Galatians 5 v 22, 23a - Defining the qualities of the Fruit of the Breath [4] - Goodness, Mildness, Entrustment, Self-control

 ‘But the fruit of the Breath is practical beneficial love, joy, peace, patient forbearance, useful kindness, goodness, entrustment, 23 mildness, self-control…’ (Galatians 5 v 22, 23a).

Paul continues to list the various aspects of the Fruit of the Breath. 

Goodness A disposition to do good to others. The word refers to a very wide description of human goodness, apparently in the sense of active benevolence. It stands in opposition to maliciousness or ‘badness’. 

Entrustment This does not mean that Christians fail to discriminate between what is to be believed and what is to be rejected. Nor that Christians are naively prone to believe falsehood as being the truth, or make no effort to inquire what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. Rather, Paul means that they have a disposition to put the best construction on someone else’s speech, behaviour and attitude. They entrust that a fellow Christian has good motives and that they intend no injury. In other words, Christians are not walking around with a pessimistic, distrustful, suspicious or accusatory attitude. The word may also be used in the sense of ‘fidelity’, denoting that a Christian will be faithful to his or her word and promises, who can be trusted or confided in. 

Mildness A forbearance of passion, rash anger and hastiness of emotions. Mildness is humble submissiveness to the teachings of Divine revelation, to which this term probably points, and stands in contrast to self-reliant, headstrong impetuosity.

Illuminated self-control The Greek word ‘egkrateia’ implies self-restraint that arises from the perception and persuasion of unseen realities, self-regulation when it comes to the Christian’s fleshly desires and impulses. It has reference to the power that Christians have over all kinds of fleshly impulses and energies. The sense here is that the movement and current of the set-apart Breath within the deep inner core of the Christian helps them to self-moderate and self-regulate indulgent speech and behaviour, to restrain passions, and govern themselves as a result of their enlightened perception and persuasion.