Joseph Prince: Shepherd or Wolf?
Volume 4: Are Believers Once Righteous Always Righteous?
Volume 4
Are Believers Once Righteous Always Righteous?
Volume Summary
Many scripture writers do not hold Joseph Prince’s view that believers are ‘Once Righteous Always Righteous’.
Ezekiel, Paul and James, taught that if the righteous turn from their righteousness and does evil without repenting, they will die a spiritual death (Ezek 3:20; 18:24,26; 33:13,18; Rom 8:13; Jas 5:19-20).
John, Paul and Jesus warned that believers who do not bear fruit or continue in God’s kindness would be cut off from the vine and thrown in the fire to be burned (Jn 15:2; Rom 11:22; Lk 13:9).
Jesus Himself stated that believers could fall away or turn away from the faith (Matt 24:10; Lk 8:13).
Many passages in the Bible clearly teach that under certain circumstances, even the righteous can lose their salvation.
“The ‘once saved scarcely saved’ is a truth that is closer to the scriptures than the ‘once saved always saved’ heresy that is popular with the masses.” (1 Pet 4:18 ESV) (George Ong)
Copyright © February 2020 by George OngFree
Ebook
Not for Sale
Contents
Chapter 1: *Remain Or Be Cut Off (Jn 15:1-6)
Chapter 2: *Salvation Is Conditional & Believers Can Fall Away (Jn 10:27-28 & Lk 8:13)
Chapter 3: Nine Passages That Debunk The Once Saved Always Saved Doctrine
Chapter 4: A Continuous Believing Faith Is Needed For Salvation Assurance
Chapter 5: *King Saul & Apostle Judas Lost Everything
Chapter 6: *1 John 2:19, 1 Peter 4:17-18 & Will There Be More People In Heaven Or Hell?
* Denotes Priority Reading
*Remain Or Be Cut Off (Jn 15:1-6)
Introduction
In the 11 chapters in Volume 3, I have disproved Joseph Prince’s claim that his grace theology is based on Paul’s doctrine.
In Volume 4 (this volume) comprising six chapters, many relevant passages of scripture would be surfaced to demolish Joseph Prince’s teaching that believers are Once Saved Always Saved.
In this chapter, the focus is on John 15:1-6, as the voluminous materials of this one passage alone, is enough to occupy our attention.
A. My Comments about Joseph Prince Video on John 15:2.
Please view the two-minute video of Joseph Prince,
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Mgq1BmqWYUnnJDKqqjPINQGCwDfkaH23
(Source: YouTube, Joseph Prince Explains John 15)
Joseph Prince said in the video,
“Go back to John 15:2.
‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.’”
“Now we have more and more people realising the truth.
And I’ve shared this down through the years – the word ‘takes away’ in the Greek is the Greek word, ‘airo’ which actually is to ‘lift up.’”
“The reason why many believers cannot bear fruit is because the devil has cast them down, and they are depressed.
They are wallowing in the dust.”
“But if a branch is not bearing fruit, God does not kick the branch.
God does not slap the branch – ah too bad, you fell.
No, what the Lord does to help it bear fruit is the Lord lifts up.
“Isn’t the Lord Jesus always lifting up?
He lifts up the woman of Samaria when no one bothered to care for her.
She came alone to the well.
He cared for the woman of Nain when her son died.
He cared for the tears of Martha and Mary.
He is always lifting.
The Bible says he went about doing good, healing all.
Always lifting up. Always restoring.
And he raised Jairus’ daughter. He lift her up.
And he raised Peter’s mother-in-law. He raised her up.
He’s always lifting up.
And the boy fell to the ground, and the demon was foaming.
And Jesus says, ‘Leave him alone, come out of him and enter no more into him.’
The demon left, and Jesus lifted up the boy.
He’s always lifting up.
When you don’t bear fruit, He lifts you up.
Not He takes you away.
And the same word, ‘airo’, lifts up, is used of the 10 lepers.
When they saw Jesus from afar, the 10 lepers lifted up their voice and said, ‘Jesus have mercy on us.’
The word lift up their voice is ‘airo’ in the Greek.
In the book of Acts, when the elders and the priests threaten the apostles to stop preaching in the name of Jesus.
They went back to their company, and all of them lifted up their voice to God – ‘airo’ – lift up their voice.
John 11, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus came to the tomb, and Jesus lifted up His eyes.
Jesus lifted ‘airo’ his eyes – is the word ‘airo’.
It is not take away.
It is – lifts you up.
A sermon from God should lift you up, not throw you down the dust. Make you feel sin-conscious.”
George’s comments:
Joseph Prince, I’ve personally heard you many times in your videos, mentioning that a preacher worth his salt must teach the word of God in its context.
In your books too, you have always been cautioning that a given biblical passage must be interpreted in its context:
In ‘Destined To Reign’, Page 66, Joseph Prince wrote,
“Let me give you a Bible study tip: When you read the Bible, be sure to read everything within its context because when you take the “text” out of its “context”, what you are left with is a “con”! Many believers are hoodwinked into believing “cons” and erroneous teachings when something is lifted and taught out of its context.”
In ‘Unmerited Favor’, Pages 29-30, Joseph Prince wrote,
“One of the things that I always remind my Church is this: Always read a verse in its context because when you take the “text” out of its “context,” it becomes a con.
Don’t let anyone con you out of God’s blessings in your life.”
In ‘Unmerited Favor’, Page 188, Joseph Prince wrote,
“When reading the Bible, always look at the context of the verses.
When you take the “text” and interpret it out of its “context,” all you are left with is a “con”! So don’t be conned.
Read everything in its context.”
Joseph Prince, what is so ironical and even downright disgusting is that I’ve caught you many times blatantly breaking the same rule (rule of interpreting passages in context) that you have warned others about.
You have yet again broken this rule in the interpretation of John 15:1-6.
Joseph Prince said,
“The reason why many believers cannot bear fruit is because the devil has cast them down, and they are depressed.
They are wallowing in the dust.”
Tell me Joseph Prince, where, in the context of John chapter 15 and John 15:1-6, in particular, is the devil even mentioned?
Where, in the text, did it say that it was the devil who was responsible for the believer, not bearing fruit?
Your feel-good teaching sounds like sweet honey to those listening because by falsely concluding that it is the devil who is responsible for our failure to bear fruit, it takes the responsibility away from the people.
Isn’t it feel-good teaching that I am not responsible for my failings, and even if I am really at fault, I can conveniently blame it on the devil as a scapegoat?
No wonder so many people love to hear you preach because you really know how to make them feel good about your teaching.
John 15:1-6 clearly says that the reason for not bearing fruits has nothing to do with the devil but is due to the failure of the believer himself to remain or abide in Christ.
By mentioning the devil is the one who is the cause of believers for not bearing fruit when it is silent in the text, means you are interpreting the passage out of context.
You have also transgressed the rule of reading something (the devil) into the text when you are not supposed to.
By breaking this same rule yet again that you have frequently warned other preachers from transgressing, it means you are the real super con man and an unrepentant hypocrite (so far).
“A con man such as Joseph Prince who accuses the innocent of being a con man and succeeds in doing so must be ‘honoured’ with the title, ‘the Father of all con men’.” (George Ong)
Joseph Prince said,
“And I’ve shared this down through the years – the word ‘takes away’ in the Greek is the Greek word, ‘airo’ which actually is to ‘lift up.’”
“But if the branch is not bearing fruit, God does not kick the branch.
God does not slap the branch – ah too bad, you fell.
No, what the Lord does to help it bear fruit is the Lord lifts up.”
This is yet another example of Joseph Prince’s feel-good teaching that endears him to many.
Who doesn’t want God to help us when we are down?
And there is nothing wrong for every Christian to desire such help.
But what Joseph Prince said in the video is not true to the context of John 15:1-6.
It contradicts the context – as the fruitless branch will not be lifted up as Joseph Prince has falsely taught but be cut off (Jn 15:2) and thrown into the fire and burned (Jn 15:6).
It is not easy to fault Joseph Prince because half of what he said about God helping us when we are down is the truth – but only in other contexts – for example, the woman caught in adultery and, perhaps, the Prodigal son.
But what he has improperly and dishonestly done is that he is reading what is true in other contexts into the passage of John 15:1-6, and John 15:2 in particular.
He is deceptively preaching truth that may be relevant in other contexts, but it is irrelevant to the context of John 15:1-6.
John 15:2 clearly says that the branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off by Father God.
But he twisted the interpretation of John 15:2 into something totally different from what is intended by John, the writer and Christ the Vine.
That’s the modus operandi of Joseph Prince – by reading into texts, twisting texts, interpreting a passage out of context – and that’s why anything can be proven by him.
“Going by Joseph Prince’s frivolous approach to Bible interpretation of interpreting a passage out of context, reading into texts and twisting texts, literally anything can be proven by him – even a dog can be proven to be a cat.” (George Ong)
Any teacher such as Joseph Prince, who consistently, frequently and blatantly interprets a passage out of context, reads into texts and twists texts, would straightaway be recognised by any Bible teacher worth his salt, as a heretic.
Don’t ever let Joseph Prince deceive you with his knowledge of Greek.
I’ve discovered that that is his usual ploy by alluding to something which most people are unfamiliar with.
To ‘lift up’ is just one possible way to translate the Greek word, ‘airo’.
Joseph Prince is giving you the false impression that that is the only way ‘airo’ should be translated.
But according to Strong’s Concordance and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, there are many other possible ways to translate the word, ‘airo’ that Joseph Prince has deliberately hidden from you.
Some of the other possible meanings of ‘airo’ are:
To take off or take away what is attached to anything.
To remove.
To take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force.
To take from among the living either by natural death, or by violence.
To cause to cease.
Did Joseph Prince tell you what I just told you?
Of course not!
He doesn’t want you to know there many other possible ways of translating the Greek word, ‘airo’.
By not letting you know about such information, he wants you to be deceived that ‘lifts up’ is the only way of translating ‘airo’.
This is the deceptive trademark of Joseph Prince – just showing you one side of the truth while hiding the other side of it from you.
He did the same thing with the meaning of ‘repentance’ in another article, which I featured.
Let me briefly mention it again.
The full definition in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
1. to change one’s mind.
2. to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.
(Abhorrence is a feeling of extreme revulsion, repugnance and utter hatred.
Therefore, according to Thayer’s Lexicon, “repentance” means – in many contexts – “changing your mind to amend your lifestyle so that it reveals hatred of and aversion to sin.”
Clearly, this is more than simply “to change one’s mind,” as the abhorrence or hatred of one’s past sins is included in the Thayer’s definition.)
But Joseph Prince deceptively hid the definition under No 2 and only showed the definition under No 1 – thus deceiving people that repentance is only about changing one’s mind.
And here in John 15:2, he is employing the same trick as an unrepentant trickster – by showing you just one possible meaning of ‘airo’ which means ‘lifts up’ but shielding you from the many other possible meanings to it.
The proper way I believe is after listing all the possible ways in which the word ‘airo’ could be translated, the next step is to see which one out of the many should be chosen that does fit into the context of a given verse or passage.
Considering the passage in context, the NKJV then decides that the right word to be translated for ‘airo’ is ‘takes away’.
Jn 15:2 NKJV
2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away (airo); and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
NKJV would probably have considered the words ‘lifts up’ which Joseph Prince mentioned.
But it didn’t decide on that word as it must have felt, and rightly so, that ‘lifts up’ is totally out of place with the context of John 15:1-6, and ‘takes away’ ought to be the right rendering.
So NKJV eliminated the words ‘lifts up’ that Joseph Prince falsely claimed ought to be how ‘airo’ should be translated.
Joseph Prince emphatically disagreed with NKJV when he said in the video,
“It is not take away.
It is – lifts you up.”
Joseph Prince not only disagreed with NKJV, but he also disagreed with 57 other translations that I have personally combed through.
I have checked 58 translations (including NKJV), and none of them translates the Greek word, ‘airo’ as ‘lifts up’ the view that Joseph Prince was trying to assert.
While about half of the 58 translations have chosen ‘takes away’ the same words used in NKJV, the other half have settled on equivalent words such as: ‘cuts off’ or ‘cuts away’ or ‘removes’, or ‘breaks off’ or lops off’, which is just as close to the meaning of the words, ‘takes away’ as chosen by NKJV (see below).
28 translate ‘airo’ as ‘takes away’:
KJ21, AMP, ASV, BRG, DARBY, DLNT, DRA, ESV, ESVUK, GNV, Jubilee, KJV, AKJV, MEV, NABRE, NASB, NET, NKJV, NLV, NMB, OJB, RSV, RSVCE, TLV, WEB, WE, WYC, YLT.
17 translate ‘airo’ as ‘cuts off’ or ‘cuts away’:
AMPC, CJB, CEV, ERV, EHV, EXB, ICB, ISV, MSG, MOUNCE, NCV, NIRV, NIV, NIVUK, NLT, NTE, VOICE.
11 translate ‘airo’ as ‘removes’:
CSB, CEB, GW, HCSB, Phillips, LEB, NOG, NRSV, NRSVA, NRSVACE, NRSVCE.
One translates ‘airo’ as ‘breaks off’: GNT.
The last translates ‘airo’ as ‘lops off’: TLB.
So Joseph Prince is the only one who tries to push the view that ‘airo’ should be translated as ‘lifts up’.
Do you know what he is saying?
He is saying that not only NKJV, but all the other 57 translations of the Bible are dead wrong for not translating it as ‘lifts up’.
He is implying that all the Bible scholars that work behind all these 58 translations have wrongly translated the word, ‘airo’ and he’s the only one who has it right.
How presumptuous and arrogant of him to think that way!
Think with me – for Joseph Prince to disagree with 58 translations and the hundreds of Bible scholars who are responsible for these translations, it is either he is the brainiest theologian or the most brilliant trickster.
He is indeed the most brilliant trickster who has grown his church, surpassing the 30,000-mark, and the great following he has amassed from around the world, even though he is dishing out theological rubbish to them.
Why is he posturing that the word, ‘airo’ should be translated as ‘lifts up’ that none of these 58 translations has banked on?
Simply to protect his false grace theology from being exposed.
If he accepts that ‘airo’ is to be translated as ‘takes away’ or ‘cuts off’ or ‘cuts away’ or ‘removes’, he would then have to explain why a branch (a believer) that is attached to the vine that doesn’t produce fruit can be taken away or cut off by Father God from the vine which represents Christ Himself.
This would place his ‘you are forever saved and your salvation can never be lost’ doctrine in serious jeopardy.
I have studied him, his personality, his strategy and his heresy enough to come to these conclusions:
– Joseph Prince is driven primarily by the fact that his grace theology has to be protected at all costs rather than the sincerity to accurately interpret a given passage for the benefit of the audience.
The real passion and motivation that drive Joseph Prince is not Christ Jesus but his grace theology, which has become his god.
– The ‘Grace of God’, not the ‘God of Grace’ is the real master and driving force behind every of Joseph Prince’s impulses and actions.
One significant thing that Joseph Prince deliberately leaves out is the discussion of John 15:6, as he is well aware that it would contradict his choice of the word ‘lifts up’ as it wouldn’t fit into John 15:6 at all.
Jn 15:6 NKJV
6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
John 15:6 clearly states where the branch that was described by Joseph Prince as being ‘lifted up’ by Christ in John 15:2 would end up in – in the fires of judgment.
How can something that is valued by Jesus because he ‘lifts up’ in John 15:2 ends up in the fires of judgement in John 15:6?
From that angle, Joseph Prince’s view that ‘airo’ should be translated as ‘lifts up’ is totally out of place and out of context in John 15:1-6.
Joseph Prince then went on to describe how Jesus would lift up people in their time of need.
Joseph Prince said,
“Isn’t the Lord Jesus always lifting up?
He lifts up the woman of Samaria when no one bothered to care for her.
She came alone to the well.
He cared for the woman of Nain when her son died.
He cared for the tears of Martha and Mary.
He is always lifting.
The Bible says he went about doing good, healing all.
Always lifting up. Always restoring.
And he raised Jairus’ daughter. He lifts her up.
And he raised Peter’s mother-in-law. He raised her up.
He’s always lifting up.
And the boy fell to the ground, and the demon was foaming.
And Jesus says, ‘Leave him alone, come out of him and enter no more into him.’
The demon left, and Jesus lifted up the boy.
He’s always lifting up.
When you don’t bear fruit, He lifts you up.
Not He takes you away.
And the same word, ‘airo’, lifts up, is used of the 10 lepers.
When they saw Jesus from afar, the 10 lepers lifted up their voice and said, ‘Jesus have mercy on us.’
The word lift up their voice is ‘airo’ in the Greek.
In the book of Acts, when the elders and the priests threaten the apostles to stop preaching in the name of Jesus;
they went back to their company, and all of them lifted up their voice to God – ‘airo’ – lift up their voice.
John 11, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus came to the tomb, and Jesus lifted up His eyes.
Jesus lifted ‘airo’ his eyes – is the word ‘airo’.
It is not take away.
It is – lifts you up.
A sermon from God should lift you up, not throw you down the dust. Make you feel sin-conscious.”
I am always moved by what Jesus would do – that He would often go the second mile to minister to people who are in need.
And I praise God that that is the kind of Jesus that we are worshipping and serving.
But Joseph Prince, I am not moved at all by your effort to try and sway the audience to your view by the deceptive use of emotion in your presentation.
You sure know how to tug at the heartstrings of your audience by capitalising on your emotional appeal.
You are trying to give the impression to the audience that you have correctly interpreted the word ‘airo’ as ‘lifts up’ by making references to other incidents in other passages of scriptures that would strike an emotional chord with the audience.
Yes, indeed, when used in the contexts of those passages that you have highlighted, the words ‘lifts up’ fit perfectly.
But when it is used in the context of John 15:1-6, not only does it not fit, it comes into a direct contradiction with the plain meaning of the text.
As it was pointed out earlier – how can something that is valued by Jesus because he ‘lifts up’ in John 15:2, ends up in the fires of judgement in John 15:6?
While those incidents/passages that were highlighted by Joseph Prince have wonderfully and gloriously revealed the heart of Christ to care for the needy, they are irrelevant to the text in question.
Joseph Prince has once again gone out of context and broke the rule to stay in context that he hypocritically champions.
Instead of interpreting the text in question, he is again reading something foreign from other passages/contexts into John 15:1-6 when they are unrelated to one another.
If you are unaware of the need to interpret a passage in context, you will be swayed by his emotional presentation about how Jesus ministered to the many people by lifting them up – to his view.
That’s the potency of his deception that every believer must always be alerted to.
Let me use an illustration to expose his ploy further, and make you realise the evil that Joseph Prince is effectively doing.
Let’s just assume 20 texts in the entire Bible speak about God’s love to believers and another 20 texts that talk about God judgement on believers.
Of course, he believes that God loves believers.
Conversely, he does not believe God judges believers, and fiercely teaches against it.
So when Joseph Prince comes to interpret one of the 20 texts about God’s judgement on believers, what Joseph Prince would do as he did to John 15:1-6 is that he would start to use some of those passages that speak about God’s love to believers.
He would then somehow find a way of reading them into the passage he is interpreting about God’s judgement on believers.
As he does that, he will use the greatest intensity of emotion to convey the message that God really really really loves you.
God’s love for you is so high and so deep, so sacrificial and so enduring.
God will never never never stop loving you despite your sins, etc.
The use of emotions by Joseph Prince is first to win you over emotionally (instead of by the sound exegesis of a passage, which he can’t anyway) to soften your heart to sway you to his view and to win you over to his side.
Second, the use of emotions to win you over is also to deflect away from and to blind you to the fact that he is actually interpreting that passage out of context.
He will then, with his deceptive use of Greek words, twists the ‘God will judge you’ passage into a ‘God will love you’ passage, and posture the view that the passage does not talk about God’s judgement on believers but it talks about God’s love for them.
This is his modus operandi.
That’s exactly what he is doing to ‘get rid’ of the many texts in the Bible that contradict his theology.
You can see by now that with such a ploy, many texts in the Bible which contradicts his theology can be magically made and transformed to support his theology.
Many texts can be made to say what he wants and not what they really convey.
Honestly, this is a very evil thing for him to do.
No true teacher of God’s word will dare do such a thing.
“After meticulously studying how Joseph Prince frequently, consistently and blatantly interprets a passage out of context, reads into texts and twists texts to deceive – that he is 100% a wolf is the only sound conclusion I can make.” (George Ong)
B. How John 15:1-6 Ought To Be Interpreted.
Let me now move away from my comments on Joseph Prince’s video and move on as to how John 15:1-6 ought to be interpreted.
Jn 15:1-6 NIV (John)
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
How many sermons have we heard that John 15:1-6 is about exhorting Christians to “draw closer to Jesus” by abiding and remaining in Him so that they can bear much fruit?
Such sermons give the idea that abiding or remaining in Christ is an option for believers to consider.
This is far from the truth.
Abiding or remaining in Christ is equivalent to being saved, as Jesus made it so clear:
“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (Jn 15:6).
Those who don’t abide or remain in Christ are damned.
But for those who remain in Christ and bear fruit, the Father prunes, removing what is undesirable to Him in order that the branch might bear more fruit (Jn 15:2).
That is the work of God in the process of sanctification.
John in John 15:2, Paul in Romans 11:22 and Jesus in Luke 13:9 all stated clearly that believers could be cut off.
Jn 15:2 (John)
2 “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Rom 11:22 NIV (Paul)
22 “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”
Lk 13:9 NIV (Jesus)
9 “If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”
If Jesus the Son of God, Paul the leading apostle and John the apostle whom Jesus loved, all three said the same thing that believers can be cut off if we don’t bear fruit and continue in God’s kindness, what more do you need to be convinced?
Scripture is consistent.
They all speak with the same voice.
They are all on the same team.
Regarding fruit-bearing, there is always the tension between justice and mercy, and with God, mercy overcomes justice for a time (Lk 13:6-9).
Lk 13:6-9 NIV
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.
7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.
9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
God works to influence sinners to repent, and He patiently waits for them to change.
But when God’s mercy is taken for granted, eventually, His patience wears out, and then judgement falls.
Here in Luke 13:6-9 is a perfect picture of the justice and mercy of God.
The fruitless fig tree deserved to be cut down – yet it was shown mercy for one more year – in the hope that it would bear fruit.
If it bore no fruit in the fourth year, it would be cut down.
When that time arrived, the question wouldn’t be, “Why is it being cut down?” but “Why wasn’t it cut down last year?”
Jn 15:1-6 NIV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
From the passage, we note the following:
First, Christ expects believers to remain or abide in Him.
The word ‘remain’ was repeated six times in the passage.
Second, Christ expects believers to bear fruit, more fruit and much fruit.
The word ‘fruit’ was repeated six times.
Third, Father God cuts away branches that do not bear fruit.
Fourth, a fruitless Christian will be cut off (Jn 15:2) and thrown into the fire of judgement and burned (Jn 15:6).
Fifth, both types of branches (Christians) had the same opportunity to be fruitful.
Sixth, the fruitful Christian remained in the vine and bore fruit.
Seventh, the fruitless Christian didn’t remain in the vine and didn’t bear fruit, was cut off and thrown into the fire.
John chapters 14-17, and in particular, John chapter 15 took place at the end of Jesus’ three-year ministry with them.
It happened the night before Jesus was crucified.
So it contained some of the very moving words of Jesus as these were His last words that were addressed not to the crowds but to His beloved disciples before He was crucified.
The disciples, at this point, are already believers.
He addressed those who are “already clean” (V3).
Because they are already clean, the branches are His disciples or Christians.
Though they are Christians and are already cleaned, they can still be cut off if they don’t bear fruit.
The fact that the withered branch is cut off indicates that the branch is first connected to the vine.
It is impossible that Jesus was talking about a person who was never saved, to begin with because the branch was once on the vine.
A person who was never saved was never on the vine in the first place.
A branch on the vine is a Christian in Christ.
Yet, again and again, Jesus makes it crystal clear that those who are already clean (already saved) must remain (conditional) in Him.
The initiative and responsibility to remain in Christ lies in men, not with God:
John 15:4, “…unless you remain in me.”
John 15:5, “…If you remain in me…”
John 15:6, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Again, John is crystal clear in his mind that the initiative and responsibility to remain in Christ lies in men, not with God.
Jn 15:1-6 NIV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Joseph Prince may say:
“George, you and your egoistic and self-centred streak strike again.
Why must you keep mentioning YOU YOU YOU and highlight it too?
Where is Christ in your theology?
In my teaching, I always mention Christ Christ Christ.
Everyone knows I am Christ-centred in my teaching.”
George would say:
“Hey Joseph, please don’t bark at me.
Go, take your grouses with John.
I am only teaching what John taught.
Did John say: Christ Christ Christ or You You You?
You You You mah!
Have you gone blind?
So why you are complaining like an old grandmother and yak yak yak!
And by the way, in your comments about Christ Christ Christ, it plainly shows you are a recalcitrant at interpreting scripture out of context, reading into texts and twisting texts.
Tell me, where is Christ Christ Christ in the above two phrases (John 15:4-5) and one full verse (John 15:6) that I have mentioned?
You even dare to use the name of Christ to hide the fact that you are twisting texts and reading the name of Christ into the texts.
Let me repeat to you again in case your skull is so thick that you can’t register.
What did John say?
It is not Christ Christ Christ BUT You You You.”
John 15:4, “…unless you remain in me.”
John 15:5, “…If you remain in me…”
John 15:6, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
God could be saying to us:
“Hey, child, I’ve done everything possible to save you and to keep you from falling.
Over to you now.
Don’t pass the buck back to me.
I’ve already done my part and will continue to help you.
But you, too, must do your part.
I will not do for you what you can and must do.
You would have to exercise your responsibility to remain.
It is not the selfish You, not the self-centred You, but the responsible You.
You must remain.
You hold the key to your eternal destiny by remaining in Christ.
You can appropriate the wonderful inheritance that I’ve given you by remaining in my Son and bear fruit, or you can forfeit your eternal inheritance by not remaining in Him.
Salvation is not just about My grace.
It is also about the free will of man to remain.
If you don’t remain and do not bear fruit, you will cut off and thrown in the fire and be eternally destroyed.”
What John is saying is that you, not just God, have a vital part to play in conserving your salvation.
If you remain, you will bear fruit.
But if you do not remain, you will be fruitless, and you will be cast into the fire of judgement and burned.
John contradicted Joseph Prince’s doctrine that salvation is all about God and nothing about man.
So I hope you do remember the principle that I have said time and again – what men do or don’t do, can either prevent the loss of their salvation or contribute to the loss.
If you do something by remaining in Christ and bear fruit, not only will you be saved, but you will bring glory to Father God (Jn 15:8).
If you don’t do something by not remaining in Christ and bear fruit, you will be cut off and thrown into the fire and burned.
While getting saved has nothing to do with man (justification), staying saved has everything to do with man (sanctification).
How do we remain in Christ?
In the context of John 15, the way to remain in Christ is by keeping His commandments (Jn 15:9-10), or they will be taken away, cast out as a withered branch, and burned in the fire.
Jn 15:9-10 NIV
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Here again, lies the crucial importance of obedience – the keeping of Christ’s commandments.
If we keep Christ’s commandments and obey Him, then we will remain in Him (Jn 15:10).
If there is no obedience in the keeping of Christ’s commandments, one cannot be said to remain in the love of Christ.
If a branch does not remain in Christ, he does not bear fruit and would be cut off the vine and thrown into the fire to be burnt.
Yet, Joseph Prince is unremorsefully teaching against what Christ taught about the crucial importance of obedience for salvation – as Joseph Prince sees obedience in the context of salvation as legalism.
How can people believe that he is Christ-centred when he teaches against what Christ taught?
Joseph Prince is telling the world that there are no more commandments for New Covenant believers to obey.
Jesus is telling us that we must obey His commandments if we are to remain; if not, we will be cut off and thrown into the fires of judgement.
Can’t you see Joseph Prince’s teachings – that you don’t have to obey any commandments for salvation can lead you to hell?
This is because if you don’t obey Christ’s commandments, you don’t remain in Christ’s love, and if you don’t remain in His love, you will be cut off to a Christless eternity.
Next, what Jesus said in John 15:1-6 also places Joseph Prince’s unconditional security doctrine into serious doubt.
Now, if salvation were unconditionally assured and a done deal, why would Jesus feel the need to tell anyone to remain in his love (Jn 15:9-10)?
The truth is – our salvation is not unconditional but conditional upon our remaining in Him and bearing fruit.
Jesus told his disciples to remain in his love because just as we enter freely into a relationship with Christ, we are free to leave Him.
Scripture is overflowing with examples of this.
Joseph Prince falsely teaches that the ability to exercise free will is only up to the point of salvation.
After salvation, every Christian becomes a robot who is now unable to exercise free will to remain or leave.
The truth is free will can be exercised throughout our lives even after salvation.
Jn 15:6 NIV
6 “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Others tried to defend the unconditional eternal security doctrine with the view that while they agree the passage was written to believers, what is at stake is not their salvation but rewards.
From the plain reading of John 15:6, this is hardly a picture of a Christian losing reward in heaven, but losing his salvation.
Losing rewards is a position that would be very difficult to defend.
If it is really about rewards, how can Christians be cut off and thrown into the fire and burned?
So even though you are a Christian, you must remain and produce fruits.
If not, you will be cut off.
In other words, fruit-bearing is not a reward issue; it’s a salvation issue.
Those who bear fruit prove that they are Christ’s disciples (or true believers) and it’s one crucial way to glorify God (Jn 15:8):
Jn 15:8 NASB
8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”
Jn 15:8 LEB
8 “My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 HCSB
8 “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.”
Jn 15:8 ISV
8 “This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 EHV
8 “My Father is glorified by this: that you continue to bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 ESV
8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 AMP
8 “My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.”
Jn 15:8 CSB
8 “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 CEV
8 “My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 CJB
8 “This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.”
Jn 15:8 RSV
8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 RSVCE
8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
Jn 15:8 TLV
8 “In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.”
Jn 15:8 CEB
8 “My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.”
Disciples are Christians and Christians are disciples.
Disciples and Christians are not different persons, but they are the same person.
If you are not a disciple, you are not a Christian.
There is this serious wrong teaching not just by false teachers like Joseph Prince, but by the vast majority of the evangelical church, not only in Singapore but around the world – that you can be a Christian without being a disciple.
Coming back to John 15:8…
All the above 14 translations of John 15:8 clearly state that fruit-bearing is proof that we are disciples or believers of Christ.
There is no denying that truly saved people are fruit-bearing disciples.
On the other hand, the absence of fruits would mean the absence of saving faith.
So I have proven again that fruit-bearing is not just a reward issue but a salvation issue.
If you are still not convinced, remember James 2:14-26.
Just as a fruitless branch will be cut off (John 15:2,6), faith without works cannot save, is useless and dead (Jas 2:14,17,20).
Scripture interprets scripture.
A true believer is a branch that must produce fruits and have a faith that produces works.
A faith that doesn’t produce fruits or works is dead and cannot save.
Can a dead faith that cannot save be true faith or a faith that endures?
After reading John 15, there ought to be no more argument that fruit-bearing isn’t a trivial matter to God (Jn 15:16).
Jn 15:16 NASB
16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
Fruitfulness is such an important issue to God that the fruitless fig tree in Matthew 21:18-19 was cursed.
Matt 21:18-19 NIV
18 “Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.
19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.”
A life of fruitlessness would ultimately bring about God’s curse and destruction (Matt 21:19).
Conversely, a life of fruitfulness will bring about the blessings of inheriting the Kingdom of God (Matt 21:43).
Matt 21:43 NIV
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
Furthermore, in Matthew 13:1-23, of the four types of soil that the seed of the gospel fell under, only one had saving faith because it is the only type of soil that produces fruits.
Matt 13:23 NIV
23 “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
(This issue about the parable of the sower will be discussed in greater detail in my next chapter.)
Will every Christian produce the same amount of fruits?
No.
Some produce 30, some 60, and some 100-fold – nonetheless, every Christian is expected to produce fruit.
You need to answer this question honestly.
Does John 15:6, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned,”
sounds like God will say to them,
“Well done, good and faithful servant”
or
“Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”?
Jesus also said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 7:19 NIV).
Would a fruitless branch that is cut off and thrown into the fire to be burned to be an inheritor of the eternal Kingdom?
Burning in the fire is the consequence for those ‘once clean’ or ‘once saved’ Christians who fail to remain in Christ by keeping His commandments (Jn 15:9-10).
Burning is an obvious reference to judgement.
Being thrown into the fire and burned is rather conclusive to be a picture of final judgement.
The branch that is burned is that disciple who was once in Christ, but they neglected to keep His commandments and ceased to remain in Him.
Joseph Prince and those of the unconditional eternal security camp would love to use this argument to defend their doctrine: “Eternal life is no longer eternal if it can ever be cut off and taken away from the believer?”
Doesn’t Joseph Prince realise that the branch does not have life in itself as life is in the vine?
We do not have eternal life in ourselves, but we do have it in Christ.
1 Jn 5:11-12 NIV
11 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
God has given us eternal life, but He has given it to us in His Son.
Just as there is life in a vine, there is eternal life in Christ.
God has given us eternal life, but He has given it to us in Jesus.
If we abide or remain in Christ, we will have eternal life as the branch that remains in the vine will continue living.
But those who are cut off will be cast into the fire and burned.
The branches that were cut off don’t have eternal life in them anymore.
Why?
Is it because it wasn’t eternal?
No.
The life is still eternal life, but life is not in them; it’s in Jesus, and they are no longer in Jesus.
They are cut off.
Not only are they cut off, they are also burned in the fire and destroyed.
Jn 15:6 NIV
6 “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Heb 10:26 NIV
26 “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
How can such a grim and sombre picture that is described for us in John 15:2 and Hebrews 10:27 be a reference to the loss of rewards?
It is definitely referring to the loss of salvation.
Never count on the salvation decision you made 20 years ago.
The key question is, are you remaining in Christ?
If you do not remain, not only will you be cut off, but you will also be thrown into the fire and burned – clearly referring to spiritual destruction and spiritual death.
If you do not remain, not only will you lose your reward, you will also lose your salvation.
To get around this problem, some say that this passage is not about salvation but ‘discipleship’ and discipline.
The branches that are burned are true Christians who are saved, but they will be “cast into the ‘fire’ of trial and divine chastisement.”
This is ‘an experience of spiritual education,’ not a picture of divine judgement and the loss of salvation.
The burning is not to destroy them and their salvation but to purify their faith and their character.
But this overlooks the fact that all the Biblical examples of burning of vegetation (whether branches, thorns, chaff, or weeds) show that the vegetation is totally burned up.
While metal may be purified by fire, there are no examples in scripture of plant, material, or wood being purified by fire.
On the other hand, there are several clear examples of vegetation or plant material being destroyed or consumed by fire, as in Matthew 13:40 ESV: “Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.”
(See also Matt 3:12; Isa 9:18; 2 Sam 23:6-7; Ezek 15:4-6; 19:12.)
Matt 3:12 NIV
12 “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Isa 9:18 NIV
18 “Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.”
2 Sam 23:6-7 NIV
6 “But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.
7 Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.”
Perhaps, you may say:
“George, you said that in John 15:6, the burning has nothing to do with rewards but salvation.
You said that John 15:1-6 is not about losing rewards but salvation.
But there is a text that says that burning has to do with rewards, not salvation, and it is found in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.”
1 Cor 3:10-15 NIV
10 “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
It is true the burning that is referred to in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, has to do with the fact that for various reasons, our rewards may be burned up.
Yet, I want you to note the critical difference here.
While the burning in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 has to do with the burning of our rewards, the burning in John 15:6 has to do with the burning of the branches that have been cut off.
And what do those cut-off branches represent? – Believers!
Jn 15:6 NIV
“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
So while things (rewards) are burned in 1 Corinthians 3:15, souls are burned in John 15:6.
That is the critical difference.
As an aside, I wish to point out that while God could tolerate Christians who may serve out of not the best motives and have their rewards burned up in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, He will never condone sin, and in particular the sin of jealousy, quarelling and dividing the church in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.
For context, if you read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, you will get a feel of what the quarrelling and division were all about: Some say I follow Paul, some say I follow Apollos…
These sins can destroy the Church, the temple of God.
1 Cor 3:16-17 NIV
16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him (1 Cor 3:16-17).
In this context, the sin is to divide the church into jealous and quarrelling groups who ‘follow’ different servants of Christ rather than Christ himself in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.
Elsewhere Paul applies the same charge to sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18-19, and the punishment is the same – destruction and being kept from the Kingdom of God.
We may get away with poor service (the loss of rewards in 1 Cor 3:15), but we will not get away with sin (the loss of both physical and eternal life in 1 Cor 3:16-17).
Lastly, let’s consider 1 John 2:28 against the backdrop of John 15:1-6.
Some time ago, as I was studying John 15:1-6, I was led to 1 John 2:28, and these are my conclusions:
1 Jn 2:28 MEV
“And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He comes.”
As it is commonly taught, the reason for being ashamed before Christ when He comes back again is the loss of rewards because we have not been too faithful in our Christian service.
But if one were to combine the interpretation of John 15:1-6 and 1 John 2:28, the picture may turn out different.
Jn 15:6 NIV
“If you do not remain (meno) in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
1 Jn 2:28 MEV
“And now, little children, remain (meno) in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He comes.”
With John 15:1-6 seen against the backdrop, 1 John 2:28 is quite definitely implying that if we do not remain (meno in Greek) in Christ, we will be ashamed before Him when He comes back not because of the loss of rewards but salvation.
Since the author in both books is the same Apostle John, the meaning and implication of remaining in Christ and not remaining in Him cannot be any different in the Gospel of John as in the Epistle of 1 John.
A look at the bigger context of 1 John 2:24-28 in which 1 John 2:28 is located, will assure us that this is the correct interpretation.
1 Jn 2:24-28 MEV
24 “Let that which you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
26 I have written these things to you concerning those who deceive you.
27 But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. For as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in Him.
28 And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He comes.
It is essential to look at 1 Jn 2:28 in the light of the whole message/passage in 1 John 2:24-28 that the apostle John is teaching.
The passage teaches that the issue of remaining is set in the context of eternal life (1 Jn 2:25) and a true saving faith relationship with God the Father and God the Son (1 Jn 2:24).
John says in 1 John 2:24,
“Let that which you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.”
The if/then (If that…you also will) clause that John uses demonstrates that there is an alternative to remaining in the Son and in the Father.
In other words, in 1 John 2:24, as in John 15:1-6, a believer has the alternative of choosing not to remain.
If he chooses not to remain, then he will not remain in the Son and the Father (1 Jn 2:24).
If one doesn’t remain, according to John 15:1-6, he will be cut off and thrown in the fire and burnt.
So that was why John said in verse 28,
“And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He comes.”
If one remains, he will not be ashamed when Christ comes back.
But if he does not remain, he will be ashamed of Christ.
That being ashamed of Christ has to do not just with the loss of rewards but the loss of salvation.
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, in just one passage of John 15:1-6 alone, I have given much teaching and analysis as to why the proper interpretation of the text directly contradicts the grace teaching of Joseph Prince.
This is just one text.
In the next many chapters, I will surface many other texts to prove my case against Joseph Prince and his teachings, particularly his false doctrine that believers are Once Saved Always Saved.