At the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles. He just said that if they have Jesus's words in them, what they ask for will happen.
John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.
John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
In this, this father of mine is recognized because you might produce much fruit and might become students for me.
When the Divine is recognized, we have a chance to learn something and do something.
The funny thing here is that Jesus says that if they recognize the Father, they "might" be fruitful and become his students. They probably thought they were already his students. Jesus says they "might" produce much fruit and "might" become students. Notice that the producing fruit is put BEFORE the becoming students. Productivity comes first. Biblical translations make this seem a lot more certain than Jesus did
The beginning of this verse refers ("herein," "this") to the Apostles having their requests answered.
This verse combines elements of John 15:7 (the concept of happening and becoming), John 15:5 (producing much fruit), John 14:13 (glorifying the Father), and John 13:35 (being a student). This is kind of fun and a good illustration of Jesus's use of repetition. Almost all of these connections are lost in translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "glorify" is more like "recognize."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" needed from the form of the verb is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "so" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "shall" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "be" should be something more like "become."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "my" is not a possessive pronoun but an indirect object.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "in" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "to" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "father" is not possessive.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "gory" is not a noun but a passive verb.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "glory" is more like "recognize."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" needed from the form of the verb is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "showing" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "you" is from the form of the verb, not a reflexive pronoun.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "to" indicates an infinitive which is not the verb form here.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "be" should be something more like "become."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "my" is not a possessive pronoun but an indirect object.
Here- -- The word translated as "here" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there." It often comes after the noun, emphasizing it, with the sense of "this one."
-in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here. With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
is -- This helping verb "is" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.
glorified, -- (CW) The Greek term translated as "glorified" is a word that primarily means "to imagine" and "to expect." It also means "to honor" in a sense. However, the word that it comes closest to in English is "to recognize" since that word captures both the mental "expectation" and "praising" sense of the word. The verb form also has the sense of spreading someone's good reputation, so "publicized and "proclaimed" also work. More about this word in this article.
that -- The word translated as "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." -- The word translated as "there" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," or "when."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a clause beginning with an "if" or a "when."
bear -- The verb translated as "bring" means "to bear," "to carry," "to bring," "to produce," and "to fetch." It is the root word of a lot of other verbs Jesus uses commonly, including the words that mean "bring together," "bring to," and "bring through." Its use is more like our use of the word "get."
much -- The word translated as "many" means many in number, great in power or worth, and large in size.
fruit; -- The word translated as "fruit" primary meaning is "fruit," "seed," or "offspring," but its secondary meaning is "returns," specifically, "profit," as we would say "fruit of our labors."
so -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "so" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
shall -- (CW) This helping verb "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but that the verb describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice. A "might" or "should" in English is more appropriate, but is assumed in an "if/when/whoever/except" clause. Helping verbs are not needed in Greek since the main verb carries this information in its form.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
be -- (WW) The word translated as "be" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something.
my -- (WF) The "my" is in the indirect object form of the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me,""for me," and "by me." A dative object of a preposition implies no movement, but in a fixed position, events that occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.
disciples. -- "Disciples" is from the Greek meaning "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept, but not part of the word itself.
missing "in" -- (MW) The untranslated word "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here. With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
This - -- The word translated as "this" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there."
is -- This helping verb "is" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. There is no verb "is" here.
to -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "to" in the Greek source.
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
Father's -- (WF) "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father. It is not a possessive.
glory - (WF, CW) - The Greek term translated as "glory" is a verbthat primarily means "to imagine" and "to expect." It also means "to honor" in a sense. However, the word that it comes closest to in English is "to recognize" since that word captures both the mental "expectation" and "praising" sense of the word. The verb form also has the sense of spreading someone's good reputation, so "publicized and "proclaimed" also work. More about this word in this article. This is not the noun but the verb.
that -- The word translated as "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." -- The word translated as "there" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," or "when."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a clause beginning with an "if" or a "when."
bear -- The verb translated as "bring" means "to bear," "to carry," "to bring," "to produce," and "to fetch." It is the root word of a lot of other verbs Jesus uses commonly, including the words that mean "bring together," "bring to," and "bring through." Its use is more like our use of the word "get."
much -- The word translated as "many" means many in number, great in power or worth, and large in size.
fruit; -- The word translated as "fruit" primary meaning is "fruit," "seed," or "offspring," but its secondary meaning is "returns," specifically, "profit," as we would say "fruit of our labors."
missing "and" -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
showing -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "showing" in the Greek source.
yourselves -- (WF) This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb. It is not the reflexive pronoun.
to -- (WF) This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English. However, this following verb is not an infinitive.
be -- (WW) The word translated as "be" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." It is not a participle but an activeverb
my -- (WF) The "my" is in the indirect object form of the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me,""for me," and "by me." A dative object of a preposition implies no movement, but in a fixed position, events that occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.
disciples. -- "Disciples" is from the Greek meaning "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept, but not part of the word itself.
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during."
τούτῳ [93 verses](adj sg masc/neut dat) "That" is touto, which means "from here," "from there," "this [thing] there," or "that [person] here."
ἐδοξάσθη [18 verses] (verb 3rd sg aor ind pass) "Is glorified" is doxazo, which primarily means "to think", "to expect", "to imagine," or "to suppose." Secondarily, it means "to magnify" or "to extol," which is where we get the "glorify" used most often in NT translation. The English term "to recognize" carries the same sense of both seeing a person in the mind and honoring them.
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
πατὴρ [191 verses](noun sg masc nom) "The Father" is pater, which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers."
μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "My" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when," but when beginning a phrase "that," "in order that," "when," and "because."
καρπὸν [32 verses](sg masc acc) "Fruit" is karpos, which means "fruit," "the fruits of the earth," "seed," "offspring," "returns for profit," and "reward."
πολὺν [61 verses](adj sg masc acc) "Many" is polys, which means "many (in number)," "great (in size or power or worth)," and "large (of space)." As an adverb, it means "far," "very much," "a great way," and "long."
φέρητε [16 verses](verb 2nd pl pres subj act) "Bear" is phero, which means "to bear," "to carry," "to bring," "to produce," and "to fetch."
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "So" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
γένησθε [117 verses](verb 2nd pl pres subj act) "You shall be" is ginomai, which means "to become," "to come into being," "to happen," of things "to be produced," of events "happen," "take place," "come to pass," "to be engaged in," math "to be multiplied into," "become one of," "turn into."and "to be." It means changing into a new state of being. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi) which indicates existence in the same state.
ἐμοὶ [96 verses](pron 1st sg masc/fem dat) "My" is moi (emoi) , which can be the object of some prepositions and as the object of a verb means "to me" "for me," and "by me."
μαθηταί. [13 verses](noun pl masc nom) "Disciples" is mathetes, which means "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice."