The chosen text from the three readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter demonstrates the danger of using only an English translation. The three readings are Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:1-21 and John 15:1-8. The text is John 15:8, “In this is my Father glorified that you bring forth very much fruit, and become my disciples.”

The first step in sermon preparation is to find the verse that a layman will think is a contradiction of the Christian faith. With this text, first read it and then ask this question, “How do you become a disciple of Jesus?” The answer will be, “By bringing forth very much fruit.” Second question: “And do you bring forth very much fruit?” Now it doesn’t matter whether they answer “yes” or “no” because they will discover how inappropriate either answer is. If they answer “yes” you can demonstrate to them that they are Pharisees. And if they answer “no” you can say therefore that they will not become a disciple of Jesus and therefore they will go to hell!

The problem, of course, is the English translation which in this case is from Douay Rehms, a Roman Catholic translation developed at the time of the Reformation to offset the Lutheran theology. Clearly, when it can, this translation is biased toward faith plus works. However, even the King James version is unclear with, “that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disicples.” The New King James: “so you will be My disciples” again gives the impression that we bear much fruit and then in the future we will be considered by God to be His disciples.

Listen in order to the ESV, NAS and NIV: “that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples,” “that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples” and finally, “that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” In the context of the entire Scripture, this last version of the NIV is the most clear that bearing much fruit is not the cause of becoming a disciple of Jesus but rather is the evidence that you are already a disciple of Jesus.

This L&G distinction maintains the context of the passage in which Jesus says clearly that He is the vine, we are the branches and “without Me you can do nothing.” Good works therefore clearly follow faith and are not the cause of faith. For we are indeed saved by grace, through faith on account of Jesus Christ alone.