15:8a–c
This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples: There are three ways that English translations understand the relationship between these two verb phrases:
(1) Bearing (producing) much fruit will show or prove that they are Jesus’ disciples. For example:
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. (Revised Standard Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, English Standard Version, New Century Version, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word)
(2) Becoming Jesus’ disciples is the result of bearing much fruit. For example:
My Father’s glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples. (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004))
(3) Both bearing much fruit (being fruitful) and becoming Jesus’ disciples glorify God. For example:
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit and be my disciples. (New Jerusalem Bible)
(New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and most English translations.
15:8a
This is to My Father’s glory: This clause here means that God is shown to be great and wonderful. See Key Biblical Terms Glory, Glorious, Glorify, C 3. God’s greatness would be revealed, and people would see that he deserves honor. In Greek this clause is passive, and there are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
This is how my Father is glorified (Revised English Bible)
-or-
My Father is honored by this (NET Bible)
• Use an active verb. For example:
This brings great glory to my Father. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
You give glory to my Father when (God’s Word)
This: The pronoun This refers ahead to the next clause: God is glorified when his people bear much fruit. In some languages it is more natural to put 15:8b before 15:8a. For an example of that, see the General Comment following the note on 15:8b.
15:8b
that you bear much fruit: This clause continues the metaphor begun in 15:1. It means “that/when you produce fruit (fruit of the Spirit, new believers) by abiding (remaining) in me.” God is glorified because he is the source of the fruit. See the note at 15:2a and how you translated this idea in 15:2, 4, 5. For example:
when you produce a lot of fruit (God’s Word)
General Comment on 15:8a–b
In some languages it is more natural to put 15:8b before 15:8a. For example:
8b If you bear much fruit, 8a it will glorify my Father.
-or-
8b When you produce a lot of good fruit, 8a my Father is glorified.
15:8c
proving yourselves to be My disciples: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proving yourselves to be My disciples here refers to showing that one is a disciple by behaving as true disciples. By bearing good fruit in their lives, Jesus’ disciples show that they follow him. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
and so prove to be my disciples (English Standard Version)
-or-
showing yourselves to be my disciples (New International Version)
-or-
show that you are my followers (New Century Version)
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