Tuesday, April 28, 2026

John 15:2: "Husbandman," "Gardner," "Vine-Grower," Or ...?

May I humbly put forward a translation suggestion in John 15:2? Here the Father is usually called either the "husbandman" (KJV), "gardner" (CSB, NLT), or "vine-grower" (LSB). I think the better term would be "vintner." A vintner is a winemaker who is involved in every aspect of winemaking, from growing and harvesting to blending and aging the finished wine. A good vintner must possess a thorough understanding of viticulture as well as wine-making technique. He plays a critical role in the wine industry. His experience is essential for crafting high quality wines.

On my little rural road in Southside Virginia, there live two "doctors." One of them drills students in Greek paradigms. The other drills his patients' cavities. The D.Theol. farms 200 acres of horse quality hay. The D.D.S. farms dozens of acres of grapes. 

Woodbine Vineyards. This is my view every morning as I drive into town.  

No one would ever call him a "gardner" or a "husbandman." He is a vintner pure and simple. He is responsible for creating and selling the wines that consumers enjoy. Hence the ISV's "vintner" in John 15:2.

John is saying that God is like that. His responsibilities include managing the vineyard (us), overseeing the grape harvest (the fruit of the Spirit in our lives), and ensuring the overall quality of the grapes used in wine production (our character). Friend, God is ultimately responsible for your growth as a Christian. It is his responsibility to supply everything you need for life and godliness. It is our responsibility to actively appropriate that power to grow in sanctification for his glory. 

Our job is to "abide in Christ?"!