What is the fruit of the Spirit?

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts two ways of living: walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. He first lists "the works of the flesh," including hatred, strife, envyings, and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21), and then writes, "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). Notice that Paul says "fruit," not "fruits." The nine qualities are best understood as one harvest, a single character that grows together, rather than a menu of separate traits from which believers pick a few. The contrast between "works" and "fruit" matters too: works are produced by effort, while fruit grows naturally from a living source. Jesus used the same picture when he said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" (John 15:5). Some of the KJV terms have shifted in meaning over time. Longsuffering means patience, faith here is often understood as faithfulness, meekness means gentle strength or humility, and temperance means self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is also different from the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12. Gifts vary from person to person, but the fruit is meant to grow in every believer. Paul sums up the call simply: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).

Key Passages