This verse is about fellowship with the Lord in order to bear fruit. iow, a believer cannot bear fruit for the Lord unless he/she is in fellowship with the Lord.
All believers are in fellowship with the Lord.
The verse next chapter shows this clearly:
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word;
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me.
This is fellowship through belief. Believers are in fellowship. When Jesus talked about chopping branches off and burning them He was talking about people who don’t abide in Him, aka non-believers.
Fellowship is about the state of the relationship. Just like a marriage. Fellowship is maintained/restored when a believer confesses their ongoing sins. Otherwise, God does not hear their prayers. Psa 68:18
In a sense married people have become one flesh and are not disunited except by death or adultery. Maybe you’re referring to positional fellowship. People are forgiven by the work of Christ, but in another sense can create “relationship problem by sinning. This isn’t the same thing as being dispensed as you seem to be suggesting.
Oh, so His children are all sinless, huh.
God’s children can sin, but being forgiven effectually makes them sinless. If your sins aren’t counted against you are you still a sinner?
Now explain WHY God would scourge (skin alive with a whip) EVERY son? What would be the reason, other than SIN?
That’s what the Bible says. I’m surprised you think it’s literal.
Luke 12:47,48
47And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not
himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes.
48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
I said: "But the concept of "discard" implies not important or significant, trash, etc."
I used the word disposable. I think it’s accurate.
My statement is true. I never said the Bible uses the word "trash". But the idea of discarding something DOES apply to things that are worthless, LIKE trash. I'm sorry that you are not connecting the clear dots.
I don’t think something that is discarded needs to be trash. It just needs to have no use. People are valuable, but that isn’t the same thing as being worthless garbage. I don’t think we speak the same language.
No, it is YOUR perapective that is weird. God applies justice to everyone. Which results in physical death and the second death. But they still live on in the lake of fire, being tormented "day and night, forever and ever". Rev 20:10.
People don’t die then live forever. John 3:16 promises eternal life to those who believe and death to those who don’t believe. Perish means death.
[QUOTW]No one is "destroyed" in the permanent sense. Annihilation isn't taught in the Bible.[/QUOTE]
Annihilation is Biblical.
I made that clear when I quoted John 3:16. "so loved" is literally "in this way".
But what sense is the love?
Doesn't "context" have any significance to you?? Who was Jesus speaking to in John 15:1-6? His 11 SAVED disciples. Judas had already left the supper. Jesus was plainly telling His disciples HOW to bear fruit; by abiding in Him (fellowship).
Keeping reading into John 17.
Thank you for your generous offer to disagree and your opinion, which I will ignore.
Ditto.