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The Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit #7Text: Galatians 5:16-24 Introduction:
I. In our last two lessons on the Fruit of the Spirit, we
have noticed that:
A. The Fruit of the Spirit
1. The importance of producing this Fruit in our
lives.
2. That all nine characteristics are necessary for it
to be the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
B. The characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit.
1. Love:
a. This is to be our attitude toward God, Jesus,
brothers in Christ, neighbors, enemies, and
husbands towards wives.
b. The best description: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2. Joy, gladness
3. Peace—harmony
4. Longsuffering, Patience: Longtemper; a long
holding out of the mind, before it gives room to
action or to passion.
Body:
I. Gentleness, Kindness. (crhstoths, chrestotes)
A. Definition:
1. Arndt & Gingrinch – 1. goodness, uprightness… 2.
goodness, kindness, generosity.
2. Thayer – 1. moral goodness, integrity… 2.
benignity, kindness…
3. Vine – used of goodness of heart, kindness…
4. Neuman – kindness, goodness, mercy; what is
right.
5. Green – goodness, kindness, gentleness.
B. Translations: usually “kindness.”
C. Other passages:
1. Romans 2:4 “goodness”
2. Romans 11:22 “goodness”
3. Ephesians 2:7 “kindness”
4. 2 Corinthians 6:6 “kindness”
5. Colossians 3:12
6. Titus 3:4
D. Comments:
1. This is goodness in action, goodness expressing
itself in deeds,…in grace and compassion. We
have the example of God. “The Christian having
become the child of God, is to show the kindness
to others that has been shown by God to Him.”
2. Related word: Luke 5:29 “good, better mellow”
wine.
3. Matthew 11:30 – “easy” yoke.
II. Goodness. (agaqwsune agathosune)
A. Definition:
1. Arndt & Gingrich: goodness, uprightness Romans
15:14; Ephesians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11;
generosity Galatians 5:22.
2. Thayer: uprightness of heart and live… Galatians
5:22 (unless here it denotes kindness,
beneficence.).
3. Vine: goodness, signifies that moral quality
which is described by the adjective
agathos (good) which describes that which, being
good in its character or constitution, is
beneficial in its effect.
B. Other passages:
1. Romans 15:14
2. Ephesians 5:9
3. 2 Thessalonians 1:11
C. Comments:
1. Hogg & Vine: This word is a synonym of the
preceding. The difference may be that
chrestotes describes the more benign aspects of
goodness, this word includes its sterner
qualities, i.e., doing good to others, but not
necessarily by gentle means.
2. Illustration using Jesus: kindness by His
dealing with the penitent woman (Luke 7:37-50)
but goodness by His cleansing the temple
(Matthew 21:12-13).
III. Faith, Faithfulness (pistis pistis).
A. Definition:
1. Arndt & Gingrich: faithfulness, reliability.
2. Thayer: 2. fidelity, faithfulness, i.e., the
character of one who can be relied on…
3. Vine: faithfulness, to be trusted, reliable…
B. Translations: Faithfulness or fidelity is the most
common, and probably the best.
C. Comments:
1. Most of the time “pistis” simply means faith,
but here it carries the meaning cited above.
2. This word is common in secular Greek for
trustworthiness. It is the characteristic of
the man who is reliable, loyal.
3. Faithfulness involves integrity wherein one
keeps his word or loyal to his principles.
IV. Meekness; Gentleness (prauth prautes)
A. Definition:
1. Arndt & Gingrich: gentleness, humility,
courtesy, considerateness, meekness in the older
favorable sense…
2. Thayer: gentleness, mildness, meekness.
B. Translations: Meekness and gentleness are the more
common ones.
C. Comments:
1. When we think of meekness we think of a person
who is weak, yellow-back, spineless, etc.
2. This is not the case.
3. Hogg & Vine: described negatively, meekness is
the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-
interest; it is an equanimity of spirit that is
neither elated nor cast down, simply because it
is not occupied with self at all.
4. Meekness has been defined as “strength under
control.”
5. It should characterize the life of the
Christian.
a. James 1:21
b. Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; text.
c. Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:24-25
d. 1 Peter 3:15
V. Temperance, self-control (egkrateia egkrateia).
A. Definition:
1. Arndt & Gingrich: self-control.
2. Thayer: self-control…(the virtue of one who
masters his desires and passions, especially his
sensual appetites.
3. Neuman: self-control.
B. Other passages:
1. Acts 24:25
2. 2 Peter 1:6
C. Comments:
1. The ideal is found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
2. Self-control in:
a. eating.
b. smoking.
c. drugs.
d. etc.
Conclusion:
I. These are the Fruit of the Spirit.
II. A good test for you to see if you are a faithful
Christian is to ask yourself how many of these
characteristics are in your life.
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