruit we bring forth, the more we abound i what is good, the more our Lord is glorified. In order to fruitfulness we must abide in Christ, must have union with him by faith. It is the great concern of all Christ's disciples, constantly to keep u dependence upon Christ, and communion with him. True Christians find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of their faith causes holy affections to decline, their corruptions to revive, an their comforts to droop. Those who abide not in Christ, though they ma flourish for awhile in outward profession, yet come to nothing. The fire is the fittest place for withered branches; they are good for nothing else. Let us seek to live more simply on the fulness of Christ and to grow more fruitful in every good word and work, so may our jo in Him and in his salvation be full.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 P-1NS ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S η 3588 T-NSF αμπελος 288 N-NSF υμεις 5210 P-2NP τα 3588 T-NPN κληματα 2814 N-NPN ο 3588 T-NSM μενων 3306 5723 V-PAP-NSM εν 1722 PREP εμοι 1698 P-1DS καγω 2504 P-1NS-C εν 1722 PREP αυτω 846 P-DSM ουτος 3778 D-NSM φερει 5342 5719 V-PAI-3S καρπον 2590 N-ASM πολυν 4183 A-ASM οτι 3754 CONJ χωρις 5565 ADV εμου 1700 P-1GS ου 3756 PRT-N δυνασθε 1410 5736 V-PNI-2P ποιειν 4160 5721 V-PAN ουδεν 3762 A-ASN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Without me (cwriv emou). Properly, apart from me. So Rev. Compare i. 3; Eph. ii. 12.
