Galatians 5 v 22 - Defining the qualities of the Fruit of the Breath [3] – Forbearance and Useful Kindness

 ‘But the fruit of the Breath is practical beneficial love, joy, peace, patient forbearance, useful kindness,’ (Galatians 5 v 22).

‘Benevolent, practical love is forbearing, usefully kind and gentle’, (I Corinthians 13 v 4a).

In both I Corinthians and Galatians Paul presents two more aspects of the practical beneficial love that Christians show to one another as members of one body bringing forth the Fruit of the Breath.

Forbearance Paul uses the Greek word ‘makrothumeó’, which means the opposite of ‘short-tempered’. It means waiting for a sufficient time so as to avoid premature displays of passion, frustration or retribution that often arise from out of a quick temper, or from intolerant impatience. Forbearance is patient longsuffering, it is enlightened self-restraint that does not hastily retaliate in response to wrongfulness. We all know that we can annoy and irritate ourselves about other people at times, including fellow Christians, especially when we are passionate, eager or ambitious for something or other. Sometimes we consider that fellow Christians are being unfair to us, but having the quality of forbearance means that we do not hastily react against such perceived injustice from fellow Christians. When exercising forbearance, a Christian bringing forth the Fruit of the Breath does not launch into malicious gossip, insults, criticism or arguments with them by way of response.

Gentle useful kindness In Corinthians the Greek word that Paul uses is ‘chrésteuomai’, a verb meaning ‘to be usefully kind, mild and gentle’. In Galatians it is used as a noun. It is not just a kindly attitude or the expression of kindly sentiments, but rather it means to be of useful, suitable or appropriate service in contrast to being burdensome. It is from the adjective ‘chréstos’ which appears seven times in the New Testament. When Christians display love to one another it means that they are courteous and gentle. They have a desire to do good so as to be of practical service and help to fellow Christians, accommodating his or herself to the weaknesses, capacities, manners and circumstances of other Christians in everything that they can. 

I ask again whether we can see these distinctive practical qualities in our own daily life when it comes to our relationship to with fellow Christians.