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by his own choice estranged from it. 285 Jo 15, 4-5 From these things it is clear, that each one by his own choice remains in the vine and departs. Therefore He does not draw by necessity, but exhorts by choice. The one therefore who is not in him, but has cut himself off through his own wickedness, remains fruitless for the rest, like the branch that is cut off. 286 Jo 15, 5-6 The Lord calls himself the vine and his disciples branches, teaching that they cannot do anything of value unless they partake of the sap from the root. And just as the worthy one through his own virtue bears fruit, being nourished from the root, so the idle one is cut off and, as no longer able to bear fruit, is handed over to the fire. 287 Jo 15, 7 Through what He promises to give, He shows that the way of piety will not be unprofitable for the saints. 288 Jo 15, 8 For He says that the Father has been glorified in the disciples' bearing of much fruit; for the fruit of the disciples is understood in different ways, sometimes taken to mean the works of righteousness according to their manner of life, and at other times the nations coming to the knowledge of God through their apostolic grace and teaching, both having been accomplished by the disciples for the glory of God. 289 Jo 15, 12 By adding "as I have loved you," He signified the excellence of evangelical love and the increase of the commandment and its newness, which is to love one's friends more than oneself. 290 Jo 15, 15 Because of their progress in virtue, having surpassed the measure of servants, He calls them friends. Therefore He says that, loving you sincerely, He hid nothing from you of what was owed. 291 col1 Jo 15, 16 By grace you were called to the dignity of the apostolate and were appointed teachers of the whole inhabited world, so as to bring forth much fruit to the master in a harvest through the multitude of believers. And in many places the evangelists compared those who obey the angelic word to the fruit-bearing of wheat, just as He also now says this to the disciples; for they could not have otherwise achieved their purpose and brought forth such a fruit of abundance according to faith, unless the Father himself had given them heavenly gifts when they asked and had provided wondrous powers in the name of the only-begotten. For by grace they were called to the dignity of the apostolate, so that, having been shown to be teachers of the inhabited world, they might bring forth much fruit to the Lord through the multitude of the faithful, which they were able to do by asking the Father in the name of the Son to strengthen them. 292 Jo 15, 17-18 Knowing that they were about to be hated by all, He urges them to have love for one another, so that through this they may stand against Jews and Greeks, for the overthrow of whom the evangelical proclamation also was. 293 Jo 15, 18-19 Wishing to bring them to harmony, He imposed on them the security of love as an unbreakable bond, so that, fortified by such concord in their disposition toward one another, they might be able to stand against the hatred of the world; for since their proclamation and their teaching were for the overthrow of all error, it was a consequence for them to receive terrible hatred from the unbelievers. Therefore, arming them with harmony, He sets their love against the hatred of the world, that is, of wicked men, but lest, as men, they should consider the hatred from the wicked to be unbearable, He reminds them of his own circumstances, saying: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you," so that, learning that they did not spare even the master himself, they too might more eagerly endure the hatred in imitation of the teacher. Next, comforting them as was possible, He puts forward plausible reasonings, saying: "If you were of the world, the world would love its own;" for having chosen you from among wicked men, through faith and the virtue of your life, I have made you completely alien to them; for your citizenship is no longer on earth, but in the heavens. 294 Jo 15, 19 He calls the wicked "the world," from whom the Lord separated them through believing in him and doing the things of godliness

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οἰκείᾳ προαιρέσει ἀλλοτριούμενος αὐτῆς. 285 Jo 15, 4-5 Ἐκ τούτων δῆλον, ὅτι ἕκαστος προαιρέσει ἰδίᾳ μένει ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ καὶ ἀφίσταται. διὸ οὐκ ἀναγκαστικῶς ἕλκει, ἀλλὰ προαιρετικῶς παραινεῖ. ὁ οὖν μὴ ὢν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ δι' οἰκείαν κακίαν ἑαυτὸν ἀποσχίσας ἄκαρπος μένει τοῦ λοιποῦ ὡς τὸ κλῆμα τὸ ἐκκοπέν. 286 Jo 15, 5-6 Ἄμπελον ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ ὁ κύριος καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς κλήματα διδάσκων, ὅτι οὐ δύνανταί τι πρᾶξαι δόκιμον μὴ τῆς ἰκμάδος μετέχοντες τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ῥίζης. ὥσπερ δὲ ὁ δόκιμος διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς φέρει τὸν καρπὸν πιαινόμενος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης, οὕτως ὁ ἀργὸς ἐκκόπτεται καὶ ὡς μηκέτι δυνάμενος καρπο φορεῖν πυρὶ παραδίδοται. 287 Jo 15, 7 ∆ι' ὧν ἐπαγγέλλεται δώσειν δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνόνητος ἔσται τοῖς ἁγίοις τῆς εὐσεβείας ἡ ὁδός. 288 Jo 15, 8 Ἐν γὰρ τῷ πολὺν καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν τοὺς μαθητὰς δεδοξάσθαι τὸν πατέρα φησίν· ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τῶν μαθητῶν διαφόρως νοεῖται, ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων τῆς κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν δικαιοσύνης λαμβανόμενος, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ ἐρχομένων διὰ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς αὐτῶν χάριτος καὶ διδασκα λίας, ἀμφότερα ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν κατορθωθέντα εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ. 289 Jo 15, 12 Προσθεὶς τὸ καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς τὸ ἐξαίρετον ἐσήμανε τῆς εὐαγγε λικῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς τὴν αὔξησιν καὶ τὸ καινὸν αὐτῆς τὸ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς φίλους. 290 Jo 15, 15 Ὡς διὰ τὴν προκοπὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ τῶν δούλων ὑπερβάντας μέτρον φίλους ὀνομάζει. διό φησιν ὡς εἰλικρινῶς ὑμᾶς ἀγαπῶν οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς τῶν ὀφειλομένων ἀπέκρυψα. 291 col1 Jo 15, 16 Χάριτι εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀποστολῆς ἀξίωμα ἐκλήθητε καὶ διδάσκαλοι τῆς ὅλης οἰκουμένης κατέστητε ὥσπερ ἐν θερισμῷ πολὺν τὸν καρπὸν διὰ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πιστευόντων ἐνεγκεῖν τῷ δεσπότῃ. πολλαχοῦ δὲ τῶν εὐαγγελι στῶν τοὺς ὑπακούοντας τῷ ἀγγελικῷ λόγῳ τῇ τοῦ σίτου παρεπλησίασε καρποφορίᾳ ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦτό φησιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλως τοῦ σκοποῦ περιγενέσθαι ἠδύναντο καὶ τοJoῦτον καρπὸν τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν εὐφορίας ἐνεγκεῖν, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ὁ πατὴρ αἰτοῦσιν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπουράνια χαρίσ ματα ἐδίδου καὶ τὰς τεραστίους δυνά μεις ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ μονογενοῦς παρεῖχεν. Χάριτι γὰρ ἐκλήθησαν εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀποστολῆς ἀξίωμα, ἵνα διδάσκαλοι τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀναδειχθέντες πολὺν καρπὸν ἐνέγκωσι τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πιστῶν, ὅπερ ἴσχυσαν ποιῆσαι ἐν τῷ ὀνό ματι τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸν πατέρα αἰτοῦντες ἰσχυροποιῆσαι αὐτούς. 292 Jo 15, 17-18 Εἰδώς, ὅτι ἤμελλον ὑπὸ πάντων μισεῖσθαι παρεγγυᾷ αὐτοῖς ἔχειν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγάπην, ἵνα διὰ ταύτης ἀντιστῶσιν Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησιν, ὧν καὶ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ἦν τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα. 293 Jo 15, 18-19 Βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς πρὸς ὁμοφροσύνην ἀγαγεῖν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀσφά λειαν δεσμὸν αὐτοῖς ἀρραγῆ ἐπέβαλεν, ὅπως διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης συμπνοίας φραξά μενοι τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαθέσει ἀντιστῆναι δυνηθῶσι πρὸς τὸ μῖJoς τοῦ κόσμου· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία πρὸς καθαίρεσιν πάσης πλάνης ἐγίνετο, ἀκόλουθον ἦν αὐτοῖς δεινὸν μῖJoς τὸ παρὰ τῶν ἀπίστων ὑποδέξασθαι. ὅθεν ὁπλίζων αὐτοὺς τῇ ὁμοφροσύνῃ ἀντιτίθησιν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀγάπην τῷ μίσει τοῦ κόσμου, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀφόρητον εἶναι νομίσωσι τὸ ἐκ τῶν πονηρῶν μῖJoς, τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὑπομιμνήσκει αὐτοὺς λέγων· εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε, ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν, ὅπως μαθόντες ὡς οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δεσπότου ἐφείσαντο, προθυμότερον καὶ αὐτοὶ κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ διδασκάλου ὑπομένωσι τὸ μῖJoς. ἑξῆς δὲ αὐτοὺς ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν παραμυθούμενος τοὺς εἰκότας λογισμοὺς προβάλλεται φάσκων· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν πονηρῶν ὑμᾶς ἐκλεξάμενος ἀνθρώπων διὰ τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς τοῦ βίου ἀρετῆς παντελῶς ἀλλοτρίους ἐκείνους κατέστησα· οὐκέτι γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐν γῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὸ πολίτευμα. 294 Jo 15, 19 Κόσμον λέγει τοὺς πονηρούς, ὧν αὐτοὺς ὁ κύριος ἀπέσχισε διὰ τοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν καὶ ποιεῖν τὰ τῆς θεοσεβοῦς