"The Vine and Branches": John's Gospel

This month our Quaker Bible study will focus on John 15. This seems very fitting since John's Gospel is central to our Quaker theology, particularly our doctrine of the Inner Light. For more about Quakers and the Gospel of John, see my blog: http://laquaker.blogspot.com/2012/07/quaker-view-of-johns-gospel.html.  This blog entry describes a Bible study which was inspired by Mennonite peace activist Bert Newton’s book The Subversive Wisdom of John’s Gospel.

“John’s Gospel is known as the Quaker gospel because the universal Light is central, extending across all worldly barriers of class, gender, and race. Jesus is a model for us – of humility and obedience.”—David Johnson, Australia YM

“The three pathfinders of early Quakerism were George Fox, Robert Barclay, and William Penn. All three based their theology on the gospel of John.”—Howard Brinton.

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The Vine and the Branches: John 15

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear friend he prunes so that it was be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

Queries: 

Have you ever felt connected to God/Christ? What was this experience like?

How has this feeling of connection with Christ/God/your Inner Light helped you to be "fruitful" in doing acts of loving kindness?

How has God "pruned" away from you things that are unloving and unproductive of good works?

Jesus says that if you love others, you are no longer his servant, but his friends. Do you feel as if you are on friendly terms with Jesus/God? If not, what do you feel is preventing you from having this intimate and close relationship?

Did you find anything in this passage troubling or problematic? What troubled you?