⁶ “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

Theological debates rage over this verse. Three main interpretations are offered by those of differing doctrinal persuasion. First, some see in this verse a Christian who loses his salvation. Clearly, the person (symbolized as a branch) was at one time connected to Christ (symbolized by the vine itself). But because of lack of faithfulness (symbolized by fruitlessness), they are separated from Christ and cast into hell (symbolized by cutting dead branches off the tree and burning them). In response to this interpretation, we point out that though the imagery of hell does at times include being a place of fire (Matt 13:41-42), that does not automatically mean that the fire in this verse refers to hell. John has previously recorded that believers already have eternal life (John 3:36, 5:24, 10:28-29). Scripture teaches that the believer is secure and nothing can separate him from God’s love (Rom 8:29-39, 1 John 5:11-13, etc.)

The second interpretation is that the branch here that is thrown away and burned is the “professing” believer, who had the appearance of being in the vine, but not the reality of it. In other words, he was not a true believer. That person is like a dead branch, there was never any fruit and in the end will be burned in the fires of hell. Though the idea of this is none-the-less true, it doesn’t fit the analogy. The branch was indeed part of the vine, in the illustration; it didn’t just “seem” to be part of the vine. At best, this analogy leaves the question ambiguous, like the seed that falls on the rocky soil, whose faith fails for shallow depth or which falls on thorny soil and gets choked out by the cares of the world. Did they have genuine faith or not? The jury is still out.

The third, and preferable, interpretation is that this story of the branches being cut off does refer to genuine Christians who are not fruitful. Clearly, fruitfulness and not salvation is in view here. But what does it mean for those branches to be burned up, if not picturing hell? At times fire refers to God’s judgment on fruitless works. For example, Paul wrote about the person who builds on the foundation of Christ with wood, hay and stubble rather than with gold, silver or precious stones, “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Co 3: 15). Christians all will stand before the “Bema” judgment seat of God where our deeds will be evaluated (2 Cor 5:10). Not for our eternal destiny (i.e. the Great White Throne judgment, Rev 20:11), but for our rewards.

Lord, though I am saved by Your grace and secure forever, I do not want to be fruitless in my life for You. I resolve to respond to Your love with my obedience.