*And my Father is the husbandman.* The Father attends to and purifies Christ’s followers in a manner similar to that employed by the vine‐ dresser, that so they may produce more abundant fruit. The Arians appealed to this text to show that Christ was inferior to God. For as the vine and the husbandman are not of the same nature, so neither, they said, are Christ and the Father of the same nature. We answer that in metaphorical language the comparison is not to be pressed too far, only indeed in that particular, or in regard to that point, for the illustration of which the metaphor is employed. See above on x. 3. Now in the present instance Christ points out (in verse 4) that His metaphorical language is designed to show the necessity for the Apostles of union with Himself. Nothing therefore can be inferred in regard to His _nature_ and the Father’s. In reality, Christ, _as God_, was husbandman, as well as the Father; but as it would not suit the comparison to call Himself both vine and husbandman, He attributes the office of husbandman to the Father. “Numquid unum sunt agricola et vitis? Secundum hoc ergo vitis Christus, secundum quod ait: Pater major me est. Secundum autem id quod ait: Ego et Pater unum sumus, et ipse agricola est.” (St. Aug.)(99) 2. Omnem palmitem in me non 2. Every branch in me, that ferentem fructum, tollet eum: beareth not fruit, he will et omnem qui fert fructum, take away: and every one that purgabit eum, ut fructum plus beareth fruit he will purge afferat. it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 2. *Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit.* From this it follows that branches may be unfruitful and yet really remain branches, and members of Christ’s Church. The sense of Christ’s words is: Every Christian that beareth not the fruit of good works, the Father _takes_ away (Gr. present), either in this life, by permitting them to fall into heresy, or at death when they shall no longer remain members of the Church. They are therefore lopped off like useless branches. The good, too, are purified by the Father, who _prunes_ their hearts, removing therefrom all impediments to perfection, taking away everything that would hinder or impede the vital power in the production of spiritual fruit. As even the best branches are improved by judicious pruning, so the just are rendered more perfect by the purifying action of the Divine Husbandman. Αὐτο in both cases is redundant. 3. Iam vos mundi estis propter 3. Now you are clean by reason sermonem, quem locutus sum of the word which I have vobis. spoken to you.