Fruit of the Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is the list of nine qualities Paul gives in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Many people search for the fruits of the Spirit, but the text uses the singular, fruit, one harvest with nine parts. The two verses are highlighted here in the King James Version inside the passage around them, Galatians 5:16-26, where Paul sets them against the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16-26

16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

King James Version Verses 22 and 23 highlighted

Read the full chapter

Fruit of the Spirit in plain English

Where it comes from

Paul wrote Galatians to churches that were being told they had to keep the law of Moses to belong to God. His answer is that people are put right with God through faith in Christ. In chapter 5 he heads off the obvious worry, that freedom from the law means freedom to do anything, by saying, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. He then sets two lists side by side: the works of the flesh in verses 19 to 21, and the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23.

What each word means

Several of the King James words have shifted in meaning since 1611, so here is each one in plain English.

Love
The Greek word agape: love that seeks the good of others.
Joy
Gladness that does not depend on circumstances.
Peace
Calm and wholeness, with God and with other people.
Longsuffering
Patience, especially with people.
Gentleness
Kindness, which is how most modern translations put it.
Goodness
Generosity and uprightness in what you do.
Faith
Faithfulness: being someone others can rely on.
Meekness
Gentleness, strength held under control.
Temperance
Self control, in every part of life.

One fruit, not nine

The word fruit is singular. Paul is not describing nine separate achievements, where one person has patience and another has joy. He describes one crop the Spirit grows in a person, with all nine showing together. That also sets it apart from the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, which differ from one believer to the next.

Where traditions differ

Christians read this passage in much the same way. One difference is the count: Catholic tradition lists twelve fruits of the Spirit rather than nine, following the longer text of these verses in the Latin Vulgate, and adds generosity, modesty and chastity.