By Mark A. Horne
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23
As we continue with the Fruit of the Spirit, we now come to the eighth of the gift – that of gentleness. Like the others, this is a fruit that we love others to display to us, but we don’t like to manifest ourselves. Much has to do with out own proclivity to sin, as we will discuss in a little bit. For now, we need to understand that gentleness is a grace required when others inflict wrong upon us. “It especially points to us having the command of our feelings under wrong.”[1]
What does this mean? We know that Jesus teaches us that, “38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:38-42). And He also tells us that we need to remove the log from our own eye before we try to point out the speck in another person’s (Matt 7:3-4).
There are many who think they obey Jesus in action, but their attitude is lacking. We may do nice things for others all-the-while speaking and acting very harshly towards them. Our spouse may hurt our feelings when she suggests for the umpteenth time for us to take out the trash. We do it. Oh, we do it. We do it by ripping the bag out of the inhouse can and taking it outside, throwing it in the outside can, and slamming the lid down. Was a help given towards her? Maybe. Was gentleness? No. So what is this gentleness Paul speaks of as a fruit that we should grow from our hearts and then manifest in our lives?
In the original Greek, the word for gentleness is prautes and it describes the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance. Prautes is a quality of gentle friendliness. Some may translate the original Greek as meekness. However, it is a meekness as strength that accommodates to another’s weakness. It is gentleness which includes consideration, restrained patience, or patient trust in the midst of difficult circumstances.
The way the Greeks used this word secularly helps give us a word-picture of the Holy Spirit’s gift given to us. Prautes was used in secular Greek writings to describe a soothing wind, a healing medicine, and a colt that had been broken. In each instance, there is power – for a wind can become a storm, too much medicine can kill, and a horse can break loose. Thus, the Greeks used prautes to describe strong animals that were brought under control. Xenophon wrote that horses that work together are more likely to “stand quietly” together. Aristotle wrote of the “easy-tempered and easily domesticated” elephant and defined it as the correct means between being too angry and being never angry at all. It is the quality of the man whose anger is 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 personal wrong he may receive, but who is capable of righteous anger when he sees others wronged. Plato described a mighty and strong beast which could be tamed and fed by a man who learned how to handle it. So, gentleness describes power under control. Just as wisdom is the right use of knowledge, so gentleness is the right use of authority and power.[2]
C. Norman Bartlett gives us some good insight when he states that gentleness or meekness “cannot be too strongly insisted upon that meekness is not weakness. It is strength held under control; power kept in reserve. Steam does 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 capital of quietude against the day of need.”[3] And Ryrie says, “gentleness could be rendered ‘gentlemanliness!’”
I love what C.H. Spurgeon comments about gentleness, “This does not push itself to the front and does not easily get provoked. Some people are very hard, stern, severe, quick-tempered, passionate, but the true follower of Christ will be gentle and tender, even as He was…. Familiarity with Christ soon begets congeniality of 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 reflected rays. 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 together in mutual affection and 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 each other after years of acquaintance, only the growth is all on one side—we grow up unto Him in all things who is the head (Eph 4:15).”[4]
Keeping this in mind, gentleness is that unassuming inner spirit of mildness and meekness, which is the opposite of haughtiness, harshness and self-assertiveness. Gentleness is a willingness to waive one’s rights for a good cause, just as Jesus waived His rights to His rule as King as he rode into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey. Set aside your rights! Do not demand that you be satisfied, but for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ be willing to suffer loss. Gentleness, then, is the opposite of rudeness, abrasiveness, “vehemence, violence, and outbursts of anger;”[5] but not courage. As Sanderson states, “it takes courage to be meek and gentle in an evil world.”[6]
Therefore, we must understand from God’s Word how to cultivate this fruit of gentleness. A primary grace is that when we were called into the Kingdom of Christ and He entered our hearts the Holy Spirit planted the seed of accepting ourselves for what we really are, and this seed will bloom into gentleness. Again, as Sanderson states, “Gentleness arises from understanding ourselves, and it gives us insight into the needs of others.”[7]
What this means for us is that when we are caught in the trap of sin, we not only hurt ourselves, we hurt others. Whenever we reflect on most of our day’s encounters with other people, we face the obstacle of conflict. The struggle is the Christian reaction to such conflict. Our heart wants to react with some pod shot, or maybe even anger in our heart. It’s like we become the child whose parent admonishes, and we say under our breath, “I hate her.”
What this brings out is the sin of insecurity rooted in selfishness and self-absorption. It is an unwillingness to accept reality. The degree of our reaction is in direct proportion to our insecurity. The disciples displayed this when they began arguing about who would be the greatest among them in the Kingdom of God (Matt 18:1-6). However, gentleness helps us to cure our insecurity.[8]
When we cultivate the fruit of gentleness by truly understanding ourselves, the boundaries are eliminated, and obstacles removed for us to help others. Here is Jesus’ response to the disciples, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Here we see Jesus in action. Here we see the Son of God teaching the meekness he displayed as the prophet Isaiah said He would (Is. 42: 1-4). This is Christ in His fulness. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). Paul desired to emulate our Savior, “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!” (2 Cor. 10:1).
In Jesus we see that meekness and gentleness are not signs of weakness but are strong weapons in God’s hands to accomplish His purposes. One final quote from Sanderson on this thought, [Gentleness] “requires courage on the part of the one exercising it, and also great faith that God will use it as He promises. But the fact is that sin has so bruised the human spirit that such tender treatment is required if those spirits are to be made whole again. In these days of coldness and hatred among people, it is particularly necessary that Christians learn gentleness.”[9]
Our lives are to reflect that of our Savior. Christians should not be unfriendly and unapproachable people. We are to be mild, courteous, and friendly. Our lives should be those which others want to be around, talk with, who bear with others’ burdens and faults, and can put up with the fickleness of people in general.[10] This was such as our Lord, Jesus Christ. It should be ours as well.
[1] Exell, Joseph S., and Spence, H.D.M., eds., The Pulpit Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, vol. 20, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977, p. 287.
[2] Hurt, Bruce. https://www.preceptaustin.org/galatians_523
[3] Bartlett, C. Norman. Galatians and You: Studies in the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Note: this work is supposedly out of print and no copyright can be found, but the work can be found here: http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/NTStudies/GalatiansAndYoubyCNormanBartlett1948.aspx
[4] Spurgeon, C.H., “Faith Working by Love” (sermon preached at Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit August 28, 1880), https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/faith-working-by-love#flipbook/
[5] Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001, pp. 225.
[6] Sanderson, John W. The Fruit of the Spirit: A Study Guide. Philipsburg: P&R Publishing, 1985, p. 125.
[7] Ibid., p. 129.
[8] Ibid., p. 130.
[9] Ibid., p. 131.
[10] Lange, John P. Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal & Homiletical. Translated from German by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968, p. 145.
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