What is Jesus talking about?
What does He mean by the above statement? A lot of people have interpreted this
statement of Jesus in several ways. Some say it means that GOD will cut away
those Believers who aren’t bearing fruit. Others use this statement to suggest
that there are believers who are incapable of bearing fruit at all, and as such
stand a chance of losing their salvation. But then as is evident from this
passage, Jesus wasn’t talking about the loss of salvation, nor implying it in any way. Yet this is the way many view this passage.
Furthermore, insecure
Believers often use this passage to promote or spread their sense
of fear and insecurity to naïve Believers of this Church age.
We are here to clear the air on this misinformation about the above passage and the sense of insecurity that it creates, through religious thinking.
But then, to grasp what Jesus is saying here, in the light of this Grace age, we first
need to understand the context of that passage — John 15: 1 – 8.
You must realize that It would be totally futile trying to interpret
this passage outside of its context, outside of the understanding of the
dispensation we’re living in, outside the unbreakable recognition of our
unbreakable union with Christ, and the irreversibility of our salvation.
Anyone overlooking these facts and still attempting to interpret Jesus' teaching in this passage, will be like a ship sailing at high sea without a compass. This form of interpretation that is without direction is what religion has been attempting to do over the years, but to no avail.
UNDERSTANDING
THE CONTEXT
The context of John 15: 1 – 8 is emphasizing the inseparable
relationship between Jesus (the vine) and his disciples (the branches), and
the care the Father provides for us in that we are joined as one to the vine.
Now understand that the life of the vine is divine life
(ZOE).
This implies that since the vine and its branches are
connected together, then the life of the branches is also divine life i.e. Zoe.
Both the Vine and Its Branches have the same indestructible life. Whatever
cannot happen to the vine cannot happen to its branches. And whatever is true
of the vine is equally true of its branches.
The branches are like the vine. So if the vine is
righteous, then the branches are also righteous like the vine. They share the
same life and the same righteousness. None is superior to the other.
The next thing the context also emphasizes is the Father’s
love and care for the branches, whether they’re already bearing fruit or yet to
do so. This is illustrated by the fact that the Father is referred to as the
VINE-DRESSER, and not as VINE-DESTROYER, or VINE-AMPUTATOR.
Another thing we see the context highlighting is the
reality of our permanent dwelling or abiding with Christ, both in the literal
and metaphorical sense. We remember that Jesus told His pre-redemption
disciples to ABIDE in Him. It was proper for Him to say so to them because, as of then, they weren’t Born Again yet. After all, Jesus hadn’t died, resurrected, and glorified at the right hand of the Father. However, for us today living in
the post-redemption era, and who’ve already been Born Again, we’re now abiding
in Christ, through the New Birth, in the ‘literal sense’ of the word ABIDE. And
then in the ‘metaphorical sense’ to abide in Christ means to take our
place of rest in Christ. To rest in Him, rather than relying on our human
effort or religious works of legalistic performances, as a means to attempt to please GOD.
To abide with Christ has nothing to do with law-keeping. It
is not trying your best religious to remain united with Christ, as legalists
have poorly suggested, as though it depends on you to keep yourself united with
Him.
The context also highlights the benefits of abiding in
Christ.
You can head on to my YouTube channel to watch my video
teaching to know more about “What it means to abide in Christ.” Click here to watch my video now.
So returning to John 15:1-2, we see how Jesus uses
the analogy of a vine and its branches to illustrate the relationship between
Himself (the true vine) and us, His disciples (the branches).
And the Father is described as the Husband-man, meaning VINE-DRESSER.
HE
TAKETH AWAY; WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
What does Jesus mean by the statement; “every branch in me
that beareth not fruit He taketh away...” John 15:2.
Some translations offer the following suggestions for the
phrase “…He taketh away…”.
∎ He cuts off (New International
Version)
∎ He takes away (English
Standard Version)
∎He removes (God’s Word
Translation)
∎ Breaks off (Good News Bible)
These expressions are all based on a poor translation of
the Greek phrase “AIRO” which has been poorly translated in the majority of our
English translations.
This misconception has led many religionists to use this
verse of John 15:2 and 6 to teach that believers can be cut off
from Christ and lose their salvation, which isn’t true.
That’s religious crap based on the inability of such people
to comprehend Biblical truth in the light of scripture as it concerns the ETERNAL
SECURITY OF ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST.
Now the Greek phrase “AIRO” doesn’t mean that God “takes away” or “cuts off” any Believers in
Christ who don’t bear fruit or because they’re not bearing fruit. No! That’s
not what scripture is saying or suggesting.
Now the primary sense in which the Greek word AIRO is used
here means;
∎To take up
∎To
lift up off the ground
∎Raiseth, i.e. to raise
up
The idea this word is presenting to us is that in the same
way ancient gardeners or vine dressers would lift up from groveling on the
ground those branches not bearing fruit, so that they can begin to bear fruit,
in like manner the Father lifts up those branches in Christ not bearing fruit
yet and tends to them so that they can bear fruit. This is the imagery
presented.
WHY
JESUS USED THE EXPRESSION
We can see why Jesus used the Aramaic expression QĀȚAL,
which the Septuagint version renders in its Greek equivalent as AIRO. From the
meaning of the word, it is clear Jesus used this word to indicate the Father's loving care for those branches not bearing fruit, such that He doesn’t remove
them from the vine but as a wise vinedresser, He raises them up off the ground
to enhance their growth so that they begin to bear fruit.
What a loving and caring Father we have. He couldn’t be
anything else than the best caregiver ever. This realization of the loving
care of the Father towards the Branches of Christ is totally contrary to the terrible
way religionists have for long presented GOD to be. They stigmatize Him when
they present Him as a brutal sadistic Father, who’s ready to chop off Christ's body parts.
Religion and religionists misrepresent GOD at the slightest
opportunity, all the time.
To say that God cuts off some branches from the vine
(Christ) is to insinuate that God amputates Christ’s body parts.
Thinking this way is the height of absurdity! Yet this is
what many are teaching. Don’t try to get fresh with religion.
NO UNFRUITFUL BRANCHES
IN CHRIST
Now let’s go a little further
to what your Church has never taught you. The statement “every branch in me that beareth not fruit…” vs.
2a, doesn’t imply that there are unfruitful branches in Christ.
That’s a really smelly way to think, truly preposterous indeed!
That statement doesn’t mean
those branches are unfruitful or that there are unfruitful branches in Christ, i.e.
barren or impotent branches.
There’s a big difference
between the two ideas below;
∎having no fruit yet,
and
∎being unfruitful.
To be unfruitful means the inability to bear fruit. Well, this cannot be said of Christ. No branch in
Christ is unfruitful, barren, or impotent. This is rightly so because every
branch in Christ has the same ability, life, and potency of Christ (the vine) to
bear fruit. Therefore, there are no unfruitful branches in Christ.
In the same way that not all
branches of a tree bear fruit at the same time, likewise not all Believers bear
fruit at the same time. Some begin to bear fruit early, while some begin to
bear fruit much later.
Those who bear fruit much later
do so simply because at the moment they’re paying attention to things that get
them distracted rather than being focused or keeping their attention on Jesus Christ
and the power of His life and presence in their lives.
Therefore, we can realize that
by the statement “every branch in me that
beareth not fruit…” Jesus isn’t insinuating that there are
unfruitful or barren branches in Him. He’s simply referring to those branches
in him that are yet to begin bearing fruit.
Understanding this further
underscores the truth of why the Father will never, never ever, “cut off”, “take
away”, or “expunge” any Believer or member of the Body of Christ.
This is GOOD NEWS!
PASS IT ON!
If this Gospel article has blessed you, I invite you to join us in making a difference by donating to support our Church to continue this vital mission of helping many Believers in our community break free from religion to embrace the transformative realities of the Grace and the New Creation life in Christ.
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