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Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
Author: Jeff Fritsche
The Aim: To consider together the Fruit of the Spirit of Gentleness
Passage: John 13:18-31
Study Questions:
- Building Community: Have each person share what you believe God has been doing in your life over the past 2 months. How is He changing you? How has the study of the Fruits of the Spirit encouraged you?
- When you hear the word gentleness what images come to mind? Who comes to mind when you think of gentleness? How might this be different for men and women?
- Read Matthew 11:25-30.
- What do you think Jesus means by “heavy-laden,” “rest,” “yoke” and “humble” in this passage?
- What burden do you need to give to Jesus today?
- What reason do you have to trust Jesus with your life?
- What are examples you can think of from the Bible where Jesus/God are gentle? How can you imitate His gentleness?
- Read 1 Thessalonians 2:5-12. Paul describes himself as gentle among the Thessalonians. Why did he need to be gentle? What do you imagine that looked like?
- Describe a time in your life when someone was gentle with you? Would you describe your family as gentle or harsh? How has the effected you?
- What would it look like for you to be gentle? What makes that easy or difficult?
Optional Leaders’ Helps:
In the Greek Old Testament “gentleness” usually signifies a humble disposition which submits to the divine will. In the New Testament “gentleness” is associated with love (1 Cor. 4:21), forbearance (2 Cor. 10:1; Tit. 3:2), patience and humility (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12), and peaceableness, that is, the capacity for “avoiding quarrels” (RSV, Titus 3:2). …Gentleness does not render one incapable of indignation as demonstrated by Jesus and by Paul. As an ethical grace in the believer’s life, “gentleness” may be described as a humble and pliable submission to God’s will which reflects itself in humility, patience, and forbearance towards others, regarding even insult and injury as God’s means of chastisement or training. (Fung, Ronald. NICNT The Epistle to the Galatians, p.270).
Other passages:
Philippians 2:1-18
1 Peter 3:13-18.
What does it look like to proclaim truth and be gentle?
Passage Study on Gentleness:
Proverbs 15:1 | |
Proverbs 14:29 | Proverbs 15:4 |
Proverbs 16:21 | Ephesians 4:29, 31-32 |
Proverbs 19:11 | Proverbs 22:24 |
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