“Where this controversy is concerned, I only know that I don’t want to find out the hard way which interpretation is correct.”

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away . . .”

John 15:1-2

I’ve been researching these few verses today.

That Jesus is the true vine is irrefutable.

What Jesus means when he says that those branches which don’t bear fruit are “taken away” is debated among Bible teachers and scholars. The two English words “taken away”are communicated with one Greek word in the original, and that Greek word is airo. It usually means “to lift up”. Some scholars say Jesus means that if you don’t bear fruit you’ll be taken away. Others say if you don’t bear fruit you’ll be lifted up in a way that will help you to connect with the vine better, so you can begin to bear fruit. Read More