Title: Fruit in the New Testament
Content By Dr. James E. Rosscup (Master's Seminary)
James E. Rosscup, Chairman of Bible Department, Talbot Theological Seminary, La Mirada, California.]
Christians are always talking about ruit,?yet few bother to define it very carefully. This is unfortunate, since it is the very product of life itself, what life is all about. The servant of Christ who will settle for nothing less than a life of highest fulfillment sees in it momentous possibilities. This is true whatever his sphere of service. He may be a fascinating evangelist who sways crowds to action, a businessman faced with decisions of ethics in a beg-eat-dog?world, a housewife slaving over a sink of dirty dishes, or a student confronted by the compromise and confusion of unsound philosophies about life. Regardless of his niche, fruit has moment-by-moment relevance.
Scripture itself uses the concept of fruit with a frequency that is impressive. The main Old Testament word, peri, appears not less than 106 times, and Young lists eleven other Hebrew words which denote various aspects of meaning relating to fruit.1 Karpos, the chief New Testament word, occurs about 66 times, and there are other terms such as gen?a and Orora. Then related variations exist, like akarpos (unfruitful). The significance of fruit in the thinking of New Testament writers becomes apparent when one finds that 24 of the 27 books refer to the idea in some clear way.2
God has reminded man of fruit through plants about him as well as the womb? (Gen 30:2; Ps 127:3). His first mandate after creation concerns the command to be fruitful (Gen 1:28), and the last chapter in the Bible
BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 57
pictures the tree of life barhich bare twelve (manner of) fruits? (Rev 22:2). The predominant type of life God selected for Israel agriculturally llustrated to them daily that fruit is the effect of life.3 Bible writers, profoundly impressed by the object lesson, capitalized upon it to draw vivid analogies between natural fruit and spiritual fruit. Highlight chapters are Psalm 1, Isaiah 5, John 15, and Galatians 5.4
The thrust of every life is unavoidably toward fruit, whether evil or good (Matt 3; 7 ; 12 ). Man, in this sense, is somewhat like Walt Whitman poetic creation, the Noiseless Patient Spider.? He though possessing a potential immeasurably greater than the spider, also sends forth from his life filament, filament, filament,?seeking by gossamer threads to form meaningful, bridge-like connections in life. With what thoughts, words, and acts will he fulfill his life? If he is a Christian, the whole direction of his life can be toward the second fruit?of John 15:5. This makes it imperative that he be very clear as to the true nature of fruit and what it is all about.6
It is helpful to clarify the nature of fruit in the New Testament by reference to its source and then its scope.
The Source of Fruit
Scripture teaches unmistakably that men must have good works to live in prosperity with God. But it weds with this the concept that God, the giver of all physical life, is also the source of all spiritual life and fruit. Therefore, if a man works satisfy God, they must originate in an inner reality of life appropriated from Him. This utter necessity in the spiritual realm is analogous to a branch in a vine assimilating physically the very life essence within the vine (John 15).
Various passages thus use the pictorial imagery of plant life receiving rain from heaven and bringing forth fruit
BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 58
(Isa 45:8ff; Joel 2:22?4; Heb 6:7? etc.) Isaiah for example, employs the heaven-earth picture as background when he speaks of God pouring down torrents of righteousness upon His people so that they might then grow in impartial (vss. 8, 17, 24 ).7 The Scriptural point is that the creator-God is the source of all fruit.
This same essential fact is taught also by other lines of thought in the Bible.
The direct statement tracing fruit to God. Hosea 14, picturing Israel what future kingdom blessings, represents God as saying, rom me is thy fruit found?(vs. 8 ). Later, in John 15, Christ emphasizes positively that only the one who abides in Him bears fruit (vs. 4 ), and negatively that bythout me ye can do nothing?(vs. 5 ). Paul repeats the concept in Philippians 1:11 when he speaks of Behe fruit8 of rigtheousness which is by Jesus Christ.?
The example of Christ. Frequently He claimed that His works were in complete accord with the Father and, in reality, the works of the Father through Him (John 5:19, 30; 8:28; 14:10). When He said in a metaphor, I am the bread of life? (John 6:48), He applied this to believers by analogy: I am the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me?(vs. 57 ). Added to this is the fact that Christ, as a man, performed His works by the enablement of the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:28; Luke 4:1, 14, 18; Acts 10:38).
The explicit statements about power. More notable are Galatians 2:20 and Philippians 2:13 and 4:13 .
Specific commands. The divine imperative, communicated through Paul, may be paraphrased: I say, then, live habitually by the rule of the Spirit?(Gal 5:16).9 The context
BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 59
urges the absolute necessity of the Spirit in any direction. (1) He can enable the Christian to triumph over the lusts and works of his flesh, and (2) He can produce, as the source of origin, the qualities specified in verses 22?3 as the fruit of the Spirit.? 0
It is clear, then, that the believer is the recipient and channel of a God-imparted life, and fruit originates in this life. Evidently it is correct to understand the nature of fruit, as least partially, in terms of its source. It denotes the gracious dispositions and characteristics which the Spirit produces as He makes good the very life-essence of Christ within and out of the Christian. It can thus refer to out-lived acts when these are permeated by God in-lived qualities. It can, even designate people a Christian has led to Christ since they, too, are Spirit-given roducts?of his witness. This definition, like an x-ray, probes to inner reality and authenticity, not merely to external and arbitrary criteria. Two believers who go through virtually the same set of motions may convey the impression that they are equally fruitful, yet one may be fruitful and the other unfruitful. The acts of one are products of God, authentic life freely released through him, while the acts of the other are counterfeits with no quality higher than the performance of fleshly ability. God, who sees through the externals to the essence, unerringly distinguishes the fruit from the fake.
This, then, clarifies the source of fruit. Attention can now be concentrated upon the scope of it.
The Scope of Fruit
In the light of what has just been stated, the discerning believer is able to screen out popular but false ideas of fruit. It is of benefit to clarify these, and then to consider positive examples of fruit which the New Testament actually gives. This two-step consideration will emphasize the vast scope of fruit and at the same time re-emphasize its true nature.
Popular ideas. One sometimes hears fruit linked rather automatically with certain external matters.
BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 60
Success. When a Christian is apparently successful in his niche and favorably regarded, it is popular to label him as ruitful.?Christians categorize others on the basis of impressions, and these may or may not spring from correct discernment. Thus it is possible to confuse wrongly outward success with fruit although there can actually be a distinction. Fruit is a matter of reality and quality, as stated, and goes deeper than impressions.11 A seemingly fruitful Christian may, in point of fact, be barren of genuine fruit because the true secret behind what others label as success?is the indomitable drive or the shining dramatics of fleshly energy. Another believer may look like a failure in some areas of life, such as gaining immediate converts on a difficult field. Some among the home-church constituency, looking for esults?and appraising him without access to all the nside?facts as God knows them, would impose a question-mark over his fruitfulness. William Carey (1761?834) is a representative example, for during his first seven years in India, 1793?800, he labored without a convert.12 Later, many became Christians. Any careful study of what is known about Carey attitude and service during those seven seemingly blank years will reveal that his life was quite fruitful, though it is true that for a time he was not successful and fruitful in terms of one specific area onverts .13 It is a happy possibility, however, that fruitfulness and outward success in given areas may come together, and often do. But this may not necessarily be so since they are not strict equivalents.
Sensationalism. Others virtually equal fruitfulness with the sensational. The dashing missionary is more likely to rally some to his support. Some who respond to the sparkling personality may do so with very God-centered attitudes, while others, lacking wise criteria, may choose whom they prefer to follow on the shallow basis of fleshly values. Christian service, to some, seems to be comparable to a blast of dynamite. It has to go off with a loud noise before it can be labeled
BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 61
effective and fruitful. Actually, however, many ministries for Christ are comparatively nondramatic. Take, for example, working in a nursery program, teaching a small children what class, or office tasks like stuffing envelopes for mailing.14 One Christian primary involvement