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NASB | Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, |
Subject: Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? |
Bible Note: Posted by Doc: "Hi, Karen... don't I know you from somewhere? :-)" Karen: Hi, Doc. Yes, you do seem vaguely familiar...Oh, I know! Weren't you sitting across from me at the dinner table? Doc wrote: "(Will I still get dinner if I'm mistaken?)" Karen: See answer above. :) Doc wrote: "Based on these scriptures, it is my very humble opinion that it is safe to treat them as pretty synonymous." Karen: Doc, you know that I'm absolutely crazy about you. You also know that when I am presented with information that does not "gel" in my mind I must pick it apart in an attempt to find what is truth (and will not rest till satisfied). As mommapbs so eloquently put it, "the hair shaft/truth remains but the nit/error is removed." So on that note, let the nit-picking begin. :) For the sake of space I am not going to quote the verses in the previous post in their entirety. I'm only going to post the portions that pertain to my point: "unfruitful works" Eph. 5:11 "fruitful in every good work" Col. 1:10 "good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." Titus 3:14 In each of the verses that you based your conclusion upon (that fruit vs works could be treated as "pretty synonymous") you are using the word "fruitful" (or "unfruitful" in the case of two of them) to prove your point. I (lovingly!) object to your equating the word "fruitful" with "fruit". I don't think it would be in error to say that the word "fruitful", as used in the aforementioned verses, basically means to "be productive". Am I butchering Scripture to say "unproductive works" (Eph. 5:11), "productive in every good work" (Col. 1:10), or "works for necessary uses, that they be not unproductive." (Titus 3:14)? In the verse, "fruit of my labor" (Phil. 1:22) you would be refering to the result (or outcome) of "my labor." In this sense, the word "fruit" and "fruitful" are similar. But can the the word "fruitful" be shown to be similar to the word "fruit" when used in verses such as Gal. 5:22? Well, this is interesting...here is Gal. 5:22 as shown above this post in the Amplified version: "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness," When read in that version the word "fruit" is equated with "work"! Maybe you're on to something! Here's something I find even more interesting: in the Amplified version, the "fruit of the Spirit" is "the work which His presence within accomplishes"! Wow! Does this mean that if any of the attributes named in Gal. 5:22-23 are evident in my life they are not the result of something I have done but what God has done in me? Fruit of the Spirit: the evidence of God's work in me. :) To be continued later. For now, "works" of a different nature call. :) In Christ, Karen |