Bible Strands
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Galatian churches, contrasting the "works of the flesh" (vv. 19–21) with what the Spirit produces, in the middle of his argument against justification by the law.
The words — καρπός (karpos), "fruit," is singular: one produce, not a list of separate items. ἀγάπη (agapē), "love," leads the list, the same word Paul defines at length in 1 Corinthians 13.
The thread — The overlap with Colossians 3:12 (kindness, gentleness) and 1 Corinthians 13:4 (patience, kindness) shows Paul treating these as a stable set of Spirit-shaped character, not isolated virtues. John 15:5 supplies the image: fruit is the result of abiding, not of effort.
Why it lands — The singular "fruit" means a person who has the Spirit does not toggle between love and patience but exhibits one unified character; the verse asks the reader to recognize this as the Spirit's work in them, not a performance standard to meet.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Cross-references
- Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
- Psalms 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
- John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.