The holy spirit fruit of gentleness 2

THE HOLY SPIRIT FRUIT OF GENTLENESS 2
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Galatians 5:23 23gentlenessand self-control. Against
such things there is no law.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Amplified: Gentleness (meekness,humility), self-control(self-restraint,
continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay:gentleness, self-control. There is no law which condemns things like
that. (WestminsterPress)
GWT: gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws againstthings like that.
(GWT)
KJV: Meekness, temperance:againstsuchthere is no law.
NLT: gentleness, andself-control. Here there is no conflictwith the law. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: tolerance and self-control - and no law exists againstany of them.
(Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: meekness, self-control. Againstsuchthings as these there is no law.
(Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: meekness,temperance:againstsuch there is no law;
GENTLENESS , SELF-CONTROL;AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS
NO LAW: prautes, egkrateia;kata ton toiouton ouk estin (3SPAI) nomos:

Gentle Spirit, dwell with me,
I myself would gentle be;
And with words that help and heal,
Would Thy life in mine reveal.
Author Unknown
GENTLENESS
Galatians 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Gentleness (4240)(prautes) describes the quality of not being overly
impressed by a sense ofone’s self-importance. Prautes is a quality of gentle
friendliness - gentleness,meekness(as strengththat accommodatesto
another's weakness), consideration, restrainedpatience, patient trust in the
midst of difficult circumstances.
As Ryrie says gentlenesscouldbe rendered "gentlemanliness"!
C Norman Bartlett says that gentleness (ormeekness)"cannotbe too strongly
insisted upon that meekness is not weakness.It is strength held under control,
powerkept in reserve. Steamdoes the most work when it makes the least
noise. Not a few of us need less noise and more poise. Things need not shatter
to matter. There is more might in the sunlight falling silently upon a small
patch of earth than in the crashing of thunder and flashing of lightning in a
terrific storm. We do well to store up the capitalof quietude againstthe day of
need. (C. Norman Bartlett: Galatians and You: Studies in the Epistle of Paul
to the Galatians, 1948)
Prautes - 11 times in the NT in the NAS - translated: consideration, 1;
gentleness, 8;humility, 1; meekness, 1.
1Co. 4:21; 2Co. 10:1;Gal. 5:23; 6:1; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; 2Ti 2:25; Titus 3:2;
James. 1:21;3:13; 1Pet. 3:16
Click for an in depth discussionof the closelyrelatedword praus (4239). Used
4x in Lxx - Esther 5:1; Ps 45:4; 90:10; 132:1;

Eadie - This Christian grace is universal in its operation—submission
Godward, meekness manward, which seems to be its specialreference.
Spurgeonon gentleness -This does not push itself to the front and does not
easilyget provoked. Some people are very hard, stern, severe, quick-
tempered, passionate, but the true followerof Christ will be gentle and tender,
even as He was… Familiarity with Christ soonbegets congenialityof
disposition and spirit, for those who are much with Christ become much like
Christ. He who lies on a bed of spices will naturally find his garments smell of
the same. A mirror upon which the sun is shining is bright itself and flashes its
reflectedrays. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but he who dwells
with infinite wisdom will be taught of God. Doubtless happy couples who live
togetherin mutual affectionand confidence become very much like each
other. The one becomes the other’s self. They have the same aims and objects.
They are often surprised to find that they have thought the same thought and
are about to say the same words at the same moment. So do the saint and the
Savior grow like eachother after years of acquaintance, only the growthis all
on one side—we grow up unto Him in all things who is the head (Eph 4:15).
In Greek literature prautes was sometimes usedof a feigned, hypocritical
concernfor others that is motivated by self-interest. But in the New Testament
it is always used of genuine considerationfor others.
Prautes denotes the humble and gentle attitude which expressesitself, in
particular, in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from malice and desire
for revenge… controlledstrength, the ability to bear reproaches andslights
without bitterness and resentment; the ability to provide a soothing influence
on someone who is in a state of anger, bitterness and resentment againstlife…
the word indicates an obedient submissiveness to God and His will, with
unwavering faith and enduring patience displaying itself in a gentle attitude
and kind acts towardothers, and this often in the face of opposition. It is the
restrained and obedient powers ofthe personality brought into subjectionand
submission to God’s will by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:23)… the opposite of
arrogance… the word stands in contrastto the term orge (wrath, angeras a
state of mind)… It denotes the humble and gentle attitude which expresses
itself, in particular, in a patient submissiveness to offense, a freedom from

malice and desire for revenge… mildness, patient trust in the midst of difficult
circumstances. (2Co 10:1)(Compiled from the Linguistic and ExegeticalKey
to the Greek NT)
Prautes was used in secularGreek writings to describe a soothing wind, a
healing medicine, and a colt that had been broken. In eachinstance, there is
powerfor a wind can become a storm, too much medicine cankill and a horse
can break loose.
The Greeks usedprautes to describe strong animals that were brought under
control, Xenophon writing that horses that work togetherare more likely to
“stand quietly” together. Aristotle wrote of the “easy-temperedandeasily
domesticated” elephant. Plato describeda mighty and strong beastwhich
could be tamed and fed by a man who learnedhow to handle it.
Thus prautes describes powerunder control. Justas wisdom is the right use of
knowledge, so gentleness is the right use of authority and power.
Prautes is an interesting word. Aristotle defined it as the correctmean
betweenbeing too angry and being never angry at all. It is the quality of the
man whose angeris so controlled that he is always angry at the right time and
never at the wrong time. It describes the man who is never angry at any
personalwrong he may receive, but who is capable of righteous anger when
he sees others wronged.
The meek person does not have to fly off the handle because he has everything
under control. A perfect picture is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. Quoting
from the Septuagint(LXX = Greek of the Hebrew Old Testament)rendering
of Zechariah 9:9, which predicts the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
Matthew uses the adjective form of prautes (praus) to describe Jesus as
“gentle (praus) and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foalof a beastof
burden” (Mt 21:5).
In a gracious appealto His followers, Jesususedthe same adjective of
Himself, saying,

“Take Myyoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle ((praus) and
humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29).
James uses prautes in his discussionof a teachable spirit instructing his
readers to
Therefore (to "achieve the righteousness ofGod" and manifest ourselves as
"the firstfruits among His creatures")putting aside all filthiness and all that
remains of wickedness, in humility (praǘtēs) receive the word implanted,
which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21-note)
Barclaycomments on this verse writing that this man "will receive the word
with gentleness. (humility = praǘtēs). Gentleness is an attempt to translate the
untranslatable word praǘtēs. This is a greatGreek wordwhich has no precise
English equivalent. Aristotle defined it as the mean betweenexcessive anger
and excessiveangerlessness;it is the quality of the man whose feelings and
emotions are under perfect control. Andronicus Rhodius, commenting on
Aristotle, writes, “Praǘtēs is moderation in regard to anger … You might
define praǘtēs as serenityand the power, not to be lead awayby emotion, but
to control emotion as right reasondictates.” The Platonic definitions say that
praǘtēs is the regulationof the movement of the soul causedby anger. It is the
temperament (krasis)of a soulin which everything is mixed in the right
proportions. No one can everfind one English word to translate what is a one
word summary of the truly teachable spirit. The teachable spirit is docile and
tractable, and therefore humble enough to learn. The teachable spirit is
without resentment and without anger and is, therefore, able to face the truth,
even when it hurts and condemns. The teachable spirit is not blinded by its
own overmastering prejudices but is clear-eyedto the truth. The teachable
spirit is not seducedby laziness but is so self-controlledthat it can willingly
and faithfully acceptthe discipline of learning. Praǘtēs describes the perfect
conquestand control of everything in a man’s nature which would be a
hindrance to his seeing, learning and obeying the truth. (Galatians 5
Commentary )
James in the context of discussionthe control of one's tongue againuses
praǘtēs in his answerto the rhetorical question

Who among you is wise and understanding (mental perception and
comprehension)? Let him show (expose to the eyes, giving evidence or proof of
it) by his goodbehavior his deeds in the gentleness (praǘtēs)of wisdom (the
ability to view life from God’s perspective). (Js 3:13)
We canperceive understanding in others quite easily, but wisdom is more
difficult to identify. James saidto look at a person’s behavior if you want to
see if he or she is wise. In other words if a man or woman is wise and
understanding, they will demonstrate it by their goodconduct coupled with
the gentle spirit that comes from godly wisdom. The wisdom James had in
mind did not result so much in what one thinks or says but in what one does.
One of the marks of godly wisdom is praǘtēs -- gentleness,meekness or
humility.
Knowledge is proud that she has learnedso much. Wisdom is humble that she
knows no more.”
Constable in his note on this verse adds that "The Greek wordpraǘtēs
(“gentleness”)occurs innon-biblical literature to describe a horse that
someone had broken and had trained to submit to a bridle. It pictures
strength under control, specificallythe Holy Spirit’s control. The evidence of
this attitude is a deliberate placing of oneselfunder divine authority. The only
way to control the tongue is to place one’s mind deliberately under the
authority of God and to let Him control it . (Thomas Constable's Expository
Notes on the Bible)
A believer's attitude toward unbelievers should always reflecta spirit of
gentleness, being indulgent toward the infirmities of the unsaved. Peter writes
that even when unbelievers intimidate us we should still
“sanctifyChrist as Lord in your hearts,“always being ready to make a defense
to everyone who asks you to give an accountfor the hope that is in you, yet
with gentleness (prautes)and reverence” (seenote 1 Peter3:15)
and “with gentleness (prautes)correcting those who are in opposition (could
refer to unbelievers or rebellious unbelievers), if perhaps God may grant them
repentance leading to the knowledge ofthe truth” (see note 2 Timothy 2:25).

Those "who are spiritual" are to dealwith disobedient fellow believers “in a
spirit of gentleness (prautes)” (Gal 6:1). How is this possible? Paulhad just
written that
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness (prautes), self-control;againstsuch things there is no
law. (Gal 5:22-23)
It follows that the Spirit filled/controlled believer is the one most suited to
"restore (a man caught in trespass)in a spirit of gentleness."
Meeknessis that unassuming inner spirit of mildness and gentleness whichis
the opposite of haughtiness, harshness and self-assertiveness.
Meeknessis a willingness to waive one's rights for a goodcause, just as Jesus
waived His rights to His rule as King as he rode into Jerusalemmounted on a
donkey (see above). Setaside your rights! Do not demand that you be
satisfied, but for the sake of the gospelof Jesus Christ be willing to suffer loss.
Meeknessis the opposite of rudeness and abrasiveness.
Ray Stedman describes meeknessas "strengthunder control" adding that "It
is real strength, but it does not have to display itself or show off how strong it
is. This is what our Lord beautifully displayed He describedhimself as "meek
and lowly in heart." The first curriculum of the Holy Spirit is that we must do
what Jesus said, "take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and
lowly of heart."
Meeknessandweaknessare not synonymous. Meekness says, "God, in this
situation, You have a purpose. You're in control, sovereign, and ruling over
all."
Meeknessis seeing everything as coming from God and accepting it without
murmuring and without disputing, patiently submitting to any and every
offense, without any desire for revenge or retribution!
Barclaysays the best illustration of prautes is the watchdog "who is bravely
hostile to strangers and gently friendly with familiars whom he knows and
loves." (Galatians 5 Commentary )

Trench adds that prautes “is closelylinked with humility, and follows directly
upon it (see Eph 4:2-note; Col 3:12-note)because it is only the humble heart
which is also the meek;and which, as such, does not fight againstGod, and
more or less struggle and contend with Him. This meekness, however, being
first of all meekness before God, is also such in the face of men, even of evil
men, out of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may
inflict, are permitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying
of His elect. This was the root of David’s (meekness)whenShimei cursed and
flung stones at him—the considerationthat the Lord had bidden him (2Sa
16:11), that it was just for him to suffer these things, howeverunjustly the
other might inflict them; and out of like convictions all true Christian
(meekness)must spring. He that is meek indeed will know himself a sinner
among sinners… and this knowledge ofhis own sin will teachhim to endure
meekly the provocations with which they may provoke him, and not withdraw
himself from the burdens which their sin may impose (Ibid)
Barclayadds that prautes "describes the man whose temper is always under
complete control. He knows when to be angry and when not to be angry. He
patiently bears wrongs done to himself but is ever chivalrously ready to spring
to the help of others who are wronged." (Galatians 5 Commentary )
F B Meyer has a devotional basedon 2 Timothy 2:24 (note) entitled "The
Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness"
IT IS not easyto cultivate this fruit of the Spirit because it has many
counterfeits. Some people are naturally easy-going, devoidof energyand
ambition, at heart cowardly, or in spirit mean. Many of us are characterized
by a moral weaknessand decrepitude that make it easyfor us to yield rather
than contestin the physical or intellectual arena.
But in gentleness there must be the consciousness ofa considerable reserve of
force. The gentlenessofGod is combined with omnipotence. The movements
of creation, in which there is neither voice nor language, prove the infinite
forces which are at work. When a boy is trying to lift or carry a heavy beam,
as likely as not there will be a greatcrashwhen he reaches the end of his task,
and puts it on the ground. His strength is so nearly exhaustedthat he is only

too gladto getrid of his burden, anyhow, and at any cost. But if a strong man
shoulders the same burden, and carries it for the same distance, he puts it
down gently, because he has not taxed his strength and has plenty left.
It is the prerogative of greatstrength to be gentle. Always remember that you
are linked with the Infinite God, and that all things are possible to you. There
must also be infinite pity. We must be tolerantand pitiful to those who abuse
us, or have been embittered by disappointment, or have been ill-used. It must
be our aim to make allowancesfor such, and always to be sweetlyreasonable
towards any brusqueness, rudeness and bad manners of their behaviour. Let
us be willing to admit that much is due to congenitalmoroseness. Therefore,
we bear gently with the erring, and with those who are out of the way, because
we also are encompassedwith infirmity.
It is necessaryalso that there should be a deep humility. Thomas a Kempis
says:"If thou wilt be borne with, bear also with another. Endeavour to be
patient in bearing with the defects and infirmities of others, what sort soever
they be: for that thyself also hast many failings which must be borne by
others." Our resentment againstothers should be always tempered by our
remembrance of our ownsins. So shall we be God's own gentlefolk.
PRAYER - O God, our behaviour has not manifested all the fruits of the
Spirit, or been full of the graciousnessand gentleness ofChrist. Forgive us,
and enable us so to live that His beauty may be on our faces, the tone of His
voice in our speech, the gentleness ofHis tread in our steps, the unselfishness
of His deeds in our hands. AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
END OF PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness
By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

Is Gentleness working in you?
Here is how you canfind out. Take a carefullook at this Fruit of Gentleness
from God's most precious Word by examining the passagesbelow. Now ask
yourself:
How do I exhibit Gentleness in my daily life?
What can I do to developa better attitude of Gentleness?
What blocks Gentleness from working and being exhibited in me?
How can I make Gentleness function better, strongerand fastereven in times
of uncertainly and stress?
Galatians 5:22-23
Gentleness (Prov. 15:1; Isa. 40:11; 42:2-3;Philp. 4: 5; Matt. 5:5; 11:29; 12:15;
Eph. 4:1-2; Col. 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:24; 1 Thessalonians 2:7);is the character
that will show calmness, personalcare, tendernessand the Love of Christ in
meeting the needs of others. It is to be more than just a personality; it is to be
who we are from the work of the Sprit within us.
Roughness and violence are the opposite!When we have the mindset to just
see what we can getout of life and make a name for ourselves we miss out on
what is best for our benefit. Then it causes us to run over others and we end
up being like the men who built the Towerof Babel(Gen. 11:1-9). Their
downfall was not the building project but the pride and arrogance. To seek
significance outside of glorifying God by their achievements alone, ignoring
God's love, care, plan, and providence for a cheap and temporary substitute.
· Here are positive examples from Scripture (Isa. 40:11;42:1-3; Matt. 11:28-
29; Luke 7:36-50;10:38-42;John 8: 1-11; I Thess. 2:7-8)
· Here is are negative examples from Scripture (Nub. 20:2-13;II Sam. 18:10-
15; 19:1-8;I Kings 21:5-14;Luke 9:51-56)
Further Questions

How would you define Gentleness?
What are the things that cause you to be rough and course with others?
How does being rough counteractGentleness?
Are you aware of the intricacy and delicacyof life, so you are tender too? Are
you approachable?
When have you been filled with Gentleness the most?
In what situation did you fail to have Gentleness in which you should have?
What issue is in your life that would improve with more Gentleness?
Think through the steps you need to take to put Gentleness into action in a
specific instance. Such as how does God's tenderness toward you affect the
way you go about your life to get things done? Does His care affectthe way
you care with humility and gentleness being tender in spite of people treating
you like a doormat?
Gentleness is not being weak, as with meekness,gentlenessis strength under
control. It allows us to be tender, just think how big and vast and powerful
God is, who is biggerthan the universe, who transcends space and time way
beyond our comprehension. Yet, He treats us with the utmost of tenderness
and care. Knowing gentleness is trusting that God will take care of justice,
thus we need to think correctlyabout who God is and who we are in Him.
This understanding of His sovereignty, doctrine and control will move us from
the hurriedness of life and the cruelty that goes with it to take the time with
relationships, growth because we are at peace with God.
Gentleness allows us to be caring and nurturing to others. It helps us stay
calm and not escalate problems or push people's buttons! To build others up,
by allowing them to grow. It places the other first, it is being selfless. As
attracting people to you who could use a listening earor help, at the very least
to hear and the most important thing we cando for others is offering our
friendship. When we are too full of pride, we cannotbe gentle with others; we
cannot be a friend, for all we will do is hurt them and push them away. We
can look to Jesus who modeled ultimate gentleness andcare. Being fully God

He does not have to be gentle, yet He takes to time to nurture others even
when they make mistakes and fail. He helps them up and puts them back
together;He will do this with you too. But you have to allow Him to form you.
This charactermust continue to function in a societythat does not see its
importance, care for perceivedlimitations or think it is weak. Butwhen others
need an ear to listen they do not go to the ones filled with pride they go to
someone who is gentle! Will that be you?
Remember; what come into your mind when you think about God tells a lot
about you, perhaps the most important thing!
© 2002 R. J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries http://www.intothyword.com/
Question:"The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is gentleness?"
Answer: Galatians 5:22-23 says that the Holy Spirit works in us to be more
like Christ (Ephesians 4:14-16), and part of the fruit, or results, of that work
is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated“meekness,”does not mean
weakness.Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness towardGod, and
polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are
anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement.
It takes a strong personto be truly gentle. Henry WadsworthLongfellow gives
us a wonderful illustration of gentleness in “The Village Blacksmith.” In the
poem, the main characteris described thus:
“The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.”
However, in church, as he hears his daughter singing a hymn, the smith is
overcome with emotion, “And with his hard, rough hand he wipes / A tearout
of his eyes.” This is gentleness.Mightrestrained. Humility and grace.
God wants us to give Him control of our lives. Relying on our own logic, we
have no impetus to submit to God's leadership. With the wisdom given to us
by the Holy Spirit, however, we begin to see why we should completely submit
to God as Lord of our lives. Human powerunder human control is a half-
broken weaponin the hands of a child. But gentleness placesourstrength
under God's guidance;it is a powerful toolfor God's kingdom.
Every person is powerful. We canspeak words that influence others; we can
act in ways that help or hurt; and we can choose whatinfluences will inform
our words and actions. Gentlenessconstrains andchannels that power. To be
gentle is to recognize that God's ways and thoughts are high above our own
(Isaiah 55:9). It is to humbly realize that our worldviews are shaped by
exposure to sin and the misinterpretation of experience. It is to acceptGod's
worldview, reflecting truth about the spiritual and the material worlds.
It is to our advantage to have a gentle attitude toward God because He is
omniscient and we are not. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the
earth?" God challenges Job. "TellMe, if you have understanding" (Job 38:4).
God knows everything of the past, present, and future (1 John 3:20); we can't
even getthe weatherforecastright. Like a petulant teenagerto his parents, we
may cry out, "You just don't understand!" but God does understand, more
than we could possibly know (Psalm 44:21).

When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correctothers
with easinessinsteadof arguing in resentment and anger, knowing that their
salvationis far more important than our pride (2 Timothy 2:24-25). We will
forgive readily, because any offense towardus is nothing compared to our
offenses againstGod—offensesHe's alreadyforgiven (Matthew 18:23-35).
Competition and sectarianismwill disappear, as the goalbecomes less about
ourselves and more about preaching the gospel(Philippians 1:15-18). John the
Baptist was a fiery preacher, yet he evinced true gentleness whenhe said,
“[Jesus]must become greater;I must become less” (John3:30).
Gentleness also means giving up the right to judge what is best for ourselves
and others. God is not as concernedwith our comfort as He is concernedwith
our spiritual growth, and He knows how to grow us far better than we do.
Gentleness means that we acceptthat the rain falls on the evil and the just and
that God may use methods we don't like to reachour hearts and the hearts of
others.
Finally, to live in a spirit of gentleness towardGodis to acceptHis judgment
on people and issues. We tend to think it is gentle to go easyon people and try
to justify actions that God has calledsin. Or to let someone continue in sin
without speaking the truth. But Paul says, "If anyone is caught in a trespass,
you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" (Galatians
6:1). This doesn't mean to be so soft that the sinner doesn't realize he's sinned.
It means to confront the brother in a manner that is in line with Scripture—to
be mild, loving, encouraging, and clearabout the holiness that God calls us to.
Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness:“See,your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), and now He offers us His
gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with

fruit of gentleness. https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-
gentleness.html
Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
by Eddie Foster
In a world that cheers whenathletes smash into eachother and applauds
insults as a form of entertainment, is gentleness evenrelevantanymore?
When we hear the word gentle, we might think of a mother picking up her
infant son from a crib. She softly holds him and cradles his head, moving
slowlyand not holding so tight as to squeeze him.
We might also think about an archaeologiston a dig, patiently and carefully
unearthing artifacts with the slow strokes ofhis or her delicate instruments.
Now, instead, imagine that mother gripping the baby by the leg and dragging
him out of the crib like a sack ofpotatoes. Also, imagine the archaeologist
getting a shoveland chopping hard at the ground around the artifact,
smashing againstthe precious piece of history.
Which examples better describe how people in the world treat eachother
overall?
Jesus’example of gentleness
Even after thoroughly pointing out the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees,
Jesus Christ defined a spirit of gentleness andshowedhow He truly felt about
even those who were opposedto Him. In Matthew 23:37 He lamented: “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are
sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Gentleness is feeling this way about other human beings.
In Matthew 11:29, Christ said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find restfor your souls”
(emphasis added throughout). Here Christ makes a connectionbetween
gentleness andhumility.
This connectionis also seenelsewherein the Bible. The apostle Paul
reinforced this idea in 2 Corinthians 10:1: “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading
with you by the meeknessand gentleness ofChrist—who in presence am lowly
among you, but being absent am bold toward you.”
Paul included the words meekness andlowly in conjunction with gentleness.
These words help show that gentleness requires humility, because along with
pride and feelings of superiority come rough reactions and stubborn, know-it-
all answers.
What is gentleness? Itis the humble and meek attitude of wanting to help
other people insteadof wanting to be superior to them. This attitude flows
from a spirit of reallove for the individual—having true, outgoing concernfor
their well-being. Such an attitude is shownin how we think about and treat
others and what we sayto them.
Why does God want us to demonstrate gentleness?
Philippians 4:5 tells us to “let your gentleness be knownto all men. The Lord
is at hand.” Why does Godwant those He is working with to be concerned
with how gently they think, act or talk? God has all the powerin the universe,
yet He is gentle with us, and He wants us to learn to be like Him. Then, when
He gives us power, He will know that we will not use it cruelly or rashly.
As we have seen, humility is closelyconnectedwith gentleness,so we need to
also considerhow God views humility. James 4:6 and 1 Peter5:5 both say,
“Godresists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (quoting Proverbs
3:34). God resists pride, including our prideful justifications for not being
gentle to those who have offended us, who have been harsh to us or who we
don’t feel deserve gentleness.These attitudes are prideful and lead to
rationalizing away the need to be gentle.

God wants us to show the same gentleness thatChrist showedto the woman
caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Insteadof being full of pride and self-
righteously casting the first stone at a sinner, we are to follow the example of
Christ, gently telling someone to go and sin no more. This is an example of
gentleness Godwants us to learn from.
Why? There are severalreasons:God is overwhelmingly gentle with us when
we sin and need correction, and He expects us to be the same waywith others.
Also, gentleness showsthe world that the way of violent encounters and
situations ruled by emotion is not the better way. And God wants us to
demonstrate gentleness becausehuman beings require a gentle touch in order
to truly change their lives and come to Him.
An example of gentleness to follow
A wonderful example of how cleverand appealing gentleness canbe is found
in Acts 17. When Paul beganhis messageto the Athenians, he clearly took
into accountthe backgroundand situation of the people with their many gods.
He started out by noting how they were very religious, and then proceededto
comment on one altar he had seenwith the inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN
GOD.” “Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I
proclaim to you” (verse 23).
This was a gentle way of easing people out of the idea of dozens of gods and
into the idea of the true God. Even though some mocked, others askedto hear
more, and some even joined and believed.
Imagine if Paul had not been gentle in this situation—if he had said, “Menof
Athens! You have sinned greatly with your terrible gods!You are very
ignorant about anything religious!Pray for mercy that you evil sinners may
not be struck down as the wicked!” Would he have had any takers? Probably
not. Here, Paul proved Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answerturns awaywrath, but a
harsh word stirs up anger.”
An example to avoid
Two of the disciples provide an example of a lack of gentleness. The story
(found in Luke 9:51-56)involves Jesus Christ traveling to Jerusalemwith His

disciples. When they tried to pass through a Samaritan village, the people
there did not receive Him since He was continuing on to Jerusalem.
James and John (who were also known as the “Sons ofThunder,” Mark 3:17)
askedJesus if He wanted them “to command fire to come down from heaven
and consume them, just as Elijah did” (verse 54).
Christ rebuked them and answered:“You do not know what manner of spirit
you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save
them.”
Jesus Christ was interestedin serving these people, not in vengeance and
prideful displays of power. He displayed what is found in Ezekiel33:11:“‘As I
live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but
that the wickedturn from his wayand live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!’”
James and John, to whom Jesus had given the nickname “sons ofthunder
(Mark 3:17), still had much to learn from Jesus’example of gently helping
these people come to repentance.
Gentleness self-examinationquestionnaire
Was I gentle in the situations I facedtoday? If not, why? Were my
rationalizations prideful?
Do I exhibit the same gentleness to others that God exhibits to me every day?
How?
Do people describe me as gentle? Or do they describe me as critical or brash?
Why?
Do I gently encourage people to “sin no more”? Or do I self-righteouslycast
the first stone?
How do we demonstrate more gentleness?
Gentleness is typically regardedas something that is weak, mild or
nonassertive. But when we considerthat it is a result (“fruit”) of God’s Holy
Spirit being active in our lives and that being gentle requires the strength of

self-control, thoughtfulness, tact and concern—wesee it in an entirely
different way.
Modern examples of gentlenessare distinctly uncommon. How do we stay
above the harsh, cruel and angry world around us?
Apologize quickly after “rants” and “emotionaloutbursts.” We are human
beings with powerful emotions and these will happen, but a gentle person will
realize how the things they’ve said might have affectedothers and will
apologize, seekto make amends and seek to gain the self-controlthat will
prevent such outbursts in the future.
Remind ourselves of God’s gentleness withus. Chances are, we would not
want to be on the receiving end of our own“gentleness”;and that is a
problem. How would we want God to correctus or point something out to us?
The way we do to others? Many times, probably not.
Think about what our attitude looks like. Forexample: When we see someone
doing something wrong, is our club out ready to bash some heads? Or,
instead, is our notebook out with ideas of how to help someone overcomea
sin? Getting these pictures in our heads often makes us aware of our lack of
gentleness andwill eventually getus reaching for the notebook orBible rather
than the harsh words or the club.
Being gentle doesn’tmean that we should not be strong in our beliefs, but it
does imply that we should be wise and loving in expressing those beliefs to
others. God shows tough love and teaches hard lessons to humans, all the
while being the very definition of gentleness.
Now it is our turn.
For more about living a Christian life, see the sectionon “Christian
Conversion.” Formore about the restof the fruit of the Spirit, see our article
“The Fruit of the Spirit” and the links to the other eight.

About the Author
Eddie Foster
Eddie Fosterwas born in Ohio, and after living in severalparts of the
northeasternUnited States, he once again lives in the Buckeye State, most
likely for goodthis time. He lives in the Dayton area with his wife, Shannon,
and daughter, Isabella. Theyattend the Cincinnati/Dayton congregationofthe
Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
Gentleness-Fruit of the Spirit
By: MichaelBradley
Last updated on: October11, 2018
Many men may draw back a bit from this next fruit, which is the quality of
gentleness. However,Jesus wasfully incarnated into a human flesh body – but
this incarnation was done as a man – fully Man and fully God.
Since Jesus walkedour earth as a man – the Son of Man – study His actions
very carefully when you read the gospels andhow He handled different types
of people.
There were times that He would engage and setpeople straight, like He did
with some of the Scribes and Pharisees. Butthere were other times that He
dealt with people very gently, with kindness and love.
His gentle way of handling some of these people is what really jumps out at
you when you really study how He handled different types of people.
Again, Jesus is the perfect role model for all of us to study and learn from –
especiallywith how He handled people while He was walking down here on

our earth. Formen in particular, His actions and behavior towards others
should be a major study for all of us and we should seek to pattern our own
daily walk after Him.
And one of the divine qualities that He had operating in Him with great
abundance was the quality of gentleness.
The quality of gentleness is anothermajor quality needed in our world today.
So many people have been beat up and hurt in their dealings with other
people – that just a gentle word, a gentle touch from another Christian can
really open up the door for that personto be able to receive Jesus and His
healing, saving, and deliverance power into their lives.
Once you really start walking in the Holy Spirit with His divine fruits
operating and flowing through you – you will really be able to feel and sense
when you should handle a certain person or a certaintype of situation with
more of a touch of gentleness ratherthan with any kind of stern rebuke or
condemnation.
There is a time for tough love – but there are also times that just a gentle and
loving touch is all that is really neededto properly handle a certain situation.
The Holy Spirit will guide you in all of this. Just realize that the quality of
gentleness is one of the 9 fruits of the Spirit, and this is one of the fruits that
He would really like to get workedinto your personality, especiallyin being
able to use it when dealing with and helping out others.
Parents especiallyneedthis fruit operating through them, as it is very easyto
get out of balance with the way you are correcting your children. Sometimes
more of a tough love approachis needed, but at other times more of a gentle
approachwill be better suited for the situation.
If all your children ever hearfrom you are stern words of rebuke and
criticism, and it is never properly balanced out with words and actions of love,
kindness, and gentleness – then after a certain period of time your children

will start to pull awayfrom you, and they then will have no more desire to
want to establish any type of good, solid, loving relationship with you.
Now here are some of the different definitions on the quality of gentleness:
Mildness combined with tenderness
Gracious, kindly disposition, controlled strength
A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balancedin spirit,
unpretentious and that has passions under control
A characterthat is equitable, reasonable,forbearing, moderate, fair and
considerate
Powerand strength under control
Willing to pardon injuries, correctfaults. One who rules his spirit well
Not only will other people love and gravitate towards you more if you learn
how to walk in this quality – but you will be at much more peace with yourself
since you won’t always have to be fighting and striving with others when
trying to help them out.
The Fruit of the Spirit - MeeknessandGentleness
Strength With a Tender Touch
Postedon Aug 3, 2009 by Don Hooser3 comments Estimated reading time: 8
minutes
The biblical qualities of meekness and gentleness are misunderstoodand
undervalued in today's societyof extremes—where alltoo often people tend to
angrily overreactorpassively underreact.
iStockphoto

The trained elephant illustrates the greatvalue of having both strength and
careful gentleness.
Elephants are so strong they have frequently been used for logging—to carry
large logs and even uproot trees. But these giants are usually gentle, especially
when tamed from a young age.
The elephant’s trunk in particular is an example of strength coupled with
precise control. Its trunk, with more than 40,000individual muscles, is strong
enough to rip branches from trees but sensitive enough to pick up a single
blade of grass!
The trained elephant illustrates the greatvalue of having both strength and
careful gentleness—unlike the proverbial “bull in a china shop.”
Compared to English, the Greek language has more precise words for
describing the valuable quality of trained animals like elephants and horses.
The New Testamentuses those same Greek words for a virtue God wants His
people to develop.
When the apostle Paul lists “meekness”as the eighth attribute among the fruit
of the spirit in Galatians 5:23 (King James Version), he uses the Greek noun
praotes or prautes— and “meekness” is the closesttranslationfor the Greek
word used here. (Similarly, the closestEnglishtranslation for the related
Greek adjective praos or praus is “meek.”)
We are to be meek ( yielded, teachable, responsive ) first of all in our
relationship with God, and secondly meek ( humble, gentle, respectful ) in our
relationships with people. To become this kind of person, God must tame and
train us!
A word with a closely-relatedmeaning is magnanimous, defined as “generous
in forgiving; avoiding resentment or revenge;unselfish.”
Meeknessis an important part of true love. “Love is patient, love is kind … It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking,it is not easilyangered” (1 Corinthians 13:4-
5, New International Version).

The Bible places greatvalue on meekness. Jesus said, “Blessedare the meek
[Greek praus ], for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). That’s a
mighty big reward for being meek!
But since “meek” is no longer a popular or commonly used word, modern
Bible translations frequently substitute the almost-synonymous word
“gentle.” Scriptures quoted in this article are mostly from the New King
James Version, which uses “meek” and “gentle” interchangeably.
However, be aware that gentleness refers mostly to actions, whereas meekness
refers to attitude— one’s whole state of mind as well as actions. Meekness
produces gentleness. This explains why meekness is one of the beatitudes—
beautiful attitudes for which God promises blessings (Matthew 5:5).
Meeknessis not weakness!
Many people confuse “meek” with “weak.”It’s regrettable that they rhyme
because godlymeekness requires strength!
For a physical comparison, if you were badly injured and needed someone to
gently carry you, wouldn’t you want someone who was really strong? You
wouldn’t want a person who might stumble or clumsily struggle with you!
Adding to the confusionis the idea that hair-trigger angry reactions are
“normal.” As a result, some people assume that a personwho doesn’t retaliate
tit for tat must be afraid or mousy. But true strength is shown by a secure
individual who stays cool, thinks first and then responds in the way that will
best help the other person. “A soft answerturns awaywrath, but a harsh
word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).
ConsiderGod! He is all- powerful, but He never misuses His power. He is the
perfect Fatherwho never overreacts, is gentle with His often-unruly children
and always does whatis bestfor us.
Consideralso the example Jesus Christset while on earth. Although He could
call on divine power, He was approachable, sympathetic, kind and loving. He
said, “TakeMy yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly
[humble] in heart” (Matthew 11:29, emphasis added throughout). He used His

powerfor healing rather than hurting. Remember His words: “Learn from
Me.”
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The greatestpoweron earth is the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this Spirit—
God’s Spirit—that enables people to be far more meek and gentle than they
could ever be without it, as Paul shows in his letter to the churches of Galatia.
Paul knew that the Christians there were backsliding into hostile attitudes and
personalconflicts. He wrote that some were “biting and devouring each
other” (Galatians 5:15, NIV). He urged them to “through love serve one
another” (Galatians 5:13), reminding them, “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself” (Galatians 5:14).
What the Galatians neededwas to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). And
what did he say is the result of following the lead of God’s Holy Spirit?
Paul went on to write of how that Spirit would transform our lives: “But the
fruit [product, effect]of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness,faithfulness, gentleness,self-control”(Galatians 5:22-23).
What a greatsolution! God doesn’tleave us on our own to work up these
virtues. By putting our faith in God, repenting of our sins and being baptized,
we can “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And that gift includes
wonderful fruit!
Then, to continue bearing spiritual fruit, think of yourself as a branch. The
key is to stay attachedto the trunk of the true vine, Jesus Christ (John 15:1-6).
It’s easyto see how the attributes among the fruit of the Spirit overlap and
relate to eachother. Meeknessand gentleness relate verycloselyto love,
longsuffering (being patient and not short-tempered), kindness and self-
control.
It’s also easyto see how desperatelywe human beings need God’s Spirit to
overcome the “works ofthe flesh”—the ugly and evil tendencies of human
nature (Galatians 5:19-21). We surely need meekness andgentleness in place

of “hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,
dissensions”!
Later we see how important gentleness is when it comes to helping someone
caught up in a sin. Paulsaid, “You who are spiritual restore sucha one in a
spirit of gentleness, considering yourselflestyou also be tempted” (Galatians
6:1). Paul not only meant we should show gentle words and actions, but also a
humble attitude rather than a superior and self-righteous approach
(Galatians 6:3).
To fight or not to fight?
Should a Christian be a fighter? A physical fighter, no. A spiritual fighter, yes.
Right after Paul wrote to Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, gentleness,”he went on to say, “Fight the goodfight of faith” (1
Timo- thy 6:11-12). This kind of fight is not againstpeople but againstevil
influences, especiallythose of Satanand the demons (Ephesians 6:11-12). We
are to use spiritual weapons, notphysical weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Successfulspiritual warfare requires greatcourage and endurance. Paul
wrote, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians
16:13).
But in our relationships with people, we are not to be combative or
argumentative—we are to be peacemakers.
Paul also wrote:“Love one another with brotherly affection… Live in
harmony with one another … Repay no one evil for evil … If possible, so far
as it depends upon you, live peaceablywith all’ ” (Romans 12:10, Romans
12:16-18, RevisedStandardVersion).
When someone hurts you, just take it rather than hurting back. That’s what
Jesus meant by loving everyone and turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-
45).
Since we all like to be treated gently, why not treat everyone else gently? “And
just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).
That’s the Golden Rule!

Qualities that relate to meeknessand gentleness
As with the fruit of the Spirit, other scriptures also show us how certain
virtues go hand in hand. Paul said we are to “walk … with all lowliness and
gentleness, withlongsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians
4:1-2).
He also wrote that we should “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness,longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another,
if anyone has a complaint againstanother; even as Christ forgave you, so you
also must do” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Meeknessincludes voluntarily “submitting to one another” (Ephesians 5:21).
In a long passage, Peterspoke ofthe importance of submission of all kinds—
Christians towardgovernment (1 Peter2:13), servants towardmasters (1
Peter2:18), Christ’s example of submitting to His tormentors (1 Peter2:21-
25) and wives towardtheir husbands (1 Peter3:1).
Peteralso encouragedwives to emphasize inner beauty rather than outer
beauty—”the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great
worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter3:4, New International Version). Then in 1
Peter3:7, he exhorted husbands to be true gentlemenand to honor their
wives.
To everyone, Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answerto everyone
who asks you to give the reasonfor the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness andrespect” (1 Peter3:15, NIV).
Two scriptures use another Greek word that specificallymeans “gentle.” One
says that “a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle [ eepios ] to all,
able to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24).
And the other one beautifully shows Paul’s greatlove for those in the
churches he watchedover: “But we were gentle [ eepios ] among you, just as a
nursing mother cherishes her ownchildren. So, affectionatelylonging for you,
we were well pleasedto impart to you not only the gospelof God, but also our
own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

The world sorely needs this kind of TLC—tenderloving care!
Grow in meeknessand gentleness
To keepyour attitudes and actions meek and gentle, you will need to swim
upstream againstthe culture’s current of rudeness and roughness. Paul
foretold that “in the last days … men will be lovers of themselves … unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal” (2 Timothy 3:1-3).
Doesn’tthat describe much of the content on televisionand in movies?
God is calling people out of such darkness to be “the light of the world”—to
setthe right example for others (Matthew 5:14). That’s a tall order. But God
is ever ready to help us. Pray earnestly for His help. And make a habit of
reading God’s Word so it can transform your thinking and way of life.
Remember that an important part of being that shining light is having godly
meekness andgentleness. And someday the whole world will be a peacefuland
happy place. Thatsomeday is when Christ returns and the meek inherit the
earth!https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-meekness-
and-gentleness-strength-with-a-tender-touch
by Chris Howard
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Gentle.

The word is used to describe soapfor babies and women’s deodorant. When
used in front of the word “men” it can conjure up ideas of men holding doors
open and offering a woman a seatinsteadof making them stand. You may
hear about a gentle breeze blowing after a gentle rain has gently kissedgentle
blades of grass.
Even the word gentle sounds soft.
It seems both sexes fight againstbeing labeledas gentle these days in favor of
being labeled as strong.
I was taught as a boy that it was best to be strong. When I think of strength,
brave hearted warriors with nicknames come to mind. Richard “The Lion
Heart”, William “The Conqueror”, and Alexander “The Great”.
Can you imagine anyone being afraid to step in the ring with “Tissue”Mike
Tyson?
Our sports teams are given menacing nicknames like Lions, Tigers and Bears.
It would be odd for a player nicknamed “BeastMode” to play for a team
named the Seattle Soft Talkers.
Our culture doesn’treward gentleness. Angerand aggressiveness often
masquerade as strength. There are enough examples that rule the headlines
where people are “calling for”, “blasting”, “criticizing” or “threatening” and
we regard those actions as strong.
Regardlessofculture’s desire for strength over gentleness, we have enough
biblical evidence that in regard to the Fruit of the Spirit, being gentle is
anything but weak.
Gentleness is Not Being Soft
Gentleness does notcome from a weakenedposition. We see that evidencedin
Jesus Christ who could have calleddown an army of angels to silence the
mockers, to destroy the abusive and to demonstrate to Pilate his Kingship.

But instead, He askedforthe forgiveness ofthose who mockedHim, He
endured the blows from those He could crush with a thought, and He allowed
a Roman prefectin an outlying territory to question His all-powerful position.
Paul could have rallied those to rise up after he was imprisoned but he urged
them to remain humble and gentle. When you think of Christianity, Jesus and
Paul come to mind as those who suffered in body, mind and spirit to bring so
many the goodnews of God’s grace.
Their gentleness supersededvengeance.Theirstrength was exhibited in not
using their power to eliminate opposition. Certainly we can agree neither one
of them was weak.
The Bible proves that in regardto the Fruit of the Spirit, being gentle is
anything but weak.
TweetQuote
Gentleness Demonstrates Control
We are often blown awayby a way an athlete can manipulate their body to
perform amazing tasks during competitions. But do we give as much credit to
a person who canfight againstemotion to remain calm and deliver a well-
thought, truthful yet loving response to a hurting person?
In a world where instant gratificationgoes hand-in-hand with high-charged
emotions, how important is it that people can take a stepback and try to
address an issue with the goalof communication in mind?
Jesus diffused tense scenarios with gentleness.Pauldid likewise.Aren’t we
takenaback when somebodyhas every reasonto lose it and go into a tirade
but insteadchooses to respondwith grace and dignity?
Gentleness is Not Up For Debate
“Let your gentleness be evident to all.” – Philippians 4:5
We don’t getto choose to be gentle. It’s expected of us as Christians. When we
parade around as tough, strong and Christian, it tends to mix the messageof
what Christ came to do in and through us.

Whether we are commenting online, playing pickup basketballor driving on
the highway, we are still Christians and need to remember it’s not just the
world watching, God is ever present and invested in our actions and words.
If there are any “ifs” and “buts” that come to mind related to current events
in our societyand across the globe, we don’t have an out. Jesus commanded
for those to believe to take up their cross daily and we shouldn’t expect an
easierroadwhen it comes to demonstrating humility and gentleness.
The Bible also promises a gentle answerwill turn awaywrath. How easyhas it
become to meet an angry statementwith opposing anger? Try the gentle
answerand see whathappens. God can be glorified within that scenario.
I don’t think we’ll ever see the day when the Chicago Charmins square off
againstthe Oakland Origami. But I do think we can counter an aggressive,
angry culture effectively by choosing gentlenesseachday in our relationships
and with strangers we encounter.
Then maybe the word “gentlemen” will stretchbeyond kindly acts into life-
changing examples of trusting God more than we do ourselves.
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom, and gently leadthose that are with young.” –
Isaiah40:11
“You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand
supported me, and your gentleness made me great.” – Psalm 18:35
“A soft answerturns awaywrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” –
Proverbs 15:1
“To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect
courtesytoward all people.” – Titus 3:2
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to
make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reasonfor the hope that is in
you; yet do it with gentleness andrespect.” – 1 Peter3:15

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able
to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.
God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge ofthe truth,
and they may come to their senses andescape from the snare of the devil,
after being captured by him to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26
“Gentleness, self-control;againstsuch things there is no law.” – Galatians
5:23
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual
should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.Keepwatch on yourself, lestyou
too be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1
The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
A few years ago, when I was preparing to lead a Bible study on the fruit of the
Spirit, I started by going through eachone to try to recallwhat I had learned
or read about it before.
When I got to gentleness, the only images that came to mind were cheesy
Amish romance novels involving a young woman in a bonnet kneeling in a
sunny field with the wind gently blowing. Try as I might, I couldn’t recalla
single sermon, book, or conversationon the topic. So I knew I had some
digging to do.
The Strength in Gentleness
It turns out that the Spirit does not produce in us an ability to look awesome
in bonnets.

The word Paul uses for “gentleness”in Galatians 5:22-23 is prautes, which
has the same root as the word Jesus uses to describe those who will inherit the
earth in Matthew 5. It’s usually translatedas “meek,”“mild,” or “gentle.”
But Strong’s Greek Concordancesays thatthe word “refers to exercising
God’s strength under His control. . . demonstrating power without undue
harshness. . . . The English term ‘meek’ often lacks this blend . . . of gentleness
(reserve)and strength.”
Reserve and strength. Powerand control. These are not words that come to
mind when we think of gentleness.
But considerJesus’entrance into Jerusalem. In Matthew’s accountof the
incident, the author refers to Christ as a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy:
“See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the
foal of a donkey.”
The king of all kings appears—the mostpowerful figure Jerusalemhas ever
known—andthe thunderclap entrance that he chooses is . . . gentleness. He
could have come in accompaniedby ten thousand trumpeting angels. He
shows up on a donkey.
Prautes.
Just after this entrance, he overturns the tables of cheaters in the temple.
(Gentle?)Then he heals all of those who come to him. (Gentle.)Then he curses
a fig tree. (Gentle????)
Yes, Jesus is gentle at all times. He is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew
11). Jesus has prautes, both in his cute baby face and later in his angerin the
temple.
Gentleness, then, is not a relinquishing of strength. On the contrary, the Spirit
is powerful, and we are given accessto that power. Gentleness,meekness—
prautes—is recognizing that we are not the source of power, but the
instrument of it. And as that instrument, we are under God’s control. We are
not to wield that powerharshly or without purpose.
Growing in Gentleness

As I led the study on the fruit of the Spirit, I was convicted by the idea of
gentleness more than by any other trait that Paul mentions in this Galatians
passage.
This is partly because Iam not a naturally gentle person. I tend to wield the
gifts God has given me harshly, particularly when it comes to language. The
desire to use language to gain socialpowerhad led me to do so at the expense
of my friends too often.
So I did a sarcasmfast. I intentionally put that power back under God’s
control, asking him to give me gentleness. And where I expectedto feel
awkwardand humorless, I was instead able to see opportunities for sincerity
and encouragementmore clearly.
For me, prautes meant being unsarcastic. It might mean something different
for you. Just don’t confuse it for bonnet-wearing dandelions. At its essence, it
means recognizing that the Spirit is not only our power, but also the guide of
our power.
In what areas of your life is he asking you to let him be that guide?
https://intervarsity.org/blog/fruit-spirit-gentleness
‘The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness (meekness)andself-control.’
(Galatians 5:22-23 in the Holy Bible)
To me this is one of the most thrilling fruits of the Holy Spirit. The application
of the meaning of this word has two parts: one towardGod and the other
toward others.
Our relationship toward God is that we are to be honoring of His will and
calling in our life. We are not to rebel and go againstGod. We believe in Him,

trust in Him and acceptHis will as our will. We are to be grateful and
thankful to God in all things. The meek and humble and gentle person loves
Jesus and accepts His will for their lives. We are not hardened towardGod
and His will. Often in the Bible God refers to people with hearts like stone, or
hearts that are cold or hardened or hearts that have turned awayfrom God.
Oh may our hearts be open to the mighty work of the Holy Spirit giving us the
spirit of meekness towardGod. Let us magnify the Lord as we walk humbly
before Him thrilling to do His Will and live in His Way.
The personthat is thrilled to be meek and gentle to God is a fertile field for
God to move and demonstrate His Powerand Glory. Be open to all Jesus has
for you and you will be blessedand at peace. Ourresponse to anything Jesus
has for us should be “Yes and Amen’!
In the scripture below we see that this was the very nature of Jesus. Mayit
also be our nature.
“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of
Christ.’
2 Corinthians 10:1
Now let’s move to look at what is to be our gentle and meek relationship with
others. To many this sounds like weakness.Our nature is to ‘stand up for my
rights’! “Don’tlet others that advantage of you!’ All of these responses are
Not what this Bible passagehas in mind.
My idea of this is that meekness is restrained power!Jesus had ‘All powerin
heaven and in earth’ yet He held the little children in His lap. How beautiful.
He had power but restrained Himself to be gentle and loving and kind.
I remember once as I traveled with Rosie Greera famous football player in
the U.S. and who was a bodyguard for Bobby Kennedy. We were at Denver
airport and people would recognize him and come up to talk or get
autographs. One lady that rushed up and handed Rosie her very small little
baby. I watchedas this huge powerful man took the baby in his hands. With
his greatpowerthis man could have crushed that child but he handled it with
tender loving care. To me this is gentleness.

Jesus was gentle and yet all-powerful.
You may have the power to embarrass or humiliate someone but you do not.
This is being meek and gentle. You see not using the power you have is truly a
fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The personthat is seeking the best in others and helping lift up others is meek
and gentle. What a blessing to be around a person that is always speaking
kindness and love and is never demeaning.
Often people saythings or do things that are very destructive to the other
person. Just one unkind word can ruin a day or even a lifetime for someone
else. Mostpeople respond in kind to the actions of others. Ego is dominant
and anytime that personfeels threatened they lash out in defense of their ego.
This fruit of the Holy Spirit is so very opposite of what is often calledthe
“American Spirit’. Arrogance, pride, self-expressionand that independent
self-sufficient attitude is not the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’. In schoolwe are taught
from childhood that my schoolis better than your school. My country is better
than your country. We are better than you are. Our team is better than your
team. We are the best! We are number 1.
Now you have this person that is full of this kind of thinking and they read
these words
‘The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
gentleness (meekness)andself-control.’
And this messagethat should be thrilling is in its self very threatening to their
ego and life. This is not goodnews to the arrogant in spirit.
Many people live their lives in a constantstruggle to repair their bruised egos.
Mostdo this by constantlylashing out at others. Cutting words, glaring looks,
body language – all fighting back to somehow keepfrom being ‘put down’. To
this person, reading this column you want to cry out even as you read this and
say; “Well, Arthur, if you only knew ‘¦ you would realize that I cannothave

that gentle and meek attitude’. My response is simply,”What are you to do
with this scripture and many others? It is not the Word of God that needs to
change:it is you!’
Ask the Holy Spirit now to produce this fruit in you. Ask God to change your
heart and mind. Ask Jesus to put His mind in you and fill you with His desires
and will and nature.
How beautiful and peacefulit is to be a gentle and meek person. Both in
relationship to God and with others may our life be filled with the fruit of the
Spirit “Gentleness andMeekness’.
Should this column stir your spirit. Don’t dismiss it. Readit again and ponder
the truth and let Jesus change you.
God bless you,
Pilgrim followers ofJesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
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Home > Sermons
Gentleness
An unlikely strength
Scripture:
Galatians 5:22-23
Cynthia Fantasia
This sermon is part of the sermonseries Fruit: It Does a Body Good.See
series.
Introduction
This is the seventh week we've beengrowing through our study of the fruit of
the Spirit. This week we're going to look at gentleness. You might be thinking,
Are you serious? Do you know what happens to gentle people? They get
walkedover. They get stepped on. They get laughed at. And most often
they're ignored. So thanks but no thanks. I'll take all the others but I'll pass
on gentleness. Why might we have a negative response whenwe hear the word
"gentleness"?The dictionary defines the word as this: mild, moderate, soft,
and delicate. Submissive;to voluntarily assume equality with an inferior.
But if we look at Galatians 5:22, we find that gentlenessis one of the qualities
that God wants to cultivate in our lives. Gentleness is a part of the fruit of the
Spirit. Perhaps a struggle we have with gentleness is that we don't really
understand what it is. Charles Swindoll writes:
In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness—
being soft and virtually spineless. Notso. Gentleness includes suchenviable
qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peacefulwhen
surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effecton those who

may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tactand
gracious courtesythat causes others to retain their selfesteemand dignity.
Instead of losing, the gentle gain; instead of being ripped off and taken
advantage of, they come out ahead.
Now that's something worth striving for. Instead of losing, the gentle gain.
Instead of being ripped off and takenadvantage of, they come out ahead.
Powerunder control
The Greek wordfor gentleness comesfrom two words—prautēs and epieikēs.
prautēs means humility,
...https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2009/june/fruititdoesabo
dygood7.html
May 29, 2019 by Ali Shaw 2 Comments
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In today’s post, we’re looking at this characteristic ofthe Spirit’s fruit:
gentleness. Do youknow what gentleness reallyis?
Gentleness – A Word Study
Recently, God has shown me bold strength in the quality of gentleness. At first
glance, the two almost seeminconsistent, don’t they?
Once upon a time, I thought that gentleness wassimply defined as a softtouch
or ation. God has shownme that spiritual gentleness isn’tthis, but is
something unique.

Looking back through my life, I’ve realized that I’ve had the pleasure of
knowing severalpeople that I’d classifyas powerfully gentle. I’ve admired
them greatly and the Lord has used them in my life to show me a better
picture of what gentleness, as a fruit of the Spirit, truly is.
The Greek wordfor “gentleness” usedin Galatians 5:23 is prautés (Srong’s
#4240)whichcomes from praus, which means “mildness” and implies
humility and meekness.Interestingly, the word emphasizes the divine origin
of that meekness.
The definition uses the word meekness.Do you have a goodunderstanding of
meekness?I lookedit up to make sure I did. Meeknessisn’t a cowed, weak,
passive, nor timid quality. Instead, Biblical meekness is a “gentle strength” or
“powerwith reserve and gentleness.”
“It begins with the Lord’s inspiration and finishes by His direction and
empowerment. It’s a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through
faith.”
(HELPS Word studies)
Do you see how the the words “meekness” and“gentleness” are usedin
defining one another? Gentleness implies meeknessand meeknessis power
with gentleness. The word“humility” is important in these definitions. They
certainly all go together, don’t they? So, how can we get a goodunderstanding
of Biblical gentleness?Maybe a definition like this:
Gentleness:mildness with strength. A powerful humility that has a divine
origin and can only operate through faith. It starts and finishes by God’s
direction and empowerment.
The Spiritual Fruit of Gentleness. Whatit is, what it isn’t, and how to foster
its growth. A word study and more. #FruitOfTheSpirit

Click To Tweet
The Quality Demonstrated
With a better understanding of what Biblical gentleness is, I could see this
quality demonstratedin godly friends whom the Lord put in my path. They
have been meek and humble, yet rooted powerfully in truth, and willing to
boldly share that truth with others in a loving (rather than proud or self-
righteous) way.
Their gentle, but powerful “touch” has been used to create beauty in my life
and in a messyworld.
What Gentleness Is Not
Spiritual gentleness isn’t timid, fearful, soft without strength, a tendency to
“cave in,” nor an unwillingness to stand up for what’s right. It isn’t shying
awayfrom declaring or sharing truth. It’s also not selfishnor self-serving!
Where Does it Come From?
True to what’s denoted in its original meaning, spiritual gentleness is of divine
origin. We can’t make it nor force it. The Holy Spirit (given to Believers atthe
time of salvation) grows it in Believers.
How Can I Fosterits Growth?
Yes, God gives the fruit of the spirit, but we canagree with Him and work in
partnership with Him. Fruit grows in soft soil and matures as we mature
spiritually. When we stay close to God and obey Him, keeping the soil of our
hearts fertile, fruit has an opportunity to grow.
Like Patti wrote in the introduction to this series:
The remarkable blessing of belonging to [Jesus]is that the closerwe stick to
Him, the more deeply we abide in Him, the more He makes these things true
of us.
Patti Brown

And as I wrote here about the fruit of love,
As a Vine-abider (see John15:1-17), I want to allow Him to work
sanctificationin me. I want to stay firmly attached to Him and bear fruit for
His glory!
When we stay close to God and obey Him, keeping the soilof our hearts
fertile, fruit has an opportunity to grow. #FruitOfTheSpirit
Click To Tweet
How Can I Practice Gentleness?
Our relationship with God and time spent with Him in prayer and obedience
equips us to practice gentleness. We practice this quality best in our
relationships with others.
Whether we’re guiding children into truth, standing up for our beliefs in a
lost world, or catching ourselves before hurtful words fly out, we fare well
when we seasonour words and actions with gentleness.Opportunities
abound! We just need to pray for spiritual readiness and to be obedient to the
Spirit’s direction and empoweredby Him when situations for practice arise.
When we miss an opportunity, we should repent and pray for softenedhearts
that will do better next time.
A goodunderstanding of the meaning of the word really enlightened me!
Does it differ with what you thought gentleness was?How?
Share your thoughts with us right here in the comments or in our Facebook
community.
Blessings!

https://donotdepart.com/fruit-of-the-spirit-gentleness
June 16, 2017
Fruit of the Spirit: GENTLENESS.
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness,faithfulness, GENTLENESS, andself-control." Against
such things that is no law."
So many pursue greatness atthe expense of gentleness. I've never been to a
leadership conference where gentleness made any list worth noting. Grit,
check. Guts, check. Hustle, check. Butgentleness? Maybe if you're
dreaming of becoming a flight attendant. Imagine "gentleness" showing up
on your leadership Strength-Finders assessment. It would prompt
embarrassmentfor most, especiallyif they are wanting to prove they have the
chops to handle the breakneck,cutthroat, smashmouth world of a growing
ministry or an intense industry. It feels like it would expose you as soft and
perishable, fragile even.
So try and picture the horror of the first Christ-followers looking to turn the
world upside down when they saw this attribute added to the Top 9 list. As if
the other 8 weren't subdued enough. How are you supposedto impose your
strength and enactyour vision with this perceived impediment? How are you
supposedto establishthe Alpha presence in the room with this disposition?
But that wasn'thow Jesus was going to get things done, move things forward.
He showedthem the way of gentleness andmeekness whenhe humbly knelt
down and washedtheir feet showing them that the greatestamong them must

be a "servant to all". A leaderwas a servant. I'm sure they didn't think this
ministry philosophy would make it past the one month anniversary of His
ascension.
"Take my yoike upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29
This idea of gentleness andhumility wasn'tmodeled by leadershipand power
in Jesus'day. It was all about dominance and violence, intimidation and
aggression. This was how you garnered respectand ascendedthe ladder of
leadership. But Jesus calledhis followers to compassion. To treatpeople with
a tenderness that they weren't expecting, leastof all from a leader.
No doubt Jesus had read and probably memorized most of the Proverbs. He
knew the powerof gentleness and remembered the wisdom literature passed
down to him from his parents growing up. I can almost hear his mother Mary
reminding him of the counterintuitive, countercultural characterof a child of
God...
"Rememberthis wisdom of Solomonwho said, 'A soft tongue breaks the
bone.' (Proverbs 25:15) and 'a gentle answerturns awaywrath.' (Proverbs
15:1) You don't need to yell to make a point, son. You don't need to be harsh
to make your mark. Trust the truth, Jesus, andspeak it in love."
Maybe this is why He was saidto be 'full of grace and truth', and why Paul
later encouragedpeople to 'speak the truth in love'. This was the way of the
generous and gentle heart of Jesus.

As Ralph W. Sockmansaid, "Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so
gentle as realstrength." I don't know if our world believes this, but it is true.
I have often prayed that God would grant me thick skin and a softheart
throughout my life. It seems impossible in our world to not grow calluses
where you are rub the wrong wayand numb scartissue where you are
wounded badly, but I believe Godcan somehow give us a gentle heart even as
we are hurt by living with the vulnerability and transperancy that gentleness
requires.
This is what Christ was like and this is what it means to be Christ-like.
He didn't reactwith retaliation to insults or respond with harshness to
rejection, he stayed calm in the crossfire andcoolheadedin conflict. This
same Spirit that lived in Jesus was leftto abide in us and to bear its fruit
through us. Paul said to the church of Corinth "I urge you by the meekness
and gentleness ofChrist". His passionate appealto the people was motivated
by these characteristics ofHis Lord and Savior. He encouragedthe church in
Galatia to be full of mercy to those who fell from grace and were caughtin sin
by saying, "You who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness."
This spirit comes from the Spirit. Our base nature is to write people off when
they abuse our trust or confuse our gentleness forweakness. Ormaybe it's
just me.
When someone takes advantage ofmy goodgraces orsimply shows their true
colors in a moment of weakness,I find myself shutting myself off from them.
I hear a phrase rise up inside my mind: "They aren't safe. I will only let safe
people into my world." I know we all need boundaries, especiallywhenit
comes to our 'inner circle', but can I push back on this boundary business for
a moment, the inner circle language we are hearing all over the place these

days? Cause I think we've used it to justify cutting people off and closing
ourselves off.
It's just not what Jesus did. In fact, he let some pretty messy people into his
inner circle, one who denied him, another who betrayed him and the rest of
the twelve, save one (John), who turned tail and abondoned him in his greatest
hour of need. When he rose from the grave and returned to these same men
days later, he did a crazy thing. He appearedto them and "servedthem
breakfaston the beach" as a sort of peace offering. He extended the olive
branch. And his gentlenessbroke their bones. It cut them to the quick. This
spirit of gentleness and grace foreverchangedtheir lives. They began living
this ethos and teaching every new disciple to do the same.
Paul, who wasn'ta push-over, said of himself, "I was gentle among you, as a
nursing mother tenderly cares forher children" when talking to the church of
Thessalonica. Whata word picture. Sounds just like Jesus'words as he cried
over the city of Jerusalembefore his execution. "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
how I desired to gatheryou like a hen gathers her chicks but you would not
have it." The nurturing instict of a mother is employed as a metaphor by
Jesus and his first followers, and this spirit of gentleness is still the way God
breaks through the hardest walls today.
I feel like I've said this with eachof the fruits of the Spirit, but this doesn't
come easyfor me. I don't just wake up gushing God and spilling Spirit all
over the place. I have to walk with Him, listen intently to Him, abide in Him,
and clothe myself in Him. I need him before me, behind me, beneathme, and
beside me. I'm dead meat when I go rogue.
So I chain myself againtoday to His chariot. "I crucify myself with Christ so
that I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." - Galatians 2:20

God, make me a gentleman.
https://jasonholdridge.blogspot.com/2017/06/fruit-of-spirit-gentleness.html
What Is Gentleness?
Gentleness:
definition:Having the quality of being gentle or tender.
word forms: adjective 'gentle' means 'considerate in disposition, mild in
mood, soft, tender; well-managed, not sudden or rash or angry, taking care
not to harm others.'
synonyms and other words:meekness, tenderness, carefulness/being careful,
chivalrous, and kindness.
word origin: Old Frenchgentil (courteous, noble)< Latin gentilis (of the same
family or clan) < assumedIndo-European root gene- (procreation, birth,
family). The Old French word (and thus Middle English) inferred that
someone had a quality of meekness (Mod. Eng. 'genteel')that was supposedto
be characteristic ofnoble birth or the ruling class - setting aside for the
moment their institutionalized ruthlessness. The word "kindness" developed
in a like manner, from the same Indo-European root, but through the
Germanic side.
Biblical terms: The Greek term in Galatians 5:22 is prautes, which is about
mildness or meekness ofspirit, taking care not to cause harm. The Hebrew
word is 'anī, which refers mostly to the poor and the humble. Neither the
Greek nor Hebrew words imply that the upper class is better, but the English
word which translatedthem (and its Old French counterpart) developed that
implication. However, that part of the English word's meaning has been
fading out over the past two centuries.

The Bible says this about gentleness:
Jesus was gentle.
Be gentle when restoring a followerto fellowship.
Gentleness is a way of life within a marriage.
Pursue gentleness!
God treats us gentle by forgiving us.
While it's fair to saythat the apostle Paul was sometimes quite difficult to deal
with, he says to the church in Thessalonikithat he could have asserted
apostolic authority, but instead was gentle as a mother with her babies. In 2
Timothy (2:24-26), he instructs Timothy to correcthis opponents gently.
A gentle word turns awaywrath.
Gentleness As A Spiritual Fruit
'Gentleness'is an interesting fruit of the spirit. It has a direct tie-in to Jesus,
too, for didn't he speak ofthe meek inheriting the earth? In the Revelation,
John looks for a lion but finds a Lamb. Like the other spiritual fruit,
gentleness is an aspectof God's characterwhich God's followers take on as
they follow Christ. The fruit of 'gentleness'isn'tabout being wishy-washy,
indecisive, unassertive, or just plain wimpy. Instead, it's a refusal to use power
to harm anyone, an unwillingness to cut and slash at people, wounding them
for vengeance, spite or control. Gentleness desires that no harm be done.
There are careful ways to be bold, non-violent ways to stand up for what is
right, and non-manipulative ways to lead and to convince. But it is not human
nature to be gentle. It goes beyond 'instinct', or 'education', or 'society's
influence'. We are simply not gentle creatures. Certainly not males, despite
the term 'gentleman'. Males are quick with the fists, the knives, and the guns.
Women have historically been more gentle, but that's a relative matter; they
have their own ways of being vicious and destructive. Hostility is even a trait
of our families - parents getting angry and abusive with their children,
spouses being especiallycruel to eachother. Today's world rewards hostility

and going to an extreme. If we are to bear the fruit of gentleness, we needthe
Spirit to give us the ability to be gentle when it's hardest to be that way.
Gentleness Springs From Love
Gentleness is more than a personaldisposition. It's an outgrowthof love. It is
when you care enough to choose notto be harsh, rash, angry, or rough.
Gentleness is when you learn and use the best way to hold an egg or a
butterfly. A gentle person knows better than to harm others, and so chooses to
act in a way that does not. A gentle person does not seek to make other people
angry. Gentleness may lose battles, but it helps win the overall struggles. A
gentle response tends to create fewerenemies and more friends. Spiritual
fruits all tie together. Self-controlovercomes impulsive reactions, whichare
usually not gentle. Gentle care grows the ability to bear suffering or
disadvantage for a long time. Those who have an attitude of kindness (looking
for ways to benefit others) will treat others gently. It cannot only prevent
harm, it can create roomfor emotionalhealing.
gently go to top
Tender Quotes
"As we come to grips with our own selfishness and stupidity, we make friends
with the impostor and acceptthat we are impoverished and broken and
realize that, if we were not, we would be God. The art of gentleness toward
ourselves leads to being gentle with others -- and is a natural prerequisite for
our presence to God in prayer."
---- Brennan Manning, Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate
Belonging
"You can't substitute material things for love or for gentlenessorfor
tenderness or for a sense ofcomradeship. Money is not a substitute for
tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness."
---- Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

Gentleness – Fruit of the Spirit Series
Author: James F. Linzey
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“Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold towardyou while
absent, appeal to you by the meeknessand gentleness ofChrist” (2 Cor. 10:1,
MEV).
Gentleness, one part of the fruit of the Spirit, needs a place in our everyday
lives. Often translated humility or meekness,the word gentleness is preferred
by more modern versions of the Bible because it has a more positive
connotationthan the other two words. Many think of the meek or humble
person as weak and ineffective, even applying gentleness only to those who are
weak and effeminate. But this conceptis contrary to the gentleness and
meekness we see in the Scriptures. Gentleness is not the result of weak
backbone. It is really powerunder perfectcontrol. No one is more gentle than
God, yet He is almighty, omnipotent. His glory is so terrible that no one can
gaze upon it and live. Yet we read that he pities His children. Every day we

experience His gentleness. He tenderly cares for us, supplies our needs, and
guides us through life.
The opposite of gentleness wouldbe hardness of heart. We must not let
hardness of heart creepinto our attitudes. Unless we keepour spirits broken
to keepin touch with God, hard hearts will separate us from God. When we
see the greatness ofGod’s love, we break down and weep—we become tender.
Looking at His greatness breaksallthe hardness the world would want to put
in us.
Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper because He knew that as long as we
remembered Calvary, we would be gentle in spirit. It is impossible for us to
remain spiritually gentle without the abiding presence ofChrist within us.
Gentleness is not merely a sympathetic feeling. We may see a little baby and
get a tender feeling towardit, but even unredeemed people do that. The
gentleness thatcomes as a fruit of the Spirit comes through our relationship
with the Lord Jesus. The love of God will make us humble, and, therefore,
gentle. Humility is a disappearing Christian virtue. Many Christians want to
lead; not many want to follow. But it is the humble vessel, willing to follow,
that God canuse in any way He wants to. The Christian who is willing for
God to have the glory is the one God can use. Christian humility or gentleness
is impossible without God. It is contrary to human nature and the waywe
have learned to live. We like to have the upper hand, to be in charge. We like
to say the last word, have people applaud us. The meek, humble person will
work for the glory of God’s kingdom, even if it means being a fool for Christ’s
sake. This attitude shows true humility. There will never be hard feelings
where there is realChristian humility. A completely crucified selfcannot be
offended.
Unless Christians are willing to be humbled, they won’t get the greatestof
God’s blessings. Jesus notonly taught this, He demonstratedit. He washedthe
disciples’feet, He permitted himself to be captured in Gethsemane, to be
beaten, reviled, and nailed to a Cross. Phil. 2:8, 9 tell us “He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death, even death on a Cross” (MEV). Powercomes
through meekness andgentleness.

Numbers 12:3 tells us that Moses was the most humble man on earth. Yet he
was also stern and uncompromising when the occasiondemanded. Notice his
reactionto the worshippers of the goldencalf (Exod. 32). He was defending
the cause ofGod, so he was strong and angry and vengeful. Yet in Numbers 12
when Aaron and Miriam criticized him, he didn’t make the slightestattempt
to defend himself, showing true meekness. Jesus reactedthe same way when
He was tortured before the cross—He answeredthem not a word. Yet Jesus
was bold when He ran the money-changers out of the temple. In Acts 7 we see
the meeknessofStephen who prayed in love for his murderers. But he spoke
out boldly, not in fearor weakness. Theseexamples show that true meekness
has a fiery zealfor God. However, the Christian never fights for himself.
Why does God want us to be gentle and meek? That is one of the best ways to
defend the Gospel. I Pet 3:15 tells us that when anyone asks aboutour faith,
we should give an answerwith meekness.The most attractive thing about a
Christian testimony is the spirit of meekness itcontains. Meeknessin our
testimony is not the way our voices sound nor the expressionon our faces.
Meeknessis the spirit in which a testimony is shared. The main focus is that
God will be exalted in it. We can conquer people by argument, but never
convert them by argument. It takes the grace of God to convert a person. If
we consider others as valuable, it is easyto be gentle with them as Christ was
gentle with all He met.
James F. Linzey is the chief editor of the Modern English Version Bible and a
retired Army chaplain with the rank of Major. He is a graduate of Vanguard
University of Southern California and Fuller TheologicalSeminary.
GENTLENESS -Fruit of the Spirit

Agape Love [God's Love] is Kind [Gentle] - The secondcharacteristic oflove
in 1 Cor 13:4 – kindness or Gentleness. We see that God is “kind” to even
unthankful and evil people [all of us sinners] in Luke 6:35. Neh 9:19 illustrates
God’s constant, protective and faithful care for His Sheep, despite of their
rebellion. Jer32:18 illustrates both God’s mercy and God's justice. God in His
magnanimous kindness grants an individual divine, eternal pardon and
reconciliationas Psa 103:3-4 declares.The Hebrew word for “mercy” is
checed(H2617), is also rendered as “kindness” or“lovingkindness”. The
Hebrew word for “everlasting”is olam (H5769), and both words appear
togetherin almost 60 verses.
Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing again;and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of
the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Neh 9:16-17 “But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their
necks, and hearkenednot to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither
were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their
necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage:
but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
of greatkindness, and forsookestthem not. 18Yea, whenthey had made them
a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and
had wrought greatprovocations;19Yetthou in thy manifold mercies
forsookestthem not in the wilderness:the pillar of the cloud departed not
from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night,
to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.”
Psa 42:8 “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and
in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the Godof my life.”

Jer 32:18 “Thoushewest lovingkindness [God's mercy] unto thousands, and
recompensestthe iniquity [God's justice]of the fathers into the bosom of their
children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his
name,”
Psa 103:3-4 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneththee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies;”
Psa 32:1-2 “Blessedis he whose transgressionis forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessedis the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose
spirit there is no guile.”
Isa 54:8 “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with
everlasting [H5769]kindness [H2617]will I have mercy on thee, saith the
LORD thy Redeemer.”
Isa 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;
and I will make an everlasting [H5769]covenant[or Gospel]with you, even
the sure mercies [H2617]of David.”
Jer 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting [H5769]love: therefore with lovingkindness [H2617]
have I drawn thee.”
Psa 103:17 “Butthe mercy [H2617]of the LORD is from everlasting [H5769]
to everlasting [H5769]upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children’s children;”

Kindness toward Us through Christ Jesus - In Eph 2:4-10 we read about
God’s wonderful mercy, which in Greek is eleos (G656)and expressedHis
love by sending the Lord Jesus to be the only Savior. All the God's Kindness
we have seenabove typified, or pointed, to the “the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us [the spiritual Israelof God] through Christ
Jesus”. Heb10:16-18 [also Psa 103:3-4, as we have seenabove] emphasizes the
total forgiveness that God bestows upon those whom He has electedto save
from sin and eternal damnation. God, not only magnified His Word (Psa
138:2)but also cleansesthe electwith the “washing ofwater by the word [the
Gospel]” through the salvationprocess becauseofHis “kindness and love” for
His people, as we read in Tit 3:3-7. Isa 63:9 speaks ofGod’s care for the
nation of Israel(as they typify the true children of God). Man’s spiritual
deadness requires that God do all the work neededto regenerate man’s dead
soul, including drawing the man to Himself, as Jer31:3 asserts. Because God
does all the work of Salvation, all the glory must go to Him, as Jer 9:24
proclaims. There is only one kind of boasting that meets with God’s approval
– it’s the boasting by believers about the mercy of God for His glory, as we
read in Gal 6:14.
Eph 2:4-10 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his greatlove wherewith he
loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us togetherwith
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raisedus up together, and made us
sit togetherin heavenly places in Christ Jesus:7That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus. 8Forby grace are ye savedthrough faith; and that not
of yourselves:it is the gift of God: 9Notof works, lest any man should boast.

10Forwe are his workmanship, createdin Christ Jesus unto goodworks,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Heb 10:16-18 “This is the covenantthat I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds
will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now
where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”
Tit 3:3-7 “Forwe ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and
hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour
toward man appeared, Notby works ofrighteousness whichwe have done,
but according to his mercy he savedus, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternallife.”
Psa 138:2 “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy
loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou [God] hast magnified thy word
above [as] all thy [God’s] name.”
Jer 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn
thee.”
Isa 63:9 “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel[or messenger]
of his presence savedthem: in his love and in his pity he redeemedthem; and
he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”

Jer 9:24 “But let him that gloriethglory in this, that he understandeth and
knowethme, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment,
and righteousness,in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
Gal 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross ofour Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world iscrucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
The Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness - Those to whom God has graciously
given the gift of salvationdo not, in any way, merit such eternal kindness and
blessing nor canthey claim any credit for it. In Eph 4:32 and Col3:12, true
believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by
being kind to one another. Following the pattern of their Master, those who
are part of the eternal church are equipped with the fruit of “gentleness”, or
kindness. We will look at one of Jonathan’s sons, Mephibosheth, to whom
King David showedmuch kindness in 2 Sam 9:3-8 and 13. David loved
Jonathandearly, and in the historical contexthe desiredto express that in a
tangible way to Saul’s relatives. He wanted to “shew the kindness of God” to
“any of the house of Saul”. King Saulwas Jonathan’s father and David’s
former enemy. This is a beautiful representationof the biblical injunction to
“love your enemies”. Maythe Holy Spirit empowerus to exhibit patience,
kindness, and the goodkind of zealin our lives for God’s honor and glory.
Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,temperance:againstsuch there is no
law.”

Eph 2:7 “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
Col 3:12-13 “Puton therefore, as the electof God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel againstany: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
2 Sam 9:3-8 and 13 “And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of
Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the
king, Jonathanhath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said
unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house
of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. Then king David sent, and fetched
him out of the house of Machir, the sonof Ammiel, from Lodebar. Now when
Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the sonof Saul, was come unto David, he
fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he
answered, Beholdthy servant! And David said unto him, Fearnot: for I will
surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, andwill restore thee
all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table
continually. And he bowedhimself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou
shouldestlook upon such a dead dog as I am?. …So Mephibosheth dwelt in
Jerusalem:for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on
both his feet.”
Psa 40:11 “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy
lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”

The holy spirit fruit of gentleness 2

The holy spirit fruit of gentleness 2

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