What's the secret to growing good fruit in your life? Making Jesus your vine! (will) bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Those who abide (continue) in me and I in them (Roots and soil are also part of the metaphor.) Jesus himself used "growth" and "fruit" metaphors in his teachings about fig trees, mustard seeds, sowers, fields, soil, and most famously when he described HIMSELF as "the vine" in John 15:5. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes Jesus as the "first fruits."īy choosing "fruit" as his metaphor, instead of something bland like "law of the Spirit" or "behaviors of the Spirit," Paul is reminding his audience that fruit is something that grows and needs to be tended, tastes sweet, is nourishing, and meant to be shared. In the first chapter of Genesis, God tells us to "be fruitful and multiply." In Romans 8, Paul calls the first-generation Christians the "first fruits" of salvation. "Fruit" is also a familiar Bible metaphor for spiritual growth and "producing" good things. Karpos in Greek generally means any kind of harvested "produce," including vegetables, nuts, olives, grains, berries, and all the typical "fruits." (So yes, you can be a nut or a brussel sprout for Jesus. (See the Endnotes for more on "fruit vs fruits" of the Spirit.) " Karpos," the Greek word that Paul uses for "fruit" in Galatians 5:22 is a singular that's also a plural-what grammarians call a "countable and uncountable noun." Traditionally, English translations translate "Karpos" singularly as "fruit" to emphasize its singular source in the Spirit. Word Study: Let's munch on each fruit to understand what Paul meant. They are the "fruits by which they are known." ( Mt 7:16) And when we let the Spirit grow these fruits in our lives, when we open our lives to Jesus, not only are we blessed, but our lives become a blessing to others.īe loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle, The fruit of the Spirit is what followers of Jesus do. We practice our faith by doing the fruit of the Spirit. If you no longer have your old rituals, old rules, How do you show you are a follower of Jesus Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.īut what does it mean to "live by the Spirit"? (or "the faith of Jesus Christ")ĭon’t use your freedom (from the law) to satisfy your sinful nature. yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the lawīut through faith in Jesus Christ. You are being fooled by those who deliberately
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, Here's a quick recap of some of Galatian's famous verses:
(FYI, this video is good for older children and youth, as well as adults!) The following 7-minute video is a terrific explanation of the problem Paul was addressing in the early Church about the "Judaizers" misleading new Christians in places like Galatia. How then should the followers of Christ live and demonstrate their faith? By bearing the fruit of the Spirit in their lives: sharing love, joy, and peace-being patient, kind, generous, and practicing self-control.
When Paul hears about this, he writes an anguished and personal letter to the Galatians reminding them that "for freedom Christ has set us free! Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." ( Galatians 5:1) (See the Endnotes about a similar issue in Colossians.)įalse teachers were telling new Galatian Christians that, in addition to believing in Jesus, they had to follow the rituals and practices of the Law of Moses, including being circumcised, observing certain Holy Days, avoiding certain foods, and so forth-to be truly righteous (justified) before God ( Galatians 2:4). Paul was inspired to write his famous "Fruit of the Spirit" in response to a serious problem taking place in the churches of Galatia-churches that he had founded during his first missionary journey ( printable map) and felt personally responsible for. Students will understand that when they practice the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, they are not only showing that they are followers of Jesus, but they are also acting like Jesus!-and letting the Holy Spirit bless others through their actions. Students will be able to share examples of the kinds of attitudes and behaviors described by each fruit and what we can do to let the Spirit "grow" these good fruits in our lives.ģ. Students will learn to recite from memory Paul's "Fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23a), each to the best of their ability.Ģ. ** "generosity" or "goodness" See the Word Study below for an explanation and to learn more about Paul's word choice.ġ. * See the Endnotes for why we chose to just focus on verses 22-23a for children. ".the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, ** faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (NRSV) "Fruit of the Spirit" Lesson Set Bible Background and Lesson Objectives