King James Bible
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
Jesus describes unproductive branches being removed from the vine, using viticulture imagery familiar to his agrarian audience. This speaks to the necessity of genuine connection to Christ producing visible spiritual outcomes, with fruitlessness indicating a severed or false relationship. Even productive branches undergo pruning—a deliberate cutting process that removes excess growth to channel the plant's energy. This paradoxically painful but beneficial action represents God's disciplinary work in believers' lives, refining character through trials. The purpose clause reveals God's redemptive intent: not punishment but increased productivity. This agricultural principle illustrates how divine correction aims at spiritual multiplication, emphasizing that suffering in the Christian life serves a transformative purpose.