This article is #1 in a series on how modern theologians have changed or added to the clear teachings of Scripture. For an introduction to the series, click here.

Scripture was written for the common person to read and understand. The Gospel of John in particular, addressed to the entire world, was penned using simple words, simple phrases, and simple thought patterns. Origen, a third-century apologist and martyr, wrote that this Gospel “has been committed to the earthly treasure house of common speech – a writing that anybody can read. And when it is read aloud, it can be understood by anyone.”

Despite the simplicity of this Gospel, many theologians assume that the words of John (and the words of Jesus) are hard to understand and must be explained (or, when necessary, reinterpreted). J. Vernon McGee, in his introductory notes to John on Blue Letter Bible, writes: “The simplicity of language has caused some to label John’s record as the ‘simple Gospel.’ The fact that so many monosyllabic and disyllabic words occur has deceived many. This is the most profound Gospel, and the most difficult to fathom its meaning.”

Theologians have had a notoriously difficult time “fathoming the meaning” of John 15:6. Here is the entire passage for context, with verse 6 in bold:

• “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” – John 15:1-8

The meaning of this verse is plain to the average reader, as it was to the early Christians. (Their perspective will be given later.) However, theologians seem to have difficulty explaining it. Notice that these best-selling commentaries (1) explain very clearly that Jesus did NOT mean exactly what He said, (2) are unsure what the verse actually means, and (3) differ greatly from each other in interpretation. (Underlining is added for emphasis in the following quotations.)

MacArthur New Testament Commentary: John 12-21 by John MacArthur

• “A very different fate awaits the branches that do not bear fruit. Because they are detrimental to the health of the vine, the vinedresser would cut off the dry, lifeless, withered branches. In the Lord’s analogy, the vinedresser (the Father) takes the unregenerate false branches away from their superficial attachment to the vine, and they are thrown away. The reference here is not, as some imagine, to true Christians losing their salvation, nor are these fruitless but genuine Christians (an impossibility, as we have seen). That these branches bear no fruit marks them as unbelieving, false disciples since, as noted previously, all true Christians bear fruit. . . . Those whose profession of faith is false, like Judas, will be fruitless and ultimately cast into eternal torment in hell.”

According to MacArthur, this verse refers to those who profess Christ but are not genuine Christians, and the fire mentioned in the verse refers to eternal condemnation.

John Chapters 11-21: Thru the Bible Commentary Series by J. Vernon McGee

• “This passage is directed to believers, to those who are already in Christ. Jesus is not talking about how a person gets saved. He is not actually talking about salvation at all in this passage. Rather, He is talking about fruit-bearing. . . . ‘Oh-oh,’ somebody says, ‘that sounds as if you lose your salvation.’ No, remember this passage is not talking about salvation but about fruit-bearing. It is talking about that which is the result of being saved. . . . If a branch does not bear fruit, how does He take it away? One of the ways He removes it is by taking such a person away from the place of fruit-bearing. I know many who have been set aside today because they were no longer effective for God. There are ministers like that and there are lay people like that. Removing such a branch does not mean they lose their salvation, but they are taken away from the place of fruit-bearing. . . . Wood, hay, and stubble will go up in smoke. This is the same as our verse which says the works will be cast into the fire and burned.”

Evidently MacArthur was wrong, and Jesus is referring not to salvation but to bearing fruit (even though He connected bearing fruit with being a disciple in verse 8). According to McGee, being “thrown into the fire and burned” means that those who are not bearing fruit are not allowed to bear fruit anymore (even though Jesus clearly commands His disciples to bear fruit).

In an article on Blue Letter Bible entitled “Is it Possible For a Saved Person Ever to be Lost?” McGee adds regarding this verse:

• “If in this unfruitful condition you are cut off and taken to heaven, then you will not have any works to present to God at all. . . . So here we have the two ends in view: That of believers who live for God and whose lives crown Him, and that of other believers who do not live for God and whose lives crucify Him.”

How is it possible for a person to crucify Christ by his life and remain a believer? Can you picture Jesus making that statement?

John 12-21: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (The New American Commentary) by Gerald L. Borchert

• “Failure to produce fruit brings a severe warning concerning the certain end of unfruitfulness. Employing the indefinite pronoun tis (‘anyone, someone’), the evangelist separates any unfruitful person from the faithful, persevering, fruitful disciples/branches and indicates that such a person is thrown away and withers. The verbs here are in the aorist indicative . . . to indicate certainty of action or customary action (the gnomic sense). It is almost as though the evangelist is treating unfruitfulness, either present or future, as already resolved. . . . Readers should not jump to the conclusion that fire here symbolizes the ‘judgment of Gehenna.’ . . . Unlike olive wood, the cuttings of the vineyard are good for nothing except burning. That was the judgment of Ezekiel when he likened Jerusalem to fruitless vines (Ezek. 15:1-6), and that is the judgment of fruitless disciples in this core metaphorical picture of John.”

Ah, yes. Waxing eloquent about the Greek is a sure way to divert attention from a difficult verse. Notice that Borchert never addresses whether Jesus is referring to salvation or fruit-bearing – or what the fire is. In fact, he seems to have little idea what Jesus actually means – only that He does NOT mean eternal condemnation.

Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary by John Phillips

• “A vine branch no longer attached to the vine is useless. Vine wood cannot be used for making furniture, for building, or for making a kitchen utensil. It will not even serve as a peg on which to hang a hat. A vine branch that does not bear grapes is worthless. The Lord now depicts the fate of a branch severed from the vine. It withers. It is cast into the fire. It is burned. . . . The Lord’s warning here is equally adamant: ‘Men gather them,’ he says, ‘and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ No clue is given as to who the ‘men’ are or as to what or where the ‘fire’ is. The Lord leaves it thus, so that the mysteriousness and horror of it can do its own work of penetrating the conscience. Surely Judas, his imminent deed, and his impending doom were in the Lord’s mind.”

Evidently Phillips could have used some help from Borchert in analyzing the Greek – because the word “men” exists only in the King James Version and is nowhere to be found in the Greek. Phillips likewise has no clue what the fire is or what Jesus could possibly mean.

“Glorifying God by Bearing Fruit in Union with Christ” (sermon from Desiring God) by John Piper

• “The key is to realize that in the Gospel of John there are believers who are not true believers (2:23). And there are disciples who are not true disciples (6:66). And there is the chosen twelve, and one of them is a devil (6:70), and Jesus knew it from the beginning when he chose him (6:64). And in the same way there are branches who are not true branches. They are ‘in me,’ but not truly ‘in me.’ . . . So my answer to the question – Can a person be born again and then lost? Can a person be child of God through faith and then lost? Can a person be one of Christ’s sheep and then not his sheep? Can a disciple be a true disciple and then not a disciple? – my answer is no. The branches that are broken off are the so-called believers of John 2:23 and 8:30, and the so-called disciples of John 6:66, and the Judas of John 6:65. They are the vine, ‘in me,’ but not truly in me. . . . ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.’ Abiding in the vine does not make you a true disciple. It proves you are one.”

So Jesus meant something different when He said “in me” than He did when He said “in me.” Piper, ever the theological mastermind, seems to be agreeing with MacArthur that those who are “thrown into the fire and burned” were pretenders but were never truly saved.

The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament by Warren Wiersbe

• “A true branch, united with the vine, will always bear fruit. Not every branch bears a bumper crop, just as not every field has a bumper harvest (Matt. 13:8, 23), but there is always fruit where there is life. If there is no fruit, the branch is worthless and it is cast away and burned. I do not believe our Lord is teaching here that true believers can lose their salvation, for this would contradict what He taught in John 6:37 and 10:27-30. It is unwise to build a theological doctrine on a parable or allegory. Jesus was teaching one main truth – the fruitful life of the believer – and we must not press the details too much. Just as an unfruitful branch is useless, so an unfruitful believer is useless, and both must be dealt with. It is a tragic thing for a once-fruitful believer to backslide and lose his privilege of fellowship and service. If anything, John 15:6 describes divine discipline rather than eternal destiny.”

Where is the Biblical justification for (1) ignoring a passage because it is a parable, (2) ignoring the details because a passage supposedly teaches only one main point, or (3) ignoring the clear words of Jesus because we can’t explain them away? Apparently, Piper needs to go back to seminary because Wiersbe is certain that this verse has nothing to do with eternity.

In The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets, Wiersbe adds concerning this verse:

• “Those of us who are branches in Jesus Christ, the true vine, need to take this lesson to heart. If we fail to abide in Christ, we lose our spiritual power, wither, and fail to bear fruit for His glory. The fruitless branch is tossed aside and eventually burned (John 15:6). I don’t think this burning means condemnation in the lake of fire, for no true believer can be condemned for sins for which Jesus died (John 6:37; 10:27-29; Rom. 8:1). The image of the burning branch is that of a worthless life, a life useless to God.”

In one commentary, Wiersbe says that the fire refers to divine discipline; and in another, it means the person’s life is worthless. Is he… makin’ stuff up?

Everyone is adamant about what Jesus couldn’t have meant, but no one seems to know what Jesus did mean! What if He meant exactly what He said (which, ironically, is the one thing these six commentators are sure He didn’t mean) – that those who do not abide in Him are thrown away, withered, thrown into the fire, and burned? (Does that sound like the eternal destiny of a saved person?)

Not surprisingly, the early Christians understood John 15:6 and similar verses to mean exactly what they say:

• “The tree is made manifest by its fruit. So those who profess themselves to be Christians will be recognized by their conduct. . . . It is better for a man to be silent and be a Christian than to talk and not be one.” – Ignatius (c. 105)
• “The apostates and traitors of the church have blasphemed the Lord in their sins. Moreover, they have been ashamed of the name of the Lord by which they were called. These persons, therefore, at the end were lost unto God.” – Hermas (c. 150)
• “And let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to be no Christians, even though they profess with the lip the precepts of Christ; for not those who make profession, but those who do the works, shall be saved, according to His word: ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ [Matt. 7:21].” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “With respect to obedience and doctrine, we are not all the sons of God. Rather, it is only those who truly believe in Him and do His will. Now, those who do not believe and do not obey His will are sons and angels of the devil. . . . Those who do not obey Him, being disinherited by Him, have ceased to be His sons.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “We should fear ourselves, lest perchance, after [we have come to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further forgiveness of sins, but are shut out from His kingdom. And for that reason, Paul said, ‘For if [God] spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also not spare you’ [Rom. 11:21]. . . . It was not to those who are on the outside that he said these things, but to us – lest we should be cast forth from the kingdom of God by doing any such thing.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “The world returned to sin . . . and so it is destined to fire. So is the man who after baptism renews his sins.” – Tertullian (c. 198)
• “God had foreseen . . . that faith – even after baptism – would be endangered. He saw that most persons – after obtaining salvation – would be lost again, by soiling the wedding dress, by failing to provide oil for their torches.” – Tertullian (c. 213)
• “A man may possess an acquired righteousness, from which it is possible for him to fall away.” – Origen (c. 225)
• “Being a believing man, if you seek to live as the Gentiles do, the joys of the world remove you from the grace of Christ.” – Commodianus (c. 240)
• “To whomever does good . . . the Ruler Himself will certainly give true rest, for the tares are burned with fire. . . . In the Word of the Lord, the fig tree without fruit was cursed, and immediately it withered away. You do no works . . . yet you vainly think you will deserve well of the Lord.” – Commodianus (c. 240)
• “The quarrelsome and disunited . . . will not be able to escape the crime of brotherly dissension. For it is written, ‘He who hates his brother is a murderer’ [1 John 3:15]. And no murderer attains to the kingdom of heaven, nor does he live with God. A person cannot be with Christ if he had rather be an imitator of Judas than of Christ. How great is the sin that cannot even be washed away by a baptism of blood!” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “A son . . . who deserts his father in order not to pay him obedience is considered deserving of being disinherited and of having his name removed forever from his family. How much more so does a person [deserve to be disinherited] who forsakes God? . . . Of what punishments, therefore, is he deserving who forsakes Him who is both the true Master and Father?” – Lactantius (c. 304-313)
• “He who sins after his baptism, unless he repents and forsakes his sins, will be condemned to Gehenna.” – Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c. 390)

The early Christians clearly taught that those who continue to follow Jesus’ teachings will be saved, and those who do not will be condemned. Cyprian, a third-century believer from Carthage, North Africa, shows that this principle underlies the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments:

• “Those who are snatched from the jaws of the devil and delivered from the snares of this world should not return to the world again, lest they should lose the advantage of their leaving it in the first place. . . . The Lord admonishes us of this in His Gospel. He taught that we should not return again to the devil and to the world, for we have renounced them and have escaped from them. He says, ‘No man looking back after putting his hand to the plough is fit for the kingdom of God’ [Luke 9:62]. And again, ‘Let him that is in the field not return back. Remember Lot’s wife’ [Luke 17:31-32]. . . .
• “So we must press on and persevere in faith and virtue. We must complete the heavenly and spiritual grace so that we may attain to the palm and the crown. In the book of Chronicles it says, ‘The Lord is with you so long as you also are with him; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you’ [2 Chron. 15:2]. Also in Ezekiel, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in whatever day that he may transgress’ [Ezek. 33:12]. Furthermore, in the Gospel, the Lord speaks and says, ‘He that endures to the end, the same will be saved [Matt. 24:13]. And again, ‘If you will abide in my word, you will be my disciples indeed’ [John 8:31]. . . .
• “In the gospel according to Matthew: ‘Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire’ [Matt. 3:10]. . . . Even a baptized person loses the grace that he has attained unless he remains innocent. In the Gospel according to John: ‘Look, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you’ [John 5:14]. Also in the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: ‘Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God abides in you? If anyone violates the temple of God, God will destroy him’ [1 Cor. 3:16-17]. Of this same thing in the Chronicles: ‘God is with you while you are with Him. If you forsake Him, He will forsake you’ [2 Chron. 15:2].”

Why does it take thousands of commentary pages to tell us that Jesus didn’t mean what He said, when in fact He meant exactly what He said? Rather than reinterpreting His teachings, the early Christians accepted His words at face value – and then they went and did as He commanded. It is time for us to do likewise.