Gwendolyn Harmon's Blog: Learning Ladyhood, page 20

Temperance: Fruit of the Spirit Part 10

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

As we have examined each of the previous characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, I have tried to show that none is intended to stand alone. The fruit of the Spirit is one fruit, a unified whole of interconnected traits designed to work together, somewhat like the inner workings of a complex machine. Without one of its tiny teeth ...

Meekness: Fruit of the Spirit Part 9

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

Meekness is a trait we don’t often hear praised in our culture. In fact, the world’s negative view of meekness has rendered many Christians confused as to whether meekness is a virtue or a weakness.

According to Scripture, meekness is not a weakness, in fact, it is one of the ways in which a Christian exhibits strength. But what exac...

Faith: Fruit of the Spirit Part 8

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 

Faith is another word with a broad definition. It could mean saving faith, or faithfulness to God, or to Christianity as system of beliefs.

The Greek word itself, pistis, means persuasion or moral conviction, often used specifically in regard to our reliance upon God for salvation. This is a case where the Greek word itself does not ...

Goodness: Fruit of the Spirit Part 7

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

I don’t think it would surprise anyone to think that God would want us to be good.

After all, God Himself is unfailingly, invincibly good and it makes sense that His followers would echo that trait. But what exactly does it mean to exhibit God’s goodness in our lives?

The Greek word translated goodness here has the idea of virtue or ...

Gentleness: Fruit of the Spirit Part 6

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

When I looked up the word gentleness in my Strong’s concordance, I found that this particular word is only translated gentleness here in Galatians 5:22. The same word is also translated elsewhere in the New Testament as kindness, graciousness, and once (in Matthew 11:30) it is translated easy. Its official definition also includes mo...

Longsuffering: Fruit of the Spirit Part 5

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 

None of us like to suffer, particularly when the suffering is of a long duration. Perhaps that is why the word longsuffering has so little appeal to us. Yet longsuffering is a crucial characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit.

The word most commonly translated longsuffering in the New Testament, which also appears in Galatians 5:22, ...

Peace: the Fruit of the Spirit Part 4

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

Like love and joy, peace is closely intertwined with the other qualities of the fruit of the Spirit. The Greek word used for peace in the New Testament means a quietness, rest, or unity.

Peace is such a common word throughout the New Testament, it can be difficult to know where to begin studying it out, but as with anything, it is usu...

Joy: the Fruit of the Spirit Part 3

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

It’s amazing how much theology there is in the children’s songs we sang in Sunday school or with our own children. Here is one I remember singing often as a child:

“I’ve got joy, down in my heart, Deep, deep down in my heart!J-O-Y, down in my heart, Deep, deep down in my heart! Jesus gave it to meAnd nothing can destroy it!I’ve got j...

Love: Fruit of the Spirit Part 2

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

This list of traits that flow out of a Spirit-filled Christian begins with the word love. Love is a somewhat nebulous and relative term in our modern society, used towards anything from our favorite food to a family member, spouse, or child. But what does the Bible mean when it says that the fruit of the Spirit is love?

This is a case...

Works, Grace, and the Gospel

It is important in studying any passage of Scripture to begin with an understanding of the context in which it has been placed. The two verses listing the fruit of the Spirit do not exist in a vacuum, and it is crucial to our study to take a look at the book of Galatians as a whole.    

The book of Galatians was written by Paul (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to the believers in Galatia. The reason Paul was writing to them was that the Galatian believers had fallen prey to false teac...