But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
What does Galatians 5:22 mean?
If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of the blessed Spirit, though we may not be freed from the stirrings and oppositions of the corrupt nature which remains in us, it shall not have dominion over us.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Galatians 5:21-24 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Galatians 5:22
It is not without design, evidently, that the apostle uses the word "Spirit" here, as denoting that these things do not flow from our own nature. The vices above enumerated are the proper "works" or result of the operations of the human heart; the virtues which he enumerates are produced by a foreign influence - the agency of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Paul does not trace them to our own hearts, even when renewed. He says that they are to be regarded as the proper result of the Spirit's operations on the soul. Is love - To God and to human beings.
Context in Galatians 5
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Galatians 5 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as practical exhortation and final warning. Galatians is Paul’s fierce defense of the gospel of grace, justification by faith, and freedom for life in the Spirit. Read this chapter with the wider themes of grace, justification, and freedom in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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