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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).
In 1915, James Hastings published his Dictionary of the Apostolic Church in 2 volumes for which Geerhardus Vos contributed nine articles. Many of these address the fruits of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. Together, they constitute a rich and insightful description of the virtues and graces of the Christian life.
Articles he wrote, which have recently been added to Log College include Brotherly Love / Love, Goodness, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering. He also wrote on Kindness and Pity / Compassion. In the first article, he writes:
Religious love in general is a supernatural product. It originates not spontaneously from a sinful soil, but in response to the sovereign love of God. and that under the influence of the Spirit (Ro 5.5-8, 1 Co 8.3 [where 'is known of him' = 'has become the object of his love']. Gal 4.9 [where 'to be known by God' has the same pregnant sense], 1 Jn 4.10-19). Love for the brethren specifically is also a product of regeneration (1 P 1.22-23; cf. 1.2-3). Especially in St. Paul, the origin of brotherly love is connected with the supernatural experience of dying with Christ, in which the sinful love of self is destroyed, and love for God, Christ, and the brethren produced in its place (Ro 6.10ff, 7.4, 2 Co 5.14-16, Gal 2.19-20). Accordingly, love for the brethren appears among other virtues and graces as a fruit of the Spirit, a charisma (Ro 15.30, 1 Co 13, Gal 5.22, 6.8-10).
John Murray once wrote, "Dr. Vos is, in my judgment, the most penetrating exegete it has been my privilege to know, and I believe, the most incisive exegete that has appeared in the English-speaking world in this century." Take time to review Vos’ remarks on the fruits of the Spirit as found here.
