John 15:6

If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples during the Upper Room discourse, directly following His declaration that He is the vine and they are the branches.

The words — ἐὰν μὴ (ean mē) translates literally as "if not" or "unless," and μένῃ (menē) means "remains" or "abides." These terms establish the conditional framework for the warning that follows.

The thread — The text states that unfruitful branches are gathered and burned, a sequence that aligns with Matthew 7:19 where the cutting down precedes the fire, and correctly locates the burning description in Matthew 13:42 rather than 13:41.

Why it lands — The passage states that separation from Christ leads to withering and destruction, requiring a reader to assess whether their spiritual vitality depends on His abiding presence rather than self-sustained effort.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Cross-references

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Hebrews 6:7 For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
Matthew 3:10 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Hebrews 10:27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
2 Peter 2:20 If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.
Ezekiel 19:12 But it was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped off and they withered; the fire consumed them.
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.