John 15:4 (YLT)

Passage

remain in me, and I in you, as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, if it may not remain in the vine, so neither ye, if ye may not remain in me.

Nearby Context

John 15:2 every branch in me not bearing fruit, He doth take it away, and every one bearing fruit, He doth cleanse by pruning it, that it may bear more fruit;

John 15:3 already ye are clean, because of the word that I have spoken to you;

John 15:4 remain in me, and I in you, as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, if it may not remain in the vine, so neither ye, if ye may not remain in me.

John 15:5 `I am the vine, ye the branches; he who is remaining in me, and I in him, this one doth bear much fruit, because apart from me ye are not able to do anything;

John 15:6 if any one may not remain in me, he was cast forth without as the branch, and was withered, and they gather them, and cast to fire, and they are burned;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "remain", "branch", "able", "bear", "fruit", "vine", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "remain" and "branch", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "already ye are clean because of the..." into verse 5's "I am the vine ye the branches...", so "remain" and "branch" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "remain" and "branch" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.