Abide
In Pastor Matt’s excellent message Sunday on “Genuine” from John 15:1-11, among other terms and topics from the passage, he stressed the importance of the word “abide.” Later Matt shared with me that as he studied for the sermon he felt that “abide” would be an appropriate word for me to write about. So, this writing is a word study of “abide.”
It is, I think, reassuring to Bible students that our English dictionaries consistently are very close to the definitions of both Greek and Hebrew biblical words. Such is the case with abide. For example, Random House Webster’s Dictionary defines the verb abide in the transitive dimension: 1. to wait for: await 2a: to endure without yielding: withstand, b: to bear patiently: tolerate – cannot abide such bigots 3: to accept without objection – will abide your decision. The intransitive side of the verb is defined: 1: to remain stable or fixed in a state 2: to continue in a place: sojourn. Synonyms listed are bear and continue. I urge you to give careful attention to the various connotations used in this English dictionary, for they are accurate approximations to the Greek word to be studied and they shed clear light on the meaning of abide in John 15.
The Greek word for “abide” is μένω (men-o). Much like the definition of the English word, μένω means to remain or stay, to continue to exist, persist. Taken at face value on its own, it is a simple word, relatively free of complexities. Therefore, “abide” is what we generally assume it means. The lexical or dictionary meaning of the word, however, is just the beginning of a word study. It is how the word is used in its various contexts in Scripture that is the determinative factor, as well as the challenge. Yes, in the case of μένω we know what the word itself means, but what does it mean in John 15? That’s the stimulating and often perplexing part of biblical word study. Here is what I consider to be an insightful paragraph from the New English Translation (NET) notes on μένω. It takes the lexical definition and applies it to John’s writings, accurately approximating its theological meaning in John’s writings, which is what we’re after:
sn The Greek word μένω (menoÒ) translated resides (in the NET Bible – TAR) indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God. It is very important to note that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship (cf. 2 John 9) is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim).
It is noteworthy how John uses the word “abide” far more than any N.T. writer: out of the 118 times the word is used, John uses it 40 times in his gospel, 24 times in 1 John, 3 times in 2 John, and 1 in Revelation, for 68 times total, or more than 60% of the total usage. In comparison, Matthew uses μένω only 3 times (10:11; 11:23; 26:38); Luke just 7 times (1:56; 8:27; 9:4; 10:7; 19:5; 24:29 [2]); and Mark but twice (6:10; 14:34). Here are some examples of John’s usage of μένω from his writings:
NAS John 1:32 And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
NAS John 8:31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
NAS 1 John 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
These three examples clearly underscore the permanent, even eternal meaning of μένω, the meaning that most interests us, but, it should be noted, if we are to gain a comprehensive understanding of the word, sometimes μένω carries a common, temporary meaning, as it does in these verses:
NAS John 1:38 And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”
NAS John 2:12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days.
NAS John 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
NAS John 7:9 And having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
NAS John 10:40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.
But usually the meaning of μένω is far more illuminating and significant. Consider these verses with this fact in mind:
NAS John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
NAS John 5:38 “And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.
NAS 1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
Sometimes instead of “abide” or “remain,” “endure” is a more fitting translation of μένω, as we see in John 6:27:
NAS John 6:27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.”
Usually, however, John uses the word μένω to clearly indicate permanence:
NAS John 8:31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
NKJ John 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
NAS John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
I believe you can easily see from these selected instances that context always must be the determining factor in defining biblical terms.
The majority of usages of μένω in John’s gospel are found in chapters 14 and 15. There are 10 references in 15:4-10 alone. In v. 4, μένω is used no less than 3 times:
NAS John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
What a beautiful and illuminating verse, is it not? And the next verse, with purposeful redundancy, emphasizes this (the Bible is a consistently emphatic book that intentionally and repetitively engages the reader in vivid urgencies):
NAS John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
G. L. Borchet, writing in the New American Commentary, remarks on the Bible’s use of repetition: “The reader may regard this metaphorical statement/mashal to be rather redundant. But the evangelist was not bothered by redundancy. He was obviously concerned that the reader recognize a core point in discipleship.” A mashal is a Hebrew literary device that is something like a parable, in that it rhetorically delivers an emphatic moral or religious lesson.
Certainly, we can pick up on the message here in vv. 4-5: the branches (that’s us) need to be connected to the vine (that’s Jesus) because that is how they bear fruit; apart from the Vine, we can do nothing. We must abide. This is so important for us to grasp. Without exaggeration, nothing could be more important. The branch that does not abide in the vine withers and dies, a fact even a child can understand. If we are not abiding in obedience to Christ’s words in John 15, with all due respect to those who may think I am making too much of this point, not only can we do nothing, in terms of living lives that glorify God, we are nothing.
Listen to these words of the apostle Paul as he speaks of the time when we Christians were apart from Christ, when believers were unbelievers and not abiding:
NAS Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
How can we ever rationalize the words of John and Paul to fit a lukewarm faith? It’s all or nothing; genuine commitment and connection to Christ is the only thing that squares with Scripture. There is one more “C” that figures into this lesson: “continue.” We must not only be connected to Christ and committed to Him, but we must continue or persevere in believing. No, we will not lose our salvation if our obedience is not continuous (genuine salvation is eternal), but we will suffer the futile, non-productive consequences when we are anything but sold out to the Lord and living lives that genuinely reflect His glory.
So, in the context of John’s gospel and epistles, “abide” may be seen to refer to three dimensions. First, it means to truly be connected, to actually be a genuine believer, and not just a professing one (cf. 6:54, 56). Second, it means to continue or persevere in believing (8:31 [“hold” is remain]; 1 John 2:24). Third, it means trusting, loving obedience (John 15:9–10). The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes this appropriate comment: Without faith, no life of God will come to anyone. Without the life of God, no real fruit can be produced: Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”
In the context of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17, other say 13-16), as Jesus is preparing to leave His disciples and go to the cross, He exhorts them – and by extension all believers – to abide, to remain the organic connection unforgettably explained by the metaphor of the branch and the vine. And as chapter 15:1-11 are studied, we see that in great part “abiding in Jesus” involves uninterruptedly holding on to His words, His teachings. Therefore, it is not going over the top to say in order to effectively abide, we must be in the Bible. It is only in the Bible that we can know His commandments we are to obey (cf. 8:31; Hebrews 1:1-2).
Abiding means to remain, yes, but from our standpoint as genuine believers, I think the New Testament, and John’s writings in particular, show that more specifically it means total and continuous reliance. Just as the physical branch must be uninterruptedly connected and dependent upon the vine or it will not produce fruit and eventually wither, so the genuine believer – as opposed to the professing believer – must abide in Christ. Thus, properly understood in its theological contexts, abiding is found to be the sine qua non, the essential element or condition, of spiritual fruitfulness.
There is supernatural strength in abiding. “Abide is a great Christian word. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” What, then, is the conclusion if we are not apart from Him?
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
