The apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Galatia speaks of the fruits of the Spirit as follows:
“But the fruit (karpos) of the Spirit is love (agapē), joy (chara), peace (eirēnē), forbearance (makrothumia), kindness (chrēstotēs), goodness (agathōsynē), faithfulness (pistis), gentleness (prautēs),and self-control (enkrateia). Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22, 23.
Just as there are gifts of the Holy Spirit, some natural such as teaching and some supernatural such as prophesy, there are also fruits of the Spirit. Using the base text in Galatians 5:19-21 we’ll take a closer look at the nine quintessential personality traits.
The word “but” (de) that leads off the verse is, according to Wuerst, “slightly adversative and introduces the subject of the fruit of the Spirit as a contrast and in antithesis to the works of the flesh” as described in the previous verses (Galatians 5:19-21.)
The word “fruit”(karpos) is in the singular which according to Wuest suggests a unity of the different nouns listed in these two verses. Vine points out that karpos refers to “that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism” or perhaps a living, non-corporeal entity? It may be for this reason that the Holy Spirit chose the word “fruit” instead of some other word (such as “gift.”)
Agapē, one of four Greek words for love,is used as a noun as in this passage, or as verb, or adjective about 320 times in the New Testament. Wuest says “It is a love of esteem and approbation. The quality of this love is determined by the character of the one who loves and that of the object loved.” Unlike the three other words for love in the New Testament, agapē is not confined to one’s partner or family, or immediate community as the other Greek words for love apply, but it transcends the family and the Church as well to the unsaved people of the world. William Barclay notes that agapēis much more than an emotion . . . rather a decision of the mind to love the unlovable, or one’s enemies. Barclay notes that “No matter what a man is like, God seeks nothing but his highest good.” For this reason, God wants us to practice agapē so that we may love our enemies even as God did (when we were enemies of God and when God sent His Son to the Cross.) However, it is impossible for the unregenerate man to practice agapē because it is only possible when the Risen Christ lives within one’s heart.
Joy (chara) as used in the New Testament generally refers to a joy that has a spiritual basis. Interchangeably with joy are the terms delight and gladness.
The word “peace” (eirēnē) is usually defined in the New Testament as “the bringing together of that which has been separated.” In this verse, however, it describes more of an inner peace that dwells within the hearts of the believer.
The word forbearance (makrothumia) does not appeal in classical Greek and only rarely in later Greek, and as such is essentially a Christian word. It is a compound word of makros which means “long” and thumos which means “temper.” Barclay explains the absence of this word in Greek, noting that it describes a virtue that the Greeks did not consider as a virtue at all. Greeks took pride in punishing those who insulted or injured them, something that is the antithesis of forbearance. The word “forbearance”is substituted for longsuffering in the King James version. Webster’s dictionary defines this word as “suffering for a long time without complaining” while other sources emphasize a lack of retaliation while under enforced hardship.
According to Vine, kindness (chrēstotēs)“signifies not merely goodness as a quality, rather it is goodness in action, goodness expressing itself in deeds . . .”
Goodness (agathōsynē): Bromiley defines this word as “the quality, or moral excellence, of the good person.”
Faithfulness (pistis) Bromiley defines this word as “confidence, certainty, and trust” as well as “guarantee” and “proof.”
Gentleness: Prautēsappears in the Beatitudes where it is translated as “meek.” Barclay says that in classical Greek, it is used to describe gentle breezes or a gentle voice. When in classical Greek it appears in the neuter case, it can refer to a caress. Barclay says the word can be used to describe a wild horse who has been tamed and now is suitable for riding. In fact, the word gentled is sometimes used to describe broken horses. When translated into English, gentleness or meekness often carry the connotation of weakness within the person, but that implication in not present in these words. Instead, they insinuate extraordinary strength under absolute control, as Moses had demonstrated in his life. The source of the strength however, as Vine points out is because the Christian has “the infinite resources of God at His command.”
Implicit in the term for self-control (enkrateia) is the word “strength” (kratos.) The term self-control (or a lack thereof) is used in I Corinthians 7:9 where Paul writes of single Christians who with their significant others are being sexually tempted: “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Wuest notes that the word enkrateia itself does not refer to any other specific word, but rather takes its meaning from whatever particular sentence it finds itself in.
These qualities should be in every Christian in abundance is they are walking in the light (I John 1:5-7.)