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I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 · New American Standard Bible · underlined terms are tappable
Parallel translations
  • WEB I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
  • KJV I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
  • BSB I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
  • NKJV “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
  • NLT “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus is the vine and believers the branches; those who abide in Him bear much fruit, for apart from Him they can do nothing. Fruitfulness flows entirely from union with Christ.

Overview

This central statement makes the dependence absolute: 'apart from me you can do nothing' of lasting spiritual worth. The one who abides in Christ, and Christ in him, bears 'much fruit,' which includes Christlike character, good works, and witness. The verse humbles human self-sufficiency and exalts Christ as the indispensable source of all genuine fruitfulness.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 27

  • Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
  • Col 1:10that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
  • John 15:16You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
  • Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
  • Prov 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.
  • 2 Cor 13:8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
  • John 5:19Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise.
  • Jas 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
  • 2 Pet 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
  • John 12:24Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
  • Rom 7:4Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.
  • Phil 1:11being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
  • John 9:33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
  • 2 Pet 1:2–18Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
  • Luke 13:6–9He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.
  • Phil 4:17Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.
  • Rom 6:22But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.
  • Acts 4:12There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
  • 1 Cor 12:27Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
  • 1 Pet 2:4coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
  • 1 Cor 12:12For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
  • Eph 5:9for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,
  • 2 Cor 9:10Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
  • Col 1:6which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
  • Rom 12:5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
  • 1 Cor 10:16The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?
  • Hos 4:8They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (11)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 15:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 15:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.