The Fruit of the Spirit is Love
The word for love in Galatians 5:22 is agapē. In the Greek speaking world of New Testament times there were three words used for love: 1) eros This refers to erotic or sexual love (it’s not used in the NT but is common in Greek literature of the time) 2) phileo That is used in reference to close relationships one has with a friend or family member. It is very common in the NT and extrabiblical literature. 3) agapao (and its cognate agapē) It is rarely used in extrabiblical Greek. It was used by believers to denote the special unconditional love of God 1 [1] Lanier, D. (2003). Love. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen & T. C. Butler, Ed.) (1054). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. God expressed agapē love for us when He responded to our sin with His plan for our s...