Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness
5/11/25
Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
1) Kindness = χρηστότης (Slide 1)
Kindness (chrēstotēs). Also translated as goodness.
Like patience, kindness is a characteristic of God intended to be reproduced by the Spirit in God’s people. God is forbearing and kind toward sinners in his wooing of them to salvation (Rom 2:4). Kindness is not sentimentality, and Paul admonished believers to observe both “the kindness and the sternness of God” (Rom 11:22).
Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 403.
Romans 11:22 (ESV)
22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Paul frequently appealed to Christians to “be kind to one another” and to clothe themselves with kindness (Eph 4:32; Col 3:12). Where was this Christian grace to be seen among the Galatians who were biting, devouring, and consuming one another?
Alternative Definitions: ‘generosity’
The common slave-name Chrēstos comes from this root, so that the word must suggest some quality that was desired in the ideal servant, as indeed do all the other qualities listed here: it has been well said that they are a list of ‘slave virtues’. If these are the qualities of the ‘servant Messiah’, on whom Christians are called to pattern themselves, this is not surprising. Indeed, there may even be a pun based on the similar pronunciation of Christos, the Messiah, and Chrēstos, the slave name. Did the wits of Antioch intend this pun when they called this ‘reformed sect’ of Judaism ‘Christians’, hinting at ‘the goody-goodies’ (Acts 11:26)?
Χριστιανός -> Christians
The first occurrence of this phrase us identified in Acts 11:26
Acts 11:26
English Standard Version
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 221.
***Kindness was an undeniable identifier of those who were Christian.
Consider the nature of our submission to God: Paul addresses this more fully in Romans 6:15-23
2) Goodness = ἀγαθωσύνη (Slide 2)
Goodness (agathōsynē). “Goodness” is a rare word found only four times in the New Testament (and only in Paul). It conveys the idea of benevolence and generosity toward someone else, a going the second mile when such magnanimity is not required.
Like in the Chosen Series, Season 4 Episode 5: Walking the extra mile with the Roman Soldiers:
Matthew 5:41 (ESV)
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
We sometimes speak of a deed done “out of the goodness of one’s heart,” which comes close to the meaning here except that, as with all nine items in the list, we are dealing with ethical characteristics produced in the believer by the Holy Spirit, not with natural qualities or personality traits cultivated apart from this supernatural dynamic.
Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 403.
3) Faithfulness = πίστις (Slide 3)
Faithfulness (pistis). The word pistis bears several distinct meanings in the New Testament, three of which are represented in Galatians.
****Common Meanings of Pistis (Timothy George)****
a) Faith as the basic content of the Christian message, the faith once delivered to the saints. Paul used pistis in this sense in Gal 1:23, where he spoke of the report that circulated about him following his dramatic conversion:
Galatians 1:23 (ESV)
23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
b) Commonly, pistis refers to one’s acceptance of this gospel message and the committal of oneself to Christ as Savior and Lord. Throughout Galatians Paul had spoken repeatedly of being justified by faith in this sense of the word.
c) Regarding the fruit of the Spirit, pistis has yet a further meaning: faithfulness, fidelity, that is, the quality of being true, trustworthy, and reliable in all one’s dealings with others.
d) Adjectival form: Paul used this word in his instructions to Timothy concerning the appointment of church leaders:
2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,[a] who will be able to teach others also.
For those who are called to serve as leaders of God’s people, now as then, faithfulness should be a far more coveted mark of ministry than temporal success, ecclesiastical recognition, or popular acclaim.
Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 403–404.
Thus, as Christians our faithfulness may be best understood as allegiance to the Lord (an idea well argued by Matthew Bates in his new book Beyond the Salvation Wars), over all else, in a such a way that reshapes our lives. Furthermore, Faithfulness should be one of the great pursuits of our lives.
***Matthew Bates, Beyond the Salvation Wars***
Questions:
1) Consider the definitions of χρηστότης (Kindness, Goodness, Generous): How might these inform our lives as Christians?
2) Share an example of a time that you “walked the extra mile” with someone. How was this a blessing to them? To you?
3) In what ways do we most commonly exhibit faithfulness to God?
4) Is our faithfulness truly like allegiance to a King?
5) How might we grow in our kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. (Increasing submission to God).
