Abiding in Christ¶
John 15:1-11 is the center of the case. This section reads it closely: the vine, the branches, the imperative to remain, the fruit, the pruning, the warning, and the joy.
The pages¶
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| The vine and the branches | The setting, the OSAS readings, and the argument of John 15:1-8. |
| Remain in me | The meaning of menō ("abide, remain") and the shape of a life that stays. |
| Fruit and pruning | The vinedresser's two actions, the fruit of the Spirit, and the purpose of pruning. |
| Apart from me you can do nothing | Dependence, not passivity; why the branch cannot manufacture its own life. |
| If you do not remain | The warning of verse 6 and the fire: what the text says and what it does not. |
| Joy, love, and prayer | The goal of abiding: love, joy, friendship, and answered prayer. |
The heart of it¶
The branch is in the vine. It is commanded to remain. It is warned that not remaining leads to being thrown away and burned. The passage does not say the branch was never in the vine; it says the branch did not remain. That is the whole case in one image.