Galatians 5:17-25
New Catholic Bible
17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and those of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh. They are in conflict with one another, so that you cannot do what you want. 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.
19 [a]Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God.
22 [b]In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Galatians 5:19 For other lists of vices, see 1 Cor 6:9f; Eph 5:5; Rev 22:15.
- Galatians 5:22 For other lists of virtues, see 2 Cor 6:6; Eph 4:2; 5:9; Col 3:12-15. Paul stresses that justification by faith does not mean advocating libertinism. He stresses that the Holy Spirit brings forth in believers Christian virtues and he lists nine of them. These have come to be known as “the fruits of the Holy Spirit.”
The text of the Vulgate originally listed three other fruits, making a total of twelve. This formed the basis for the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in older catechisms, e.g., the Baltimore Catechism: charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity. In truth, the three fruits not named in the original Greek are contained in one or other of the nine named: “long-suffering” in patience, and “modesty” and “continence” in self-control.
