“THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS...”
(A STUDY BASED ON GALATIANS 5:22-23A)

The term “Fruit” denotes qualities or states of mind, habits, or feeling, more than actions. “Fruit” is often used in the New Testament to describe a product that is both pleasant and useful. Those who are equipped with such fruit give glory to God. As Dr. Luke has said, “A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.” We will consider these virtues and how they are part of Christian Character.


Star (9-PointedBahá'í

The nine-pointed star symbolizes the nine fruits of the Spirit listed in the

Epistle to the Galatians. This star is sometimes shown with the Latin initials for each of the fruits (charitas, gaudium, pax, longanimitas, benignitas, bonitus, fides, mansuetudo and continentia) placed within the points.


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QUOTABLE QUOTES:

“Love is a grave mental illness.”

-Plato

“The one who runs away from love is the greatest victor.”

-Napoleon

“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” -H. L. Mencken


WORD STUDY:

Agapeo – “to love”, It comes from a root which means “to be satisfied;” it can mean “to prefer,” in the sense of esteeming one person more highly than another. In the Bible the word has no delusion or sentimentality attached to it. The love of God is not impulse, but will; it is not intoxication, but action. The Lord chooses to love us in Christ.

Agape love is sacrificial, a gift-love and has three distinctive elements:

UNDERSTANDING

CONCERN

SACRIFICE

These three elements are seen most clearly in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He understood our lost condition; He was concerned about it enough to be born in our likeness; He sacrificed His life to save us. Our love is to be characterized by the same three elements.

Agape love involves the will; it chooses to love the unlovable without concern about the cost or whether it will be reciprocated. It is a decision to love and is therefore distinguished from sentimentality.


QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

  1. Why is a passionate love for Jesus so vital if we are to have healthy, loving relationships with other people? (Read 1 John 4:7-12)

  2. What obstacles in your life are hindering you from a single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ?

  3. It has been said, “to love the world for me is no chore; my problem is the guy next door.” Agree? Why or why not?

  4. Read Ephesians 4:29. Do you find it easier to speak words of encouragement and blessing to people or to criticize them? Explain.

  5. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. What are the eight things that love is not? What are the eight things love is?

  6. These verses give us a picture of Jesus Christ. Reread vs. 4-8a as you substitute the Name “Jesus” for the word “love.”

  7. Read Romans 5:5. What does this verse say about the source of our love and the power to love others?

  8. Ask the Lord for a fresh understanding of His love, and pray for help to show forth this fruit of the Spirit in your life.


The Fruit of the Spirit

Leftovers

And here come the leftovers…

 

Below are some of the places where other qualities or virtues of the Christian may be found. Discuss these “extra” virtues and their place in our lives.

 
2 Corinthians 6:6

  • We are told we should commend ourselves to purity (agnontayti). This is proceeded by the statement in verse 3 that “We put no stumbling block in any ones path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.” What does purity imply here?
  • We must also possess understanding/knowledge (gnosei) in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love. Understanding of what?

 

Ephesians 4:2

  • Being urged to live a life fully worthy of the calling we have received we are directed to be completely humble (nophrosunays). Describe ways in which we may show humility to others. How are we at times, less than humble?
  • We are to be bearing with one another in love (anexomenoi). Maybe I looking too deep at this point… But what does adding the word “bearing” imply here?

 

Ephesians 5:9

  • Here we are told the “fruit of light” consists in righteousness (dikaiosunay) and other things as well… what is the value of, pardon the pun, reflecting on the fruit in such a manner? How does righteousness fit in and again, where does it originate? Why is this significant to verbalize?
  •  
  • Of course with light comes truth (alaythia). How seriously do we take this word truth and when do we make exceptions to it that we seem to feel the Lord will disregard?

 

Colossians 3:12-15

  • As God’s chosen people, we are to clothe ourselves with the bowels of Compassion (splagxna “entrails, bowels, the chief intestines”) (oiktirmon). Discuss. 
  • We are to forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Who instigates the forgiveness
  • With the following in mind, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Does the desire or understood need of someone to be forgiven, have to be present before you are to forgive them? Discuss.
  • And be thankful. How much? How do you express or convey it. Can others tell that you're thankful?

Fruit final

Author Unknown:

 There's a strength in love, and a loving person is strong because he is able to overcome his selfishness.



 There's a strength in joy, and a joyful person is strong because he has never been defeated by challenges and temptations.


There's a strength in peace, and a person who owns peace is strong because he has never been in doubt.


There's a strength in patient endurance, and a patient person is strong because he is able to bear everything and he has never felt hurt.


There's a strength in generosity, and a generous person is strong because he has never held his words and hands to do good deeds.

 

There's a strength in kindness, and a kind person is strong because he is always able to do good things for everyone.

 

There's a strength in faith, and a faithful person is strong because he is able to defeat his worldliness by his faith to God and other people.

 

There's a strength in mildness, and a mild person is strong because he is able to restrain himself from revenge.

 

There's a strength in chastity, and a chaste person is strong because he is able to control his lust.

 

For Consideration:


One manner the Fruit of the Spirit has been described is the divide it into three parts:


  • The inward group: love, joy, peace.
  • The outward group: patience, kindness, goodness,
  • And the Godward group, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Do you agree with this breakdown? Is this helpful? Discuss

 

We should study to identify weak areas of our life and of our church and focus attention to the weak areas and increase our effort to bring production to a higher level.”  Do you agree?

 

How are we recognized by the Fruit within us?

  • Matthew 7:18
  • Matthew 12:33
  • Romans 7:4

 

What is necessary for us to bear fruit? (Psalm 1:3)

 

How active is God’s Fruit? How far reaching? (Colossians 1:6)

What is the evidence of this from your knowledge or experiences?

 

We have the Fruit of the Spirit within us, but we also bear fruit. What is the consequence of *not* bearing fruit? (John 15:2-8)

 

What happens to Fruit left alone to itself?

 

 

A few other virtues ? ? ?

What about Friendship? What is its value place among gifts from God?  


  • What are the warnings of Friendship?
  • James 4:4 & Proverbs 12:26
  • Where is friendship rightly found?
  • Job 29:4


Why is Hope not listed? Where is hope based and how is it experienced?

  • 1 Timothy 1:1
  • Romans 5:5
  • Hebrews 7:18-19

 What about these Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit? Where do they fit in? 

  • Isaiah 11:2-3

Wrap

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

 

“Since the object of this verse is to exhibit the harmony between the fruit of the Spirit and the restraints of the law, those qualities only are specified which affect man’s duty to his neighbor.” 

-Rev Frederic Rendall

 

“Paul does not say ‘works of the Spirit,’ as he had said ‘works of the flesh’; but he adorns these Christian virtues with a worthier title and calls them ‘fruit of the Spirit.’  For they bring very great benefits and fruit, because those who are equipped with them give glory to God and by these virtues invite others to the teaching and faith of Christ.”

-Dr. Martin Luther

 

“The term ‘fruit’ denotes qualities or states of mind, habits or feeling, more than concrete actions.  ‘Fruit’ is often used in the N.T. to describe a product that is both pleasant and useful.” 

-Rev. Gerhard Aho

 

“A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.”

-Dr. Luke (aka.St.Luke)

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

 

  1. Read Galatians 5:22-23 and especially note the last part of verse 23. Why is there no law against such things as mentioned in these verses? Discuss.  Then read 1 Tim.1:9. 
  2. If there is no law concerning these things and they are “fruit of the Spirit” and not our works, then there is no glory for us in showing them. Agree or disagree? (Gal.6:14)
  3. Why were all nine of these “fruits” described in the singular form, “fruit” in the text? Is there a unity to be understood here?
  4. Consider the reference concerning a tree and it’s fruit in Luke 6:43-44, and then also read John 15:2. How does pruning take place in our lives? How does it protect us? How does it help us to develop?
  5. Do you feel that there is a reason behind the order in which the fruit was listed by St. Paul?
  6. Which of this fruit do you feel that you possess more than others? Is there room for improvement, yes or no? How?
  7. How do people “act out” this fruit but not really possess it? What is the benefit of such a lie, or should we ask what is the result and for whom?
  8. Which of this fruit do you see that your church possesses more of than others? Is there room for improvement, yes or no? How?
  9. Do you feel you have a better understanding of “the fruit of the Spirit”, now that you have studied it for ten weeks, than you did before this study? Explain. 
  10. Ask the Lord to strengthen you in faith and by His Spirit to instill this fruit of the Spirit in your heart and life.