Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The fruits of the Holy Spirit:

“agape (love), chara (joy), eirene (peace), makrothymia (patience), chrestotis (kindness), agathosyne (goodness), pistis (faithfulness), praotes (gentleness), and engratea (self-control).”

Apostle Paul “describes the fruits of the Spirit in the form of a scale, a hierarchy. He lists the highest and the most exalted gift first and ends up with the most basic and fundamental…” One could see that “one must traverse the lower steps to reach the highest of stages.” One has to “start from the base, with self control, and climb up the ladder all the way to love.”

“Paul did not place faith at the top part of his hierarchy but at the bottom triad, namely faith, gentleness, and self-control…”  because Paul “claims that a time will come when faith will be transcended. It will take place when we have direct contact with God. Faith will no longer be necessary, and only love, the ultimate stage of the spiritual hierarchy, will remain.”

---excerpts from Inner River by Kyriacos C. Markides

 for more Saturday Snapshots see Alyce at: http://athomewithbooks.net/

(photo: of Napa's eastern hills after the rain taken from First Street bridge, downtown Napa,CA )