<p>5:22 <i>But the fruit of the Spirit is</i> <i>love- </i>It can be argued that the fruit of the Spirit is love, and the subsequent eight characteristics are the outworking of love. The Spirit is that given to believers upon acceptance of Christ (4:5). See the comments on 5:6 regarding how faith in Christ alone, rather than legal obedience, therefore works out through love. The role of the Spirit in Christian life is utterly fundamental, and it is a feature of legalistic groups that they place little emphasis on the gift of the Spirit. Typically the position amounts to: 'The miraculous gifts of the Spirit are not for today, therefore the Spirit plays no role, and we must get on and be obedient to law'. These positions go hand in hand- but according to Paul, they are close to a false Gospel; although it is true that the external miraculous manifestations of the Spirit are not seen in our age.</p><p><i>Joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness</i>- The influence of continually hearing <i>God&rsquo;s</i> word should be that <i>our</i> words are likewise truthful and trustworthy. The fact that the Bible as God&rsquo;s word is true has implications for our own truthfulness. <i>Pistos</i> is listed as a fruit of the spirit in Gal. 5; but the idea it can carry is not so much of faith in the sense of belief, but of faithfulness, loyalty, reliability, utter dependability. If this is how God&rsquo;s words are to us, then this is how we and our words should be to others.</p><p>The description of love in 1 Cor. 13 are similar to the outline of the fruits of the Spirit here. These are all portraits of the man Christ Jesus. The clearest witness to Him &ldquo;therefore consists in human life in which his image is reproduced&rdquo;. The connection with the total character of the Lord Jesus is because the Spirit we have been given is His Spirit (4:5), the power to become like Him.</p>