Are There Nine or Twelve Fruit of the Spirit?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that there are twelve fruit(s) of the Spirit (CCC 1832). It references that claim to the Scriptural text of Galatians 5:22–23. But that Biblical text seems to only lists nine fruit.

Has the Catechism made a mistake?

1. Fruit or Fruits?

The text of Galatians 5:22 raises an immediate translation issue involving the word “fruit.”

English: “The fruit of the Spirit is…” (Galatians 5:22)

Greek:    “ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματός ἐστιν…” (Greek text)

Latin:      “Fructus autem Spiritus est…” (Latin text)

English writers variously refer to “fruit” (singular) or “fruits” (plural). For example, the Bible translation above is singular, but the Catechism refers to a plural:

The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us… (CCC 1832)

The correct translation of the Greek is the singular “fruit.” This is because the Greek (καρπὸς) is a second declension noun, which is singular. However, clarity was lost when the Greek was translated into Latin. This is because the Latin word fructus is a fourth declension noun, where the difference between singular (frūctus) and plural (frūctūs) was an oral pronunciation. This meant that in the (unaccented) Latin text of the Bible, the word fructus could be read as fruit (singular) or fruits (plural).

Taking the Greek as determining the issue, the rest of this article will refer to “fruit” (singular).

2. Translations of Galatians 5:22–23

Galatians 5:22–23 begins by informing us that “the fruit of the Spirit is…” How that sentence continues depends upon whether it is being translated directly from the Greek, or from the old Latin Vulgate.

According to translations from the Greek, “the fruit of the Spirit is…”

“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (King James Version), or

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Revised New American Bible), or

“love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (New International Version).

According to translations from the old Latin Vulgate, “the fruit of the Spirit is…”

“charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity” (Douay-Rheims Translation), or

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, forbearance, gentleness, faith, courtesy, temperateness, purity” (Knox Translation).

Translations directly from the Greek list nine words. Translations from the Latin list twelve words. This suggests that the question of whether there are nine or twelve fruit depends, to some extent, on whether the Greek or Latin version of the text is given priority.

3. Differences Between Latin Versions

However, there is a complexity in the Latin.

The Catechism references its claim that there are twelve fruit as follows:

[footnote] 112: Gal 5:22–23 (Vulg.). (CCC 1832)

This reference to the Latin Vulgate is potentially misleading, as a new version of the Vulgate was published in 1979 (i.e., the Nova Vulgata). This was occasioned by the fact that the last major revision of the Vulgate had been in 1592 (i.e., the Sixto-Clementine Vulgate). Since then, new archaeological and textual discoveries had occurred, and the text of the Vulgate needed updating to reflect their implications.

One of the changes in the New Vulgate is that Galatians 5:22–23 no longer lists twelve fruit of the Spirit. Now, it lists only nine:

Since 1979, the words patientia (patience), modestia (modesty) and castitas (chastity) no longer appear in the (new) Vulgate text of St. Paul’s list of the “fruit of the Spirit.” This means that when the 1992 Catechism cites the Vulgate, it is referring to the “old” (i.e., pre-1979) Vulgate.

However, this brings us back to the question which we began with. If the Catechism states that there are twelve fruit and it references that claim to a Scriptural text, which in the most recent (Latin) edition of the Church’s official Bible now only lists nine fruit, then is the Catechism making an erroneous claim?

4. Comparing the Greek and Latin

The table below contains the Greek and Latin words used to describe the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23. It also includes the words used in the English edition of the 1992 Catechism (CCC 1832).

There is a minor complexity in that some Greek manuscripts record a tenth fruit of “chastity” (ἁγνεία), but that is probably due to a reverse influence from the Latin Vulgate. (For details, see “Galatians 5:22-23: Have We Lost Some Fruit?”).

The reason why there are nine Greek words and twelve Latin (and English) words is that when the Greek text was translated into Latin, some Greek words were rendered with two Latin words.

For example, in line 4 the Greek word makrothumia (patience) can be understood as both an “acute” immediate patience (i.e., not getting upset “now”) or as a “chronic” patience which does not get ground down over time (i.e., as a long-sufferingness). To capture both senses, Latin used two words: patientia and longanimitas.

We can see a similar occurrence in line 7 where the Greek word prautes (gentleness) is understood as the gentleness of actions which a servant might portray, as well as a gentleness in self-portrayal, like a modest humility or meekness. To capture both senses Latin uses the words mansuetudo and modestia.

A similar doubling occurs in line 9 where the Greek word enkrateia (self-control) is understood as both the general idea of self-control (e.g., temperance), and the particular idea of sexual self-control (chastity). Latin captures both senses with the words continentia and castitas.

This means that although there are nine Greek words and twelve Latin words, the overall conceptual content of the words is not necessarily different. Sometimes it just takes more words to make the same point in different languages.

5. Explaining the Fruit in English

We can see the potential need for more words when we try to explain the Greek fruit of the Spirit in English. (The Greek words below are hyperlinked to a Biblical concordance so their meaning can be seen in contexts of Biblical usage.)

1. Agape is often thought of as a selfless preferring. But there are subtly different ideas involved in selfless giving to the needy (i.e., charity), and in selfless support of the rich who might not need charitable donations (i.e., love). Similarly a selfless love of an indifferent neighbor is different to a selfless love of an enemy, where forgiveness is also necessary. This means that translating agape into English could well involve distinguishing (at least) four distinct ideas. Should those differing ideas be thought of as differing fruit?

2. Chara is generally translated as “joy.” But (arguably) there are important differences between episodic feelings of joy (or happiness?) which come and go; and an enduring state of joy, such as a life-contentment. So, perhaps these two different ideas of joy should be thought of as two fruit, rather than one fruit?

3. Eirene is generally translated as “peace.” But there are differences between a physiological peace from a stressful job (i.e., rest), and a psychological peace from worries and guilt. Arguably the peace that the Spirit gives encompasses both ideas, but individual Christians may experience one, without the other. So the question arises again: two fruit or one fruit?

4. Makrothumia is already rendered by two (Latin) concepts of patience and long-sufferingness (see Section 4). And so again the question arises: one fruit or two fruit?

5. Chrestotes is usually translated as “kindness” but it can encompass a range of linked ideas from a general “goodness” to a particular kindness. Kindness itself can involve social kindness (e.g., manners, politeness), as well as a moral kindness which can be thought of as a “tough love.” So, is chrestotes one fruit or several fruit?

6. Agathosune is usually translated as “goodness.” But goodness can encompass at least two very different ideas: a moral excellence (i.e., being good) and a rule following (i.e., doing good).

7. Prautes is already rendered by two (Latin) concepts of gentleness and modesty (see Section 4).

8. Pistis means “faith” or “faithfulness” (as it is usually rendered in the context of the fruit of the Spirit). Faith can be understood in at least three very different ways: as an intellectual belief, as a spiritual trusting or as a psychological appreciation (see “Faith and Safety: Balancing Faith and Reason?”).

9. Enkrateia is already rendered by two (Latin) concepts of self-control and chastity (see Section 4).

This simple overview of “fruit of the Spirit” indicates that the nine Greek words can involve up to twenty different English ideas, as we drill down to better understand the implications. Does that mean that there are nine fruit in Greek and twenty fruit in English (and twelve fruit in Latin)?

Or perhaps it suggests that we are missing the point, when we try to explain the “fruit of the Spirit” as constituting a specific number?

6. Could There Be More Than Nine or Twelve Fruit?

There are hints in the writings of St. Paul that there could well be more than nine or twelve fruit of the Spirit.

For example, St. Paul refers to differing lists of spiritual gifts. He cites seven examples to the Romans (Romans 12:6–8) and he cites five examples to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:11). He also cites eight examples towards the end of his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12:28–30).

These lists differ in content and in length. This shows that they are lists of examples, rather than attempts to definitively record an accurate enumeration. If St. Paul only gives (incomplete) lists of examples of “spiritual gifts,” then perhaps his list of “fruit” is just a list of (incomplete) examples too?

A possible answer to that question might be visible in St. Paul’s first list of nine spiritual gifts in his letter to the Corinthians:

To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge… to another faith… to another gifts of healing… to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:8–10)

Amongst the nine gifts, listed in this passage, is “faith” (pistis) (see Greek, English version). The word “faith” also occurs in the list of fruit in Galatians 5:22–23. This shows that there is an overlap between “spiritual gifts” and “fruit of the Spirit.” It raises the question whether other “spiritual gifts” might not also be “fruit of the Spirit?” If that is so, then it is clearly not accurate to claim that St. Paul states that there are nine (or twelve) fruit of the Spirit.

This point was realized a thousand years ago, by St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274), who stated:

[St Paul] had no intention of teaching us how many (fruit) there are… Hence either more or fewer fruit might have been mentioned. (Summa Theologiae 1-2, Q.70, a.3, ad.4)

7. What Does It All Mean

Due to different translations of the Bible, there are different enumerations of the fruit of the Spirit. This is because translation is complicated, and rendering a list in a different language may require more words than the original language used. This means that any attempt to pin matters down to a crude count of whether there are nine or twelve (or more) fruit of the Spirit, is a misguided confusion which misunderstands the very nature of translation.

It also leads to potentially confusing inconsistencies. We can see an example of this in the way that different sections of the Catechism records both nine and twelve “fruit of the Spirit”:

Nine Fruit: “He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear “the fruit of the Spirit: … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (CCC 736)

Twelve Fruit: “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us… The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.’” (CCC1832)

If even the Catechism is struggling to express the matter consistently, then perhaps the time has come to stop trying to list a specific number of “fruit of the Spirit?”

Perhaps it is more important to understand the ideas within the concept of “fruit of the Spirit,” rather than trying to explain the concept through an artificial filter which (potentially misleadingly) insists on their being nine or twelve fruit of the Spirit?