What does the fruit in John 15 refer to?
John 15 is broader than winning others to Christ, as essential as that is. It is much more! In the New Testament there are at least seven different definitions of the common word “fruit,” in addition to the connotation of church growth, as in Colossians 1:6:
1. Literal fruit, such as figs and grapes (Matthew 26:29, Luke 13:7)
2. A relief contribution (Romans 15:28)
3. Spiritual virtues (Ephesians 5:9 and Galatians 5:22-23)—and even vices(Romans 7:5)
4. The fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8)
5. The effect of someone’s life (Matthew 7:16)
6. Worshipful praise (Hebrews 13:15)
7. Children (Genesis 17:6-7)
The basic meaning of "fruit" and "fruitful" is quite simple. It is productivity. This definition is broad enough to do justice to all the true NT senses of fruit of which we read.
And the more we strive to bear all the fruit of which the New Testament speaks, the greater the harvest of "evangelistic fruit" is bound to be. While we all play different roles in the great commission (1 Corinthians 3:6ff), we all are under obligation to let our light shine, to articulate the gospel, and to love a lost and dying world just as God in Christ reached out to us.
For more, please see See Tom Jones' excellent article on Biblical Fruit at this website.
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