Yvonne Gallagher May 2, 2020:

@ Asker Too late now but for future reference. I agree with Tomasso. None of the answers are interpreting this correctly in my view. "Pinching off" or "out" is a gardening/farming term that means using the thumb and forefinger to (literally) pinch out the flowers from the top of a plant to stop it setting seed and thus to ensure it continues to grow and bear fruit. This is done in all sorts of plants, where fruit rather than seeds are required. So the metaphorical meaning in this case is that the true church has not been allowed to set seed

Tomasso Apr 27, 2020:

grape vine metaphor https://jaystl.blogspot.com/2018/04/i-am-true-vine.html
The vine grower's treatment of the fruitful branches seems at first sight severe: "Every one that [bears fruit] he prunes so that it bears more fruit.@ The image, easily understood by Jesus= hearers, who were familiar with vineyards and grapes, is that of a gardener **pinching off** the new green shoots on a vine, so that all the growth can be concentrated in the few early blooming branches which the gardener has selected to bear fruit.

(meaning, the correct version of the Gospel was not allowed to grow, was removed, (possible reference to the Great Apostasy, the corruption of the Church, the Vine, before the End Times https://www.ttb.org/docs/default-source/Booklets/amazing-ala...
The Great Falling Away before the end of the world ...https://www.firststone.org/articles/post/the-great-falling-a...