Remaining, Requiring, Receiving

Below is a rough translation and some preliminary comments regarding John 15:1-8, the Revised Common Lectionary gospel reading for the 5^th Sunday of Easter in Year B.  

¹ Ἐγώ εἰμιἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν. 

I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. 

εἰμι: PAI 1s, εἰμί 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

ἐστιν: PAI 3s, εἰμί 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

²πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπόν, αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸνφέρονκαθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ. 

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he removes (see note 2 below), and every one that does bear fruit he prunes in order that it may bear more fruit. 

φέρον: PAPart asn, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce; 

αἴρει: PAI 3s, αἴρω 1) to raise up, elevate, lift up … 3a) to move from its place  3b) to take off or away what is attached to anything  3c) to remove  

φέρον: PAPart asn, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce; 

καθαίρει: PAI 3s, καθαίρω 1) to cleanse, of filth impurity, etc 1a) to prune trees and vines from useless shoots  

φέρῃ: PASubj 3s, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce 

1. The verb καθαίρω and its companion noun καθαροί will pose a challenge, not so much to the meaning of this verse and the next, but to the consistency of the metaphor. Every metaphor tends to break down eventually, but I am choosing to keep this one as close to the vineyard as possible. In this verse, καθαίρω could be “cleanse” (as it is often elsewhere), but I am using “prune,” since that is the gardener’s way of dressing a vine and enabling it to produce more. Young’s Literal Translation admirably tries to keep both the metaphor and the common use of the word with “cleanse by pruning.” In the next verse, then, I am going to try to keep the consistency, but will have to differ from most other translations. 

2. Another challenge is with the word αἴρει, which I have preliminarily translated as removes. In the comment section below, you will find a conversation that I had with Bruce MacKay about the meaning of this word, specifically whether we should go with the primary translation of "to raise up, to elevate" to see if Jesus is suggesting that the non-fruit bearing plant is trellised instead of removed. I asked a friend who works with grape growers in Sonoma Valley and while he is hesitant to suggest how to translated Greek texts, he thought the idea might be suggestive. Pruning and trellising seem much more positive as ways to respond to defunct branches than cutting off. 

3. Verse 6 below will speak of branches that have not remained on the vine, which are thrown out because they are dried up. I think I've always assumed John was being circular and repeating himself (as I often feel about John's presentation of Jesus' words), but maybe v.3 is about the weak, fruitless branch that is hanging on; while v.6 is about the branch that has left the vine. I'm only at the "maybe" stage for this thought. 

³ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν λελάληκα ὑμῖν: 

You are already pruned through the word which I have spoken to you. 

ἐστε: PAI 2p, εἰμί 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

λελάληκα: PerfAI 1s, λαλέω, 1) to utter a voice or emit a sound  2) to speak 

1. The pronoun “you” and the adjective  “pruned” are both nominative, because the verb εἰμί takes a predicate nominative.  

3. Again, most translations have “cleansed” for καθαροί here, but I am trying to keep with the metaphor surrounding this word, so I am using “pruned.” Because of that, I moved the word already so that “are … pruned” would not appear to be a linking verb/verb construction.  

4. The word “word” is singular, which I take to be composite of all the teachings that Jesus has given the disciples. In v.7 below the plural “words” will have a singular verb “abide,” reinforcing the idea that this is a collective term. 

5. It seems powerfully suggestive to me to consider that “the word” of Jesus prunes us. Later, the Spirit will be that which convicts and convinces, but this metaphor of pruning seems very promising for preaching and teaching. 

⁴μείνατεἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐὰν μὴ μένῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένητε. 

Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither are you able unless you abide in me. 

μείνατε: AAImpv 2p, μένω,  1) to remain, abide

δύναται: PPI 3s, δύναμαι, 1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and  resources

φέρειν: PAInf, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce

μένῃ: PASubj, 3s, μένω,  1) to remain, abide

μένητε: PASubj 2p, μένω,  1) to remain, abide 

1. The word “abide” seems to be a word that I only hear in this verse and some songs, including Thelonius Monk’s marvelous recording, using the sax section of his septet, of “Abide with Me.” Listen to it here and rejoice.

2. And yet, the imperative form of “abide” (or “remain”) seems to be the point where the metaphor breaks down, since branches don’t really have the choice of either remaining or departing from the vine. If a branch departs, it would be because of its own decay, a pest, or because the gardener has pruned it off. 

3. Still, the metaphor is powerful because of the literary location of this conversation. This pericope is part of a long discourse that begins with the act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet at the supper in c.13, with the teaching itself beginning with c.14. John introduces c.13 with these words: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” The discourse ends with Jesus’ prayer in c.17, which ends with these words: “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” My point is that “abiding” is a consistent them throughout the whole act, discourse, and prayer, from beginning to end.

⁵ἐγώ εἰμιἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα. ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολύν, ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθεποιεῖν οὐδέν. 

I am the vine, you the branches. The one who abides in me just as I in him is the one who will bear much fruit, because apart from me you are not able to produce anything. 

εἰμι: PAI 1s, εἰμί 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present 

μένων: PAPart nsm, μένω,  1) to remain, abide

φέρει: PAI 3s, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce

δύνασθε: PPI 2p, δύναμαι, 1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and  resources

ποιεῖν: PAInf, ποιέω 1) to make  1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct,  form, fashion, etc. 

1. It is common to translate ποιέω as “do,” but in keeping with the metaphor I think “produce” is the better choice for this verse. 

⁶ἐὰν μή τις μένῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη, καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσιν καὶ καίεται. 

If one does not abide in me, that one has been thrown out as a branch and has withered, and they gather them and throw into the fire and it is burned. 

μένῃ: PASubj, 3s, μένω,  1) to remain, abide

ἐβλήθη: API 3s, βάλλω 1) to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls  1a) to scatter, to throw, cast into

ἐξηράνθη: API 3s, ξηραίνω 1) to make dry, dry up, wither  2) to become dry, to be dry, be withered 

συνάγουσιν: PAI 3p, συνάγω 1) to gather together, to gather 

βάλλουσιν: PAI 3p βάλλω 1) to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls  1a) to scatter, to throw, cast into

καίεται: PPI 3s, καίω 1) to set on fire, light, burning  2) to burn, consume with fire

⁷ἐὰν μείνητε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν.

If you all abide in me and my words abide in you all, whatever you may resolve, require and it will come into being for you all. 

μείνητε: AASubj 2p, μένω,  1) to remain, abide

μείνῃ: AASubj 3s μένω,  1) to remain, abide

θέλητε: PASubj 2p, θέλω 1) to will, have in mind, intend 1a) to be resolved or determined, to purpose  

αἰτήσασθε: AMImpv 2p, αἰτέω, 1) to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require 

γενήσεται: FMI 3s, γίνομαι 1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

1. I am going to push the envelope on this one, looking at some of the possibilities of translating the verbs, in order to try to hear this verse freshly. I worry that too often this verse has become a magic formula, akin to a genie’s offer to grant three wishes if only you say the right words. Honestly, I think people of privilege are most inclined to see this verse as “If I am good and study my Bible, God will have to answer my prayer requests.” I believe that kind of approach completely ignores the context of both this pericope itself and the larger context in which it is situated (see v.6 n.3 above). Here are the explanations of my word choices. 

a. “You all”: The “you”s at the beginning, middle, and end of this verse are all plural. This is not a private prayer formula, but a promise to the community that has remained in Christ and in whom Christ’s word remains.

b. “Resolve”: The word θέλω is a word of intention, not quite captured with “wish,” as it is often translated. “Resolve” shows deliberation and intention, better even than “want,” in my opinion. ‘Wishing’ and ‘wanting’ too often seem to be capricious desires, different from a deliberate resolution that comes from those who remain in Christ and in whom Christ’s word remains. 

c. “Require”: This word choice may not work, because the verb is in the imperative mood and we do not think of “requiring” as a command to which one can respond. However, the fact that αἰτέω can be translated as “require” shows that it means more than “if you just ask, I will do it.” It would be more like a child asking for an egg than someone asking for a job promotion, because the ask is about something essential, not flippant, extravagant, or personally advantageous. 

d. “Will come into being”: The verb γίνομαι is always a bit of a challenge because it seems to have an implied agency and one assumes that the agency is God. There is the possibility of joyous circularity here where the ones who abide in Christ and in whom Christ’s words abide are the ones whose resolve and requirements are what God is doing. 

⁸ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου, ἵνα καρπὸν πολὺν φέρητε καὶ γένησθε ἐμοὶ μαθηταί.

In this my father is glorified, in order that you may bear much fruit and my disciples may come into being. 

ἐδοξάσθη: API 3s, δοξάζω 1) to think, suppose, be of opinion … 4) to make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor 4a) to impart glory to something

φέρητε: PASubj 2p, φέρω, 1) to carry …   3c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce

γένησθε: AMSubj 2p, γίνομαι 1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

1. I suppose my rendering of the last verb construction will come as a surprise, so here is my explanation.

a. The verb, γίνομαι, like we observed regarding εἰμί in v.3 n.2, can take a predicate in the nominative case. So, as most translations choose, the subject of the last clause could be “you” and “my disciples” could be the predicate. 

b. However, I’ve noticed something in John’s gospel. The narrator of John uses the word “disciple” (or the plural) a lot, to denote followers of Jesus (not limited to the apostles). But, Jesus only uses the word 3 times in John’s gospel that I have seen (relying only on the cross-references of thebible.org, which may not be exhaustive): 8:31, 13:35, and here. In each case, Jesus uses the conditional subjunctive mood. In 8:31, Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” In 13:35, “In this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” My point is that when Jesus is speaking, the disciples are disciples conditionally. When John uses the term (for Judas and Nicodemus, by the way), he uses it as a matter of fact. 

c. Because of that, I am translating the last clause as if the “coming into being” of the disciples is still conditional. John may be able to look back, post-resurrection, and say that indeed these are disciples (in fact, he may be arguing with Mark over this matter). But, when Jesus is speaking, it may still be a question of whether they will, in fact, remain in him.