This true vine (the Son) with its branches (the believers in the Son) is the organism of the Triune God in God's economy. This organism grows with His riches and expresses His divine life.

The Greek word means cultivator of the soil, land-worker, farmer (2 Tim. 2:6; James 5:7; Matt. 21:33). The Father as the husbandman is the source, the author, the planner, the planter, the life, the substance, the soil, the water, the air, the sunshine, and everything to the vine. The Son as the vine is the center of God's economy and the embodiment of all the riches of the Father. The Father, by cultivating the Son, works Himself with all His riches into the vine, and eventually the vine expresses the Father in a corporate way through its branches. This is the Father's economy in the universe.

Lit., cleanses.

Lit., from.

For a branch to be cast out means that it is cut off from participation in the riches of the life of the vine.

See note John 6:63³.

When we abide in the Lord and let His words abide in us, we actually are one with Him, and He works within us. Then, when we ask in prayer for whatever we will, it is not only we who are praying; He too is praying, in our praying. This kind of prayer is related to fruit-bearing (v. 8) and will surely be answered. See note John 15:16².

In fruit-bearing the Father's divine life is expressed; hence, He is glorified.

When we abide in the Lord, He speaks His instant words within us. These words are His commandments to us. If we keep those commandments, it shows that we love Him; it is thus that we will abide in His love.

Being branches of the divine vine and bearing fruit to express the divine life are matters of joy, and they also issue in a joyful life.

The Greek word here means soul, soul-life.

We were wild branches, and through faith we have been grafted into Christ. Here the Lord said that He set us. This fits the thought of grafting.

The Greek word for go forth means to depart, implying to leave for another place; hence, it is rendered go forth. It is the same Greek word as that for go in John 14:4 and John 16:5. The fruit borne by going forth in this way does not denote the virtues of the fruit-bearer's character, such as the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the believer's living, mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23, but it denotes the believers produced by the fruit-bearer. This corresponds with the subject of this section, 12:20—17:26, which is Christ's multiplication. The virtues we possess through our abiding in the Lord cannot be counted as Christ's multiplication. Only the believers that we produce in the Lord are the tangible multiplication of Christ. The Father's house in ch. 14, the true vine in this chapter, and the man-child in ch. 16 are all related to the multiplication of Christ.

After we go forth to produce believers in the Lord, we need to care for them. The best way is to set up meetings in their homes to cover and protect them that they may be cared for by being nourished and taught, and may become the remaining fruit, living in the branches of the true vine, that is, in the Body of Christ, to be Christ's increase.

The same Greek word used for abide in this chapter.

To ask in the Lord's name requires us to abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us that we may actually be one with Him. Then when we ask, He asks in our asking. This kind of asking is related to fruit-bearing and will surely be answered by the Father. See note John 15:7².

This is to love one another in the Lord's life, the divine life, in the Lord's love, and in His commission of fruit-bearing. Life is the source, love is the condition, and fruit-bearing is the goal. If we all live by the Lord's life as the source, in the Lord's love as the condition, and for fruit-bearing as the goal, we surely will love one another. Having different sources of life, different conditions, or different goals will separate us and prevent us from loving one another.

Lit., out of.

The sense in Greek is from with (see note John 1:14⁵). The Spirit of reality, who is sent by the Son from the Father, comes not only from the Father but also with the Father. The Father is the source. When this Spirit comes from the source, He does not leave the source but comes with the source. This Spirit, sent by the Son and coming with the Father, testifies concerning the Son. Therefore, His testimony concerning the Son is a matter of the Triune God.