"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
— Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
Galatians 5:22-23 is the "fruit of the Spirit" passage, the Bible's best-known list of what a Spirit-led life looks like. This page gives the verses, what the key words mean, where they sit in Galatians 5, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about the fruit of the Spirit, Bible verses about the Holy Spirit, and Bible verses about love.
Free PDF
Get the free 30 Days of Love Verses PDF
Sign up for the daily Bible verse email, and get the free 30 Days of Love Verses PDF. 30 Days of Love Verses · Open the PDF
The verses
The King James reads: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
"Fruit" is karpos (G2590), singular: one crop, not nine separate ones. "Spirit" is pneuma (G4151). The nine are agapē (G26), love; chara (G5479), joy; eirēnē (G1515), peace; makrothymia (G3115), forbearance or patience (KJV "longsuffering"); chrēstotēs (G5544), kindness (KJV "gentleness"); agathōsynē (G19), goodness; pistis (G4102), faithfulness (KJV "faith"); praotēs (G4236), gentleness (KJV "meekness"); and egkrateia (G1466), self-control (KJV "temperance"). "Law" is nomos (G3551).
Where it sits in Galatians 5
Paul sets two ways of living side by side. "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). He then lists "the acts of the flesh," including "hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition" (Galatians 5:19-21), before turning to the fruit in verses 22-23.
Right after the list he says, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:24-25).
What the verses are saying
The flesh produces "acts"; the Spirit produces "fruit." Acts are things people do on their own. Fruit is something that grows from a living source. Paul is saying these nine qualities are not a checklist to grind out but what God's Spirit grows in a person over time.
It is one fruit with nine parts, so the list comes as a whole. Love leads it, and the rest read like a description of love in action, much like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. "Against such things there is no law" means no rule anywhere forbids them; there is never too much kindness or self-control.
Questions people ask
What are the 9 fruits of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22-23 lists love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Greek word "fruit" is singular, so they are often described as one fruit with nine parts.
What does Galatians 5:22-23 say in the KJV?
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
What does "against such things there is no law" mean?
It means no law forbids these qualities. A law limits or punishes behavior, but love, patience, and self-control never need restraining.
How do you grow the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:25 says to "keep in step with the Spirit," and Jesus says in John 15:5 that fruit comes from remaining in him. Prayer, Scripture, and practicing these qualities in daily life are the usual ways Christians describe it.
What verses go with Galatians 5:22-23?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (love is patient, love is kind), Proverbs 16:32 (patience and self-control), and Romans 12:10 (be devoted to one another in love) are close companions.
