Fruits of the Spirit (part 3)

Wycliffe (1384) Galatians 5:22-23

 But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, long abiding, benignity (good will), goodness, mildness, faith, temperance, continence, chastity; against such things is no law

King James Galatians (1611) 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The six known versions of the early Holy Bible have two similar fruits of the Spirit lists with a few additions.  The Wycliffe, Purvey and Vulgate  which are also the three oldest versions of the Bible align together with the Fruits of the Spirit.  The newest three versions are the King James, the Tyndale and the Geneva which are equally similar in the words they use as the Fruits of the Spirit.  In the last blog, we looked at Love and Charity.  Here, we are going to study the others.

Joy.  What a great word.  It appears 165 times in the King James Version.  There is a little known verse found in 2 Corinthians 8:2 that few people have read when it comes to joy.  Paul and Timothy are talking about the churches in Macedonia when it reads "How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality."  Joy does not rely only on blessings and riches but you can still have joy in your afflictions and poverty.  Paul says g even though the Church of Macedonia was experiencing extreme afflictions and extreme poverty there was Joy.  

Peace.  If you think joy is hard in poverty and afflictions, wait until we read about Peace which appears 429 times.  Paul is talking to the Church at Corinth about sex and marriage where a spouse is an unbeliever.  in 1 Corinthians 7:15 "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace."  He later says in verse 19 that circumcision and uncircumcision is a meaningless argument.  The real need is for Christians is that we keep God's commandments.  Peace is exactly that, Peace.  Keep the Peace.  Like joy, peace is hard to live with and by because people will persecute, ridicule, tell vicious lies and rumors about you.  

Longsuffering and Long abiding.    The word appears only 17 times but another similar word patience, New Testament only, appears 34 times.   The Wycliffe says Long Abiding which means suffering or enduring for a long period of time.  One of the greatest verses in longsuffering and patience is found in Exodus 34:6 which reads "6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"  Why is this important?  This is the second time the Lord had to put the Ten Commandments onto stone.  The first time, Moses broke the tablets when the Israelites were sinning by making a golden calf and worshipping the calf not God.  Longsuffering is being patient when adversity, afflictions, and or hardships come upon you.  Or in this case, when people around you disobey God.  

Gentleness and benignity.  The word gentleness only appears four times in the King James and benignity will not appear but is another word for gentleness.  Paul says it best in 2 Corinthians 10 about gentleness and meekness as he writes "3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)".  We are not to threaten people in a carnal way but we are to be gentle and meek in God to pull down the strong holds of the enemies that surround us.  Paul says in verse 3 we walk in the flesh and do not cause war after the flesh.  Benignity also has the meaning goodwill.  

Goodness, The word is found 51 times.  It can be hard at times to be good and to do good.  Paul says in Ephesians 5:8-9 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)...15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  Are you walking in the Light of the Lord?  Are you walking wise?  Goodness is the fruit of the spirit that will show the world what type of person you are every day.  

Meekness and Mildness.  The word meekness appears 14 times but mildness does not appear.  Meekness is at the top of my list or one of my favorites.  Paul gives us great insight in Galatians 6:1 where spiritual Christians find a fault with a person, the spiritual Christians are to share and restore the fallen Christian to the spirit of meekness.  Paul continues in Galatians 6:3-8 "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself... 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption".  It is easy to see the fruit of a Christian, you can see their humbleness and humility.    

Faith.  The word faith is found 247 times.  James tells us some key things about faith and works.  He starts with the Jewish Religious leaders about people who attend the synagogue or church.  Some are rich while others are poor.  Yet, you tell the rich to sit in the good place and tell the poor to stand over there.  James tells them Jesus has chosen the poor of the world that are rich in faith. You religious leaders despise the poor.  The rich men oppress others and bring them to the court.  Now, faith alone can't save you.  Faith with Charity (works) is what tells the world I am a believer in Christ.    Who of you who sees a brother or sister and need but does not give to them?  James goes on to list people who had faith that did works like Abraham who was called a friend of God.  Rahab is another one listed.  James ends James 2:26 with "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Temperance, Continence and Chastity.  Temperance is found four times, the other two words will not be found.  Temperance means to refrain from Sex drugs, alcohol, as well as any thing that would make you take revenge or retaliate on another person.  Continence and Chastity mean the same thing as temperance but this is more sexual in nature.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7;2 that to avoid fornication, a man and woman should get married.  Any and all sex outside of the marriage between a man and a woman is fornication.  It does not matter if it is a man and a woman or same sex couples.  Sex with your spouse, Man and Woman, is the only sex God allows.  Looking at the list of the works of the flesh found in Galatians 5:19-21, I would say most of them are tailored around temperance, continence, and chastity.  

As we wrap up this series on Fruits of the Spirit, these are very simple understandings of what the Lord has asked us to do as Christians.  The Lord does not promise us riches nor that only blessings will come upon us at all times.  There will be afflictions, persecutions and storms that could come our way.  Paul ends Galatians 5 that we are to walk in the Spirit by refraining from being vain, provoking others, and envying what others have.   Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins, we are to crucify the works of our flesh of lust and affections.  I would add addictions as well i.e. drunkenness.