NOTES for Gal 5:22-23

The apostle Paul writes in Galatians not so much about discerning spirits as about the fact that every Christian is called to live by the Holy Spirit. St. Seraphim of Sarov calls the acquisition of Him the goal of our life. And in these words of the apostle we read about simple and understandable things whose presence can indicate that the direction toward this goal has been chosen rightly. Both in the context of Paul's letters and in the context of contemporary life, it is important that the apostle does not include in this list what in the letter to the Corinthians he calls gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here he speaks precisely about what should testify to the action of the Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian; extraordinary gifts, according to the apostle's teaching, are not obligatory for all. Therefore there is no mention here of the "gift of tongues," of mystical illuminations, or of artistic inspiration. Nor is there any mention of emotional experiences, which are changeable and not obligatory.

The apostle speaks, in essence, of very simple things that, when we meet them in people, we usually attribute to pleasantness of character. In reality this is not so: only the Spirit of God can bring all this to birth in human hearts, and this is important for understanding the ways of the Lord. The fruits of the Holy Spirit's action listed by Paul have several common traits. First, they are not traits of character, but everything listed requires an effort of the will. Even joy, which requires the ability to give importance to what is good, needs the help of the will. Still more are efforts needed for faith, patience, and the other things listed. Second, all these things are very practical: one can check one's heart by this list when preparing for confession. In addition, one can consciously strive for what is listed. It is clear that only the Lord can fulfill this striving, and we ourselves are powerless to attain anything of what the apostle speaks about. But without our will, hardly anything can happen.

It is also very important for the apostle that acquiring these fruits of the Holy Spirit frees us from slavery to the law. Indeed, if a person labors in order to bear these fruits for God, he simply cannot do anything unlawful. The law is thus fulfilled by itself, while the efforts of the will are directed not toward fulfilling it but toward God. In this, for the apostle, lies the radical difference between the New Covenant and the Old.