GALATIANS 5:22-23 FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT DEFINED

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love²⁶, joy⁵⁴⁷⁹, peace¹⁵¹⁵, longsuffering³¹¹⁵, gentleness⁵⁵⁴⁴, goodness¹⁹, faith⁴¹⁰², meekness⁴²³⁶, temperance¹⁴⁶⁶: 

against such there is no law.

Susie: Many of us have heard these two verses, memorized them, been taught to “strive” to live up to them all our lives. First it must be said that these are not “fruits” we must work to produce. Rather, they are the “fruit” singular, the product, of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us. Believers will increasingly exhibit these character traits as the Spirit does His work in our lives.

Susan: As with many familiar passages of the Bible, we assume we know the meaning of these words and just gloss over them as we read. Let us take the time now to explore the meaning of each of these terms.  We will list the definition of each Greek word from The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, followed by our own discussion and possibly cross references.

26 agapē – love, i.e. affection or benevolence . . . (feast of) charity (-ably), dear, love.

Susan: Agapē is a derivative of Strong’s 25 agapaō which is love in a “moral sense.” This is the kind of love God displays toward us. It is not based on emotions or the merit of its object. God chooses to love us because His nature is love.

Susie: The Holy Spirit produces this type of love in us, enabling us to love even those who are unlovely or seemingly unlovable. This love is more than brotherly love, higher than romantic love, and is a result of our relationship with Jesus. It is also the love we return to the Heavenly Father.

1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

5479 chara – cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight—gladness, greatly (be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous)

Susie: I never really thought of joy as “calm delight.” It makes sense, though. Unlike happiness that is dependent upon circumstances, joy is an inner “delight” which Webster defines as “A high degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy.” No matter the outward circumstances, I am satisfied because of my trust in Jesus.

Susan: I am satisfied, joyful, despite my outward shell, my earth-suit. Spasms, twitches, phantom pain, inability to perform simple tasks like eating are all a part of my daily life; but the Holy Spirit within me provides unshakeable joy in the midst of it all.

2 Corinthians 8:2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

Susan: Their freedom in Christ was greater than their challenges enabling them to give generously and cheerfully, not begrudgingly, even though they were poor.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

Susan: I could have become bitter because of my earth-suit that suffers from cerebral palsy, and uninformed public opinion that I must have rocks in my head. However, God gives me exuberant joy because He adopted me and calls me His jewel, His precious treasure.

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure).

Susie: Peace is not the absence of turmoil. It is the ability to be calm, at rest, in the middle of the storm.

Susan: I think of Jesus in the boat with His disciples. A storm raged about them, but the Lord continued sleeping.

Susie: Of course, Jesus knew He had the power to calm the storm. We need to remember that He is in control of our tumultuous situations as well.

1515 ĕirēnē – peace (lit. or fig.) by impl. prosperity—one, peace, quietness, rest, set at one again.

Susan: The Hebrew equivalent to this Greek word for peace is “shalom.” Shalom means “nothing missing, nothing broken, to be made whole again.”

Susie: In other words, “set at one again.” Jesus takes the shattered pieces of our broken lives and makes them whole again.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Susan: The Apostle Paul certainly knew the importance of relying on and applying the grace and peace of the Lord in his own life (see his testimony of trials in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27). Therefore, he began or ended his letters as he did the letter to his son in the faith, Titus:

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .