independentrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The true vine — abiding and fruit-bearing 15:1–8
vv. 1–3 — the vine, the vinedresser, and the already-clean disciples
1
Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή,independent — the seventh and last predicate ἐγώ εἰμι saying — ἀληθινή sets the real vine against Israel the failed one (Ps 80:8–16; Isa 5:1–7; Jer 2:21); no verb of saying anywhere in the chapter: the discourse runs on from 14:31
καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.independent — the second character — the Father as γεωργός, the one who tends, lifts, and prunes
2
πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπόν,phrase modifier — casus pendens, suspended and resumed by αὐτό — forward-leaning on αἴρει; ἐν ἐμοί read with κλῆμα (even the fruitless branch is 'in me')
αἴρει αὐτό,independent — the αἴρει crux — 'take away' (removal) or 'lift up' (the vinedresser raising a trailing branch); the pun with καθαίρει and καθαροί (v. 3) is deliberate
καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον,phrase modifier — the answering casus pendens, forward-leaning on καθαίρει
καθαίρει αὐτό,independent — καθαίρω only here in the NT — 'cleanse, prune'; both branches get the knife, to opposite ends
ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ.purpose — the goal of pruning — πλείονα, the first step of the chapter's progression: fruit, more fruit, much fruit (vv. 2, 5, 8)
3
ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγονindependent — the metaphor applied — καθαροί picks up καθαίρει; the cleansing agent is not a knife but the word (cf. 13:10)
ὃν λελάληκα ὑμῖν.relative — intensive perfect λελάληκα — the spoken word stands with ongoing effect
vv. 4–5 — the mutual abiding: no fruit apart from the vine
4
μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί,independent — the central imperative — μένω, the chapter's governing word (ten occurrences)
κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν.independent — verbless reciprocal — promise and imperative at once: the abiding is mutual
καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦcomparative — the grounding analogy, forward-leaning on the οὕτως line — natural impossibility, not moral failure
ἐὰν μὴ μένῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ,conditional — ἐὰν μή = 'unless' — the backward protasis anchored on δύναται
οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖςindependent — the οὕτως apodosis, elliptical — 'you [can bear fruit]' supplied from the analogy
ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένητε.conditional — the matching backward protasis — ἐν ἐμοί fronted before the verb
5
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος,independent — the saying restated without ἀληθινή — the metaphor is now transparent
ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα.independent — verbless nominal sentence — the disciples named inside the figure for the first time
ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ,phrase modifier — casus pendens resumed by οὗτος (Johannine, cf. 14:21), forward-leaning on φέρει — the reciprocal κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ folded inside the suspended subject
οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολύν,independent — resumptive οὗτος on the mainline — καρπὸν πολύν, the second step of the progression
ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν.cause — the ground stated as absolute negative — χωρὶς ἐμοῦ ... οὐδέν, total dependence
vv. 6–8 — the two outcomes: fire, or fruit and answered prayer
6
ἐὰν μή τις μένῃ ἐν ἐμοί,conditional — the negative case — forward-leaning protasis
ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη,independent — gnomic aorists ἐβλήθη, ἐξηράνθη — what inevitably happens, not a past report; the fire-imagery of Ezek 15:1–8 behind the whole
καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰindependent — indefinite plural — the workers; the singular branch has become the plural αὐτά
καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσιν,independent — εἰς τὸ πῦρ fronted — the destination before the verb
καὶ καίεται.independent — the vivid present at the end of the aorist chain — the burning goes on
7
ἐὰν μείνητε ἐν ἐμοὶconditional — the positive case answering v. 6 — first of two coordinate protases
καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ,conditional — the second protasis — ῥήματα now abide where 'I' did (v. 4): the word is the mode of the indwelling
ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε,independent — the apodosis — the 'whatever' is bounded by the double abiding above it, not a blanket promise: desires conformed by the abiding word
καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν.independent — predictive future, divine passive implied — the Father accomplishes it
8
ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου,independent — anticipatory ἐν τούτῳ, unpacked by the ἵνα-clause; ἐδοξάσθη gnomic or proleptic aorist
ἵνα καρπὸν πολὺν φέρητεcontent — epexegetic ἵνα — the content of the 'this'; much fruit, the progression's last step
καὶ γένησθε ἐμοὶ μαθηταί.content — coordinate under τούτῳ — γένησθε, the becoming that shows what one is: fruit as the proof of discipleship
Abide in my love — commandment, joy, and friends 15:9–17
vv. 9–11 — the love-chain: Father to Son to you, and the joy made full
9
καθὼς ἠγάπησέν με ὁ πατήρ,comparative — the καθώς chain opens — forward-leaning on κἀγώ: the Father's love for the Son is the measure and source of the Son's for the disciples
κἀγὼ ὑμᾶς ἠγάπησα·independent — constative aorist — the whole of Jesus' love summed as one act; the vine-register shifts to the love-register
μείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ.independent — μείνατε again (v. 4) — abiding in Christ and abiding in his love are the same abiding
10
ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσητε,conditional — the how of abiding — the love-obedience nexus (14:15, 21, 23); forward-leaning protasis
μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου,independent — predictive future — the imperative of v. 9 becomes a promise
καθὼς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ πατρός μου τετήρηκαcomparative — the christological model — intensive perfect τετήρηκα, the keeping stands complete
καὶ μένω ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ αὐτοῦ.comparative — coordinate half of the καθώς — Jesus himself lives the pattern he commands
11
Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖνindependent — the discourse-closing formula (14:25; 16:1, 4, 33) — the vine-teaching sealed as a completed whole
ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ᾖpurpose — the aim is joy — Jesus' own joy taking up residence, as his words do (v. 7)
καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ.purpose — πληρωθῇ — joy brought to full measure (16:24; 17:13; 1 John 1:4)
vv. 12–15 — the commandment and the friends: no greater love
12
αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμή,independent — cataphoric αὕτη — the plural commandments (v. 10) gathered into the one commandment (13:34)
ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλουςcontent — epexegetic ἵνα — the commandment's content; present subjunctive, love as ongoing disposition
καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς.comparative — the measure — the καθώς of v. 9 now passed down a link: as the Father loved me, I you; as I you, you one another
13
μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει,independent — the maxim — μείζονα fronted, ταύτης genitive of comparison; Jesus speaks proleptically of his own death
ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.content — ἵνα read epexegetic of ταύτης, not purpose — τὴν ψυχὴν τιθέναι, the shepherd's idiom of 10:11–18; ὑπέρ, the preposition of substitution
14
ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστεindependent — the φίλοι of v. 13 named — emphatic ὑμεῖς: the ones he will die for
ἐὰν ποιῆτε ὃ ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν.conditional — backward protasis anchored on ἐστε — not friendship earned but friendship defined: obedience is its shape
15
οὐκέτι λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους,independent — οὐκέτι — the old category formally retired (though v. 20 will still argue from it)
ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ οἶδεν τί ποιεῖ αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος·cause — the criterion is knowledge — the slave's ignorance is structural; indirect question kept in-line
ὑμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους,independent — intensive perfect εἴρηκα — the designation stands; the classical friend as 'another self' behind the claim
ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν.cause — the ground of friendship is total disclosure — πάντα fronted; cf. 17:26
vv. 16–17 — chosen and appointed to lasting fruit; love one another (inclusio)
16
οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε,independent — the election reversed — emphatic ὑμεῖς denied first
ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔθηκα ὑμᾶςindependent — ἐγώ against ὑμεῖς — ἔθηκα, the commissioning sense of τίθημι (and the verb of laying down life, v. 13)
ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑπάγητε καὶ καρπὸν φέρητεpurpose — the purpose of appointment — ὑπάγητε, the going of mission; the vine's fruit now borne on the road
καὶ ὁ καρπὸς ὑμῶν μένῃ,purpose — coordinate purpose — μένω transferred to the fruit itself: lasting results, enduring converts
ἵνα ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δῷ ὑμῖν.purpose — the second ἵνα chained on the first — answered prayer flows out of the abiding-fruit mission (v. 7 restated Father-ward)
17
ταῦτα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν,independent — the section's seal — ταῦτα gathers vv. 9–16 as command
ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.purpose — the inclusio with v. 12 — election, friendship, and mission all bend back to the one commandment
The world's hatred — hated first, chosen out, without excuse 15:18–25
vv. 18–19 — hated first, chosen out: why the world hates
18
Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ,conditional — the abrupt pivot from love to hatred — first-class condition, the hatred assumed as real; forward-leaning protasis
γινώσκετεindependent — indicative ('you know') or imperative ('know!') — both readings possible; laid as the apodosis mainline
ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.content — the content — ἐμέ fronted; intensive perfect μεμίσηκεν, a standing prior hatred that explains theirs
19
εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε,conditional — second-class condition (contrary to fact) — 'but you are not'; forward-leaning
ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει·independent — the apodosis with ἄν — τὸ ἴδιον: the world's love is membership-love, φιλέω for its own kind
ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ,cause — the causal ὅτι leaning forward on διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ below — the actual state of affairs against the hypothesis
ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου,cause — coordinate inside the ὅτι — the election of v. 16 restated with ἐκ: chosen out of the world's domain, hence its enmity
διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.independent — the inference drawn — διὰ τοῦτο gathering the double ground; κόσμος closes the verse it opened
vv. 20–21 — the servant-master word applied to persecution
20
μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγουindependent — present imperative — keep the maxim in mind as the interpretive key
οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν·relative — οὗ attracted to the case of λόγου — the word spoken at the footwashing (13:16)
οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ.content — the quoted maxim under εἶπον — spoken there of service, applied here to persecution
εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν,conditional — first-class condition — they did; forward-leaning on διώξουσιν
καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν·independent — the maxim cashed out — the servant shares the master's treatment
εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν,conditional — the parallel protasis — some did keep it; forward-leaning
καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.independent — the note of hope inside the prediction — the disciples' word will find keepers as his did
21
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν ὑμῖν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου,independent — ἀλλά pivots back to the dominant reality — persecution rooted in identity, διὰ τὸ ὄνομα
ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασιν τὸν πέμψαντά με.cause — the root cause — ignorance of the Sender: the Johannine definition of the world's lostness (17:25)
vv. 22–25 — no excuse: word, works, and the causeless hatred foretold
22
εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς,conditional — second-class condition — the word-half of the vv. 22/24 chiasm; forward-leaning
ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν·independent — εἴχοσαν, archaic imperfect in the contrary-to-fact apodosis — the sin in view is rejection of the light
νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.independent — νῦν δέ — as it is; πρόφασις, the covering pretext, only here in the NT in this sense
23
ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.independent — the bridging maxim between word (v. 22) and works (v. 24) — rejection of the Son is rejection of the Father
24
εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖςconditional — the works-half of the chiasm — second-class again, matching v. 22 frame for frame
ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐποίησεν,relative — the works uniquely unparalleled — οὐδεὶς ἄλλος, the signs beyond comparison
ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν·independent — the refrain of v. 22 verbatim — the excuse removed a second way
νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασιν καὶ μεμισήκασιν καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.independent — the double perfect — seeing and hating stand together: hatred with the evidence in full view
25
ἀλλ' ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν γεγραμμένοςpurpose — elliptical ἀλλ' ἵνα — 'but [this happened] that...'; laid flush as the suspended fulfillment formula; νόμος used broadly of the Psalter (10:34; 12:34), αὐτῶν distancing — their own Law condemns them
ὅτι Ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν.content — Ps 35:19 / Ps 69:4 conflated — both psalms of the righteous sufferer; δωρεάν, the hatred gratis, groundless
The Paraclete's witness — and yours 15:26–27
26
Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητοςconditional — ὅταν + subjunctive, indefinite temporal (quasi-conditional) — the third of the four Paraclete sayings (14:16–17, 26; 16:7–15); forward-leaning on μαρτυρήσει
ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός,relative — the Son sends (contrast 14:26, where the Father sends in Jesus' name) — παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, the Father as source
τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείαςphrase modifier — verbless apposition to ὁ παράκλητος — the Johannine title (14:17; 16:13)
ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται,relative — ἐκπορεύεται, gnomic present — the procession verb that became the filioque locus: the text says the Spirit proceeds from the Father, while Jesus sends him
ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·independent — emphatic ἐκεῖνος resuming the whole subject — the Spirit's office here is witness to Jesus
27
καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε,independent — καὶ...δέ — the second witness paired with the Spirit's; μαρτυρεῖτε indicative or imperative, left ambiguous
ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστε.cause — the ground of their testimony — eyewitness presence ἀπ' ἀρχῆς (cf. Luke 1:2; Acts 1:21–22; 1 John 1:1)
Analysis. John 15 has no mouth-frame at all: the chapter runs mid-Farewell-Discourse, with no verb of saying anywhere (the speech continues seamlessly from 14:31's 'rise, let us go'), so on the matthew6/matthew25 mid-speech convention Jesus' own sentences stand flush-left at depth 0 as coordinate mainline and only their subordination indents — ἐάν/εἰ protases leaning forward anchor-less one step above their apodoses, καθώς comparisons and ἵνα clauses hanging beneath their heads. The shape shows three panels and a coda: the vine (vv. 1–8), whose casus-pendens pairs (vv. 2, 5) print as suspended verbless lines resumed by αὐτό/οὗτος on the mainline; the love-commandment (vv. 9–17), where the καθώς chain (Father→Son→disciples) leans forward onto κἀγὼ ὑμᾶς ἠγάπησα and the ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους of v. 12 returns at v. 17 as inclusio; the world's hatred (vv. 18–25), a stack of εἰ frames — first-class at vv. 18, 20, second-class at vv. 19, 22, 24 — closing on the fulfillment citation; and the paired witnesses (vv. 26–27). Cruxes taken: αἴρει at v. 2 rendered 'takes away' with the viticultural 'lifts up' flagged in the tag; v. 7's 'ask whatever you wish' kept inside the double abiding protasis, not a blanket promise; the ἵνα of v. 13 read epexegetic of ταύτης (as of τούτῳ at v. 8 and ἐντολή at v. 12), not purpose; v. 20's maxim printed as quotation under εἶπον (13:16 recalled); vv. 22 and 24 laid as matching word/works second-class frames each ending νῦν δέ; v. 25's elliptical ἀλλ' ἵνα set flush at 0 as the suspended fulfillment formula (Ps 35:19 / 69:4 beneath γεγραμμένος); and at v. 26 ἐκπορεύεται tagged as the filioque locus — the Spirit proceeding from the Father beside Jesus' sending — with μαρτυρεῖτε at v. 27 left ambiguous between indicative and imperative.