The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up the nine visible attributes of a true Christian life, according to Paul's Letter to the Galatians chapter:5. Though there are nine attributes to the Fruit of the Spirit, the original Greek term translated as "Fruit" is singular, signifying that there is one Fruit, with nine parts. Throughout the Bible, righteous men are likened to trees, and Paul in Galatians 5 explains what fruit a righteous tree bears. Accordingly, this fruit is grown by those who have truly repented, or are truly followers of Jesus. It is arguable that if one does not bear this fruit, one is not truly a Christian. In John's account of the Gospel Jesus said, "These things I command you, that you love one another" referred to as the New Commandment or the second greatest commandment. Paul illustrates with these attributes the kind of love that marks a true Christian life:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23
The Douay-Rheims translation lists these as follows:
But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23
Immediately before he illustrates Christ-like "love-one-another" love, author Paul issues a stern warning in presenting partial list of what he termed "acts of the flesh" which he labels as "obvious":
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
— Galatians 5:19-21
In one of the most austere statements attributed to Paul in the New Testament, he concludes the negative list with these unequivocal words: "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." There is no mention of these behaviors and attitudes being unpardonable sins. Perhaps the key words are "those who live like this" which imply a lifestyle.
The virtues are given in a pleonastic style which rhetorician George Kennedy describes as "The cumulation of a series of words which seem to come pouring out of his heart" (p. 90). This is a common stylistic feature of the Apostle Paul's writing. See Romans1:29-31; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:19-23; Philippians 4:8.
Read more about Fruit Of The Holy Spirit: Love (Greek: agape, Latin: caritas), Joy (Greek: chara, Latin: gaudium), Peace (Greek: eirene, Latin: pax), Patience (Greek: makrothumia, Latin: longanimitas), Kindness (Greek: chrestotes, Latin: benignitas), Goodness (Greek: agathosune, Latin: bonitas), Faithfulness (Greek: pistis, Latin: fides), Gentleness (Greek: prautes, Latin: modestia), Self-control (Greek: egkrateia, Latin: continentia)
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