Malcolm Cox

Today I answer another question from a friend. In summary, his question centres on whether it is appropriate to use the teaching about bearing fruit in John 15 to encourage an expectation of what is called "personal fruitfulness". I share some thoughts about the nature of the mission, our particular historical emphases in the International churches of Christ, and the downplaying of the personal element by the apostle Paul (1 Cor 1:14). We also look at Old Testament context (Is 5:1-7)  Fruit bearing is not a test, but a by-product of abiding.  It’s not ‘produce or die’, but ‘abide and produce’, it is not a demand, but a promise.  Love for Jesus and one another is at the core of the discourse from John 13 to 17 (Jn 15:12; Jn 13:34-35)   "If we are to ask what fruitbearing signifies, the broad answer of Bultmann is adequate: “every demonstration of vitality of faith, to which, according to vv 9–17, reciprocal love above all belongs”; we may add, in the light of v 16, “to which also effective mission in bringin