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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Gentleness;   Graces;   Holiness;   Holy Spirit;   Joy;   Longsuffering;   Love;   Meekness;   Peace;   Religion;   Righteous;   Righteousness;   Scofield Reference Index - Character;   Holy Spirit;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fruit, Spiritual;   Fruitfulness-Unfruitfulness;   Holy Spirit;   Longsuffering;   Love;   Love-Hatred;   Meekness;   Meekness-Retaliation;   Peace;   Rest-Unrest;   Righteousness;   Spiritual;   The Topic Concordance - Bearing Fruit;   Holy Spirit;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Emblems of the Holy Spirit, the;   Fruits;   Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the;   Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the;   Joy;   Love to God;   Love to Man;   Meekness;   Peace, Spiritual;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Spirit;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Endurance;   Ethics;   Freedom;   Gifts of the spirit;   Goodness;   Holy spirit;   Joy;   Kindness;   Law;   Love;   Meekness;   Patience;   Paul;   Peace;   Self-discipline;   Tongue;   Tongues;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abraham;   Baptize, Baptism;   Dead Sea Scrolls;   Demon;   Envy;   Faith;   Faithfulness;   Flesh;   Freedom;   Fruit;   Fruit of the Spirit;   Gentleness;   Good, Goodness;   Holy Spirit;   Kindness;   New Command;   Pride;   Sanctification;   Spirit;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Fornication;   Joy;   Liberty;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fruit;   Providence;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Galatians, the Epistle to the;   Holy Spirit, the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Church;   Concupiscence;   Faith;   Fruit;   Galatians, Letter to the;   Joy;   Kindness;   Patience;   Paul;   Peace, Spiritual;   Reconcilation;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Spirit;   Torah;   Wind;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Brotherly Love;   Ethics;   Faith;   Inspiration;   Joy;   Law;   Liberty;   Longsuffering;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Perfection;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Arbitration;   Assurance (2);   Atonement (2);   Blessedness (2);   Brotherly Love;   Character;   Cheerfulness ;   Children of God;   Christian Life;   Commandment;   Ethics;   Freedom of the Will;   Fruit;   Galatians Epistle to the;   Goodness (Human);   Holy Spirit;   Holy Spirit (2);   James Epistle of;   Joy;   Joy (2);   Kindness;   Law;   Long-Suffering ;   Longsuffering;   Love;   Marriage;   Numbers;   Patience;   Paul (2);   Peace;   Peace (2);   Perseverance;   Personality;   Righteousness;   Sorrow, Man of Sorrows;   Temperance ;   Virtue;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fruit;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Sanctification;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Faith;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   Gentleness;   Goodness;   Johannine Theology, the;   Joy;   Kindness;   Longsuffering;   Love;   Man, Natural;   Old Man;   Pastoral Epistles, the;   Pauline Theology;   Peter, the Second Epistle of;   Purity;   Salvation;   Sanctification;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for March 15;   Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for November 30;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 16;   Today's Word from Skip Moen - Devotion for December 8;  

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Legacy Standard Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Simplified Cowboy Version
But riding with the Holy Ghost makes a man be able to love and have things like joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Bible in Basic English
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith,
Darby Translation
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity,
Christian Standard Bible®
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
World English Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity,
Weymouth's New Testament
The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence;
King James Version (1611)
But the fruit of the spirit is loue, ioy, peace, long suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith,
Literal Translation
But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the frute of the sprete, is loue, ioye, peace, longe sufferinge, getlenes, goodnesse, faithfulnes,
Mace New Testament (1729)
but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness of disposition, beneficence, faithfulness, meekness, temperance:
THE MESSAGE
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Amplified Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
American Standard Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Revised Standard Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But ye frute of sprete is loue ioye peace longesufferinge getlenes goodnes faythfulnes
Update Bible Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Webster's Bible Translation
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Young's Literal Translation
And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
New Century Version
But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
New English Translation
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Contemporary English Version
God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful,
Complete Jewish Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
English Standard Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the fruite of the Spirit is loue, ioye, peace, long suffering, gentlenes, goodnes, fayth,
George Lamsa Translation
But the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Hebrew Names Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, shalom, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
International Standard Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,faith">[fn]John 15:2; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 13:7; Ephesians 5:9; Colossians 3:12; James 3:17;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But the fruits of the Spirit are, love, joy, peace, prolonging of the spirit, benignity, goodness, fidelity,
Murdock Translation
But the fruits of the Spirit are, love, joy, peace, long suffering, suavity, kindness, fidelity, modesty, patience.
New King James Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
New Living Translation
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
New Life Bible
But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith,
English Revised Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
New Revised Standard
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, the fruit of the Spirit, is - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, graciousness, goodness, faithfulness,
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity,
King James Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Lexham English Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the fruite of the spirite is, loue, ioye, peace, long sufferyng, gentlenesse, goodnesse, fayth,
Easy-to-Read Version
But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person's life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
New American Standard Bible
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Good News Translation
But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But the fruyt of the spirit is charite, ioye, pees, pacience, long abidyng,

Contextual Overview

13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other. 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the fruit: Galatians 5:16-18, Psalms 1:3, Psalms 92:14, Hosea 14:8, Matthew 12:33, Luke 8:14, Luke 8:15, Luke 13:9, John 15:2, John 15:5, John 15:16, Romans 6:22, Romans 7:4, Ephesians 5:9, Philippians 1:11, Colossians 1:10

love: Galatians 5:13, Romans 5:2-5, Romans 12:9-18, Romans 15:3, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ephesians 4:23-32, Ephesians 5:1, Ephesians 5:2, Philippians 4:4-9, Colossians 3:12-17, 1 Thessalonians 1:3-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:10-22, Titus 2:2-12, James 3:17, James 3:18, 1 Peter 1:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 2 Peter 1:5-8, 1 John 4:7-16

goodness: Romans 15:14

faith: 1 Corinthians 13:7, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:11, 1 Timothy 4:12, 1 Peter 5:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 39:24 - pomegranates Leviticus 8:30 - the anointing Deuteronomy 12:18 - rejoice 1 Kings 8:66 - joyful Nehemiah 9:20 - good Psalms 18:35 - gentleness Psalms 35:9 - General Psalms 37:11 - the meek Psalms 119:165 - Great Psalms 143:10 - thy spirit Ecclesiastes 2:26 - wisdom Song of Solomon 4:10 - the smell Song of Solomon 7:13 - at our Isaiah 11:9 - not hurt Isaiah 29:19 - meek Isaiah 42:21 - he will Isaiah 54:13 - great Isaiah 55:12 - ye shall Jeremiah 31:33 - I will Jeremiah 33:6 - and will Ezekiel 18:21 - and do Ezekiel 36:27 - I will Daniel 4:27 - by showing Matthew 3:8 - fruits Matthew 5:9 - are Matthew 7:17 - every Matthew 13:8 - some an Matthew 13:23 - beareth Matthew 23:23 - the weightier Matthew 25:4 - oil Matthew 25:40 - Inasmuch Mark 4:20 - which Mark 9:50 - have peace Luke 3:8 - fruits Luke 13:6 - and he came John 3:21 - that his John 7:38 - out John 13:34 - That ye love John 14:16 - another John 14:27 - Peace I leave John 16:20 - your John 17:13 - that Acts 9:31 - and in Acts 13:52 - with the Acts 16:34 - and rejoiced Romans 2:10 - and peace Romans 5:5 - shed Romans 5:11 - but we Romans 8:4 - That Romans 8:5 - of the Spirit Romans 8:6 - to be spiritually minded Romans 8:7 - for it Romans 8:14 - led Romans 8:23 - which have Romans 12:2 - good Romans 12:10 - kindly Romans 12:18 - General Romans 14:17 - peace Romans 15:13 - fill 1 Corinthians 1:30 - sanctification 1 Corinthians 6:11 - but ye are sanctified 1 Corinthians 7:15 - but 1 Corinthians 9:21 - not 1 Corinthians 13:2 - and have 1 Corinthians 14:33 - but 1 Corinthians 16:14 - General 2 Corinthians 3:8 - the ministration 2 Corinthians 6:6 - knowledge 2 Corinthians 13:14 - the communion Galatians 4:15 - the blessedness Ephesians 1:4 - love Ephesians 4:16 - edifying Ephesians 5:18 - but Philippians 2:1 - if any comfort Philippians 4:7 - the peace Philippians 4:8 - whatsoever Colossians 1:8 - General 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - in the 1 Thessalonians 1:6 - with joy 1 Thessalonians 2:7 - we 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - love 1 Thessalonians 5:13 - and be 1 Thessalonians 5:14 - be 2 Thessalonians 3:5 - into 1 Timothy 1:5 - the end 1 Timothy 5:25 - the good 1 Timothy 6:11 - righteousness 2 Timothy 1:7 - of love 2 Timothy 2:24 - but Titus 3:2 - gentle Hebrews 1:9 - oil Hebrews 6:9 - things Hebrews 10:24 - love Hebrews 12:11 - peaceable Hebrews 12:14 - Follow Hebrews 13:1 - General James 5:8 - ye also 1 Peter 1:6 - ye greatly 1 Peter 2:18 - the good 1 Peter 3:11 - seek 1 John 3:14 - because 1 John 4:13 - General 1 John 4:19 - General 2 John 1:5 - that we

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
Genesis 5:6
When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh.
Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
Genesis 24:40
And he told me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house.
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said: "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.
Leviticus 26:12
I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.
Deuteronomy 5:33
You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land you will possess.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the fruit of the Spirit,.... Not of nature or man's free will, as corrupted by sin, for no good fruit springs from thence; but either of the internal principle of grace, called the Spirit, Galatians 5:17 or rather of the Holy Spirit, as the Ethiopic version reads it; the graces of which are called "fruit", and not "works", as the actions of the flesh are; because they are owing to divine influence efficacy, and bounty, as the fruits of the earth are, to which the allusion is; and not to a man's self, to the power and principles of nature; and because they arise from a seed, either the incorruptible seed of internal grace, which seminally contains all graces in it, or the blessed Spirit, who is the seed that remains in believers; and because they are in the exercise of them acceptable unto God through Christ, and are grateful and delightful to Christ himself, being "his pleasant fruits"; which as they come from him, as the author of them, they are exercised on him as the object of them, under the influence of the Spirit; and because they are profitable to them that are possessed of them, seeing the promise of this life and that which is to come is annexed to them; and the good works which are done in consequence of them are profitable to men: once more, as the works of the flesh are the unfruitful works of darkness, and make men so, and therefore cannot be called fruit properly; these, as they are fruits, and are rightly and properly so called, so they make men fruitful, and to abound in divine things, and are as follow:

Love. This the apostle begins with, it being the fulfilling of the law, the bond of perfectness, and without which a profession of religion is insignificant; it may be understood of love to God, of which every man's heart is destitute, being enmity against God, until regenerated by the Spirit of God; when he sheds abroad the love of God in the heart, and which is the ground and reason of any man's truly loving God: and also of love to Christ, which the natural man feels nothing of till the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Christ, opens his eyes to see the loveliness of his person, the suitableness of his grace, righteousness, and fulness, and the necessity of looking to him for life and salvation; and likewise of love to the saints, which a carnal man is a stranger to, until he is renewed by the Holy Ghost, who in regenerating him teaches him to love the brethren; and which is the evidence of his having passed from death to life, through the mighty power of his grace. Moreover, love to the house and worship of God, to the truths and ordinances of the Gospel, all which men have naturally an aversion to, may be included in this first fruit of the Spirit: the next follows, which is

joy, even that which is in the Holy Ghost, and has him for its author. The object of it is God, not as an absolute God, but as a covenant God and Father in Christ; as the God of salvation, as clothing with the robe of his Son's righteousness, and as pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, full atonement being made by the sacrifice of Christ; who also is the object of this joy in his person, fulness, righteousness, offices, relations, and when beheld, embraced, and enjoyed in a way of communion. This joy, likewise, which is the produce of the Spirit, lies in spiritual things, and arises from an apprehension or good hope of interest in them, as justification, pardon, peace, adoption, and eternal glory; and is peculiar to such who have the Spirit, for a stranger intermeddles not with this joy, nor can he form any judgment of it, and is even unspeakable by the believer himself. Moreover, joy in the good of others, of fellow creatures and fellow Christians, in their outward and inward prosperity, in their temporal, spiritual, and eternal good, which, as it is a grace of the Spirit, may well enough be thought to be at least part of the sense of the word here; since it follows upon, and is joined with love, and stands between that and

peace, which is another fruit of the Spirit: and designs peace with God in a man's own conscience, produced there by the Spirit of God, in consequence of peace being made by the blood of Christ; and that through the application of the blood of Christ for pardon, and of his righteousness for justification to the soul of a sensible sinner by the blessed Spirit, the effect of which is peace, quietness, and tranquillity of mind; also peace with men, with the saints, and with all others; for such who are under a work of the Spirit of God, and are influenced and led by him, seek after the things which make for peace and edification among the brethren, and are desirous if possible to live peaceably with all men: hence appears another grace in them,

longsuffering; which intends not so much a patient waiting for good things to come, for more grace, and for glory, through the Spirit; but a patient bearing and enduring of present evils with joyfulness, being strengthened by the Spirit with all might, according to his glorious power; being slow to anger, ready to forgive injuries, put up with affronts, and bear with, and forbear one another: and which is usually accompanied with gentleness, humanity, affability, courteousness, shown both in words, gestures, and actions; in imitation of the gentleness of Christ, and agreeably to that wisdom, that heavenly doctrine of the Gospel, which, among other things, is said to be gentle, and easy to be entreated. To which is added

goodness; and what else can come from the good Spirit of God, the author of the good work of grace upon the soul? and which disposes it to acts of goodness unto men, in a natural, civil, moral, spiritual, and evangelic way, for the benefit both of soul and body; and which must here be understood, and which is well pleasing to God when done in the exercise of the following grace,

faith; for though fidelity, both in words and actions, which is very ornamental to the Gospel, and a profession of religion may be meant; yet faith in Christ is not to be excluded, as it is generally by interpreters; for this is not of a man's self, nor have all men it: it is a gift of God, the operation of his power, and the work of his Spirit, whence he is styled the spirit of faith; and which therefore must have a place among his fruits; and which lies and shows itself in believing in Christ for salvation, in embracing the doctrines of the Gospel, and making a profession of them, which is called the profession of faith; all which, when right, comes from the Spirit of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But the fruit of the Spirit - That which the Holy Spirit produces. It is not without design, evidently, that the apostle uses the word “Spirit” here, as denoting that these things do not flow from our own nature. The vices above enumerated are the proper “works” or result of the operations of the human heart; the virtues which he enumerates are produced by a foreign influence - the agency of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Paul does not trace them to our own hearts, even when renewed. He says that they are to be regarded as the proper result of the Spirit’s operations on the soul.

Is love - To God and to human beings. Probably the latter here is particularly intended, as the fruits of the Spirit are placed in contradistinction from those vices which lead to strifes among people. On the meaning of the word love, see the notes at 1 Corinthians 13:1; and for an illustration of its operations and effects, see the notes at that whole chapter.

Joy - In the love of God; in the evidences of pardon; in communion with the Redeemer, and in his service; in the duties of religion, in trial, and in the hope of heaven; see the notes at Romans 5:2; compare 1 Peter 1:8.

Peace - As the result of reconciliation with God; see the notes at Romans 5:1.

Long-suffering - In affliction and trial, and when injured by others; see the note at 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Gentleness - The same word which is translated “kindness” in 2 Corinthians 6:6; see the note at that place. The word means goodness, kindness, benignity; and is opposed to a harsh, crabbed, crooked temper. It is a disposition to be pleased; it is mildness of temper, calmness of spirit, an unruffled disposition, and a disposition to treat all with urbanity and politeness. This is one of the regular effects of the Spirit’s operations on the heart. Religion makes no one crabby, and morose, and sour. It sweetens the temper; corrects an irritable disposition; makes the heart kind; disposes us to make all around us as happy as possible. This is true politeness; a kind of politeness which can far better be learned in the school of Christ than in that of Chesterfield; by the study of the New Testament than under the direction of the dancing-master.

Goodness - See the note at Romans 15:14. Here the word seems to be used in the sense of beneficence, or a disposition to do good to others. The sense is, that a Christian must be a good man.

Faith - On the meaning of the word faith, see the note at Mark 16:16. The word here may be used in the sense of fidelity, and may denote that the Christian will be a faithful man, a man faithful to his word and promises; a man who can be trusted or confided in. It is probable that the word is used in this sense because the object of the apostle is not to speak of the feelings which we have toward God so much as to illustrate the influences of the Spirit in directing and controlling our feelings toward people. True religion makes a man faithful. The Christian is faithful as a man; faithful as a neighbor, friend, father, husband, son. He is faithful to his contracts; faithful to his promises. No man can be a Christian who is not thus faithful, and all pretensions to being under the influences of the Spirit when such fidelity does not exist, are deceitful and vain.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit — Both flesh-the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit-the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh, with all its bad fruits, we have already seen; the tree of the Spirit, with its good fruits, we shall now see.

Love — αγαπη. An intense desire to please God, and to do good to mankind; the very soul and spirit of all true religion; the fulfilling of the law, and what gives energy to faith itself. See Galatians 5:6.

Joy — χαρα. The exultation that arises from a sense of God's mercy communicated to the soul in the pardon of its iniquities, and the prospect of that eternal glory of which it has the foretaste in the pardon of sin. See Romans 5:2.

Peace — ειρηνη. The calm, quiet, and order, which take place in the justified soul, instead of the doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings, which every true penitent less or more feels, and must feel till the assurance of pardon brings peace and satisfaction to the mind. Peace is the first sensible fruit of the pardon of sin. See Romans 5:1, and the notes there.

Long-suffering — μακροθυμια. Long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with ours; and that, if he had not, we should have been speedily consumed: bearing up also through all the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining; submitting cheerfully to every dispensation of God's providence, and thus deriving benefit from every occurrence.

Gentleness — χρηστοτης Benignity, affability; a very rare grace, often wanting in many who have a considerable share of Christian excellence. A good education and polished manners, when brought under the influence of the grace of God, will bring out this grace with great effect.

Goodness — αγαθωσυνη. The perpetual desire and sincere study, not only to abstain from every appearance of evil, but to do good to the bodies and souls of men to the utmost of our ability. But all this must spring from a good heart-a heart purified by the Spirit of God; and then, the tree being made good, the fruit must be good also.

Faith — πιστις, here used for fidelity-punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, nor disappointing the confidence of our employer.


 
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