Augustine of Hippo : He put fornication at the head of carnal vices and love at the head of spiritual virtues. Anyone who takes pains in the study of divine Scripture will be prompted to inquire attentively into the rest. Fornication is love divorced from legitimate wedlock. It roves everywhere in search of an opportunity to fulfill its lust. Yet nothing is so rightly suited for spiritual procreation as the union of the soul with God. The more firmly it adheres, the more blameless it is. Love is what enables it to cleave. Rightly then the opposite of fornication is love. It is the sole means by which chastity is preserved. Now impure acts come from all those disturbances produced from the lust to fornicate, to which the joy of tranquillity is opposed. And bondage to idolatry is the ultimate fornication of the soul. A most furious war is waged against the gospel and against those who have been reconciled to God. The remnants of fornication, though long lukewarm, can nonetheless still be rekindled. The contrary of this war is the peace by which we are reconciled to God. When the same peace of God is maintained toward humans, the vices of poisonings, enmity, strife, deceit, animosity and dissension are healed among us, so others among us may be treated with due moderation. Forbearance fights to endure these vices, kindness to assuage them and goodness to forgive them. Furthermore, faith struggles against heresy, meekness against envy, continence against drunkenness and gluttony. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 51 [1B.5.22-23] Clement of Alexandria : "But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh," counsels the apostolic command; "for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These, then, are contrary" (not as good to evil, but as fighting advantageously), he adds therefore, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are, fornication uncleanness, profligacy, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, strifes, jealousies, wrath, contentions, dissensions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I tell you before, as I have also said before, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, temperance, goodness, faith, meekness." He calls sinners, as I think, "flesh," and the righteous "spirit." — The Stromata Book 4 Hippolytus of Rome : And the fruits of Egypt are wasted, that is, the works of the flesh, but not the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, and peace. — Hippolytus Exegetical Fragments Irenaeus : And then, again, he proceeds to tell us the spiritual actions which vivify a man, that is, the engrafting of the Spirit; thus saying, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, benignity, faith, meekness, continence, chastity: against these there is no law." As, therefore, he who has gone forward to the better things, and has brought forth the fruit of the Spirit, is saved altogether because of the communion of the Spirit; so also he who has continued in the aforesaid works of the flesh, being truly reckoned as carnal, because he did not receive the Spirit of God, shall not have power to inherit the kingdom of heaven. — Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 5 Jerome : He has spoken elegantly by allotting works to the flesh and fruits to the Spirit. Vices come to nothing and perish in themselves. Virtues multiply and abound in fruit. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 3.5.22 Jerome : What deserves to hold the first place among the fruits of the Spirit if not love? Without love other virtues are not reckoned to be virtues. From love is born all that is good. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 3.5.22 Jerome : By joy people mean an elation of mind over things that are worthy of exultation, whereas gaiety is an undisciplined elation of mind which knows no moderation.… We should not suppose that peace is limited to not quarreling with others. Rather the peace of Christ—that is, our inheritance—is with us when the mind is at peace and undisturbed by conflicting emotions. Among the "fruits of the Spirit" faith holds the seventh and sacred place, being elsewhere one of three—"faith, hope and love." Nor is it remarkable that hope is not included in this catalog, since the object of hope is already included as a part of faith. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 3.5.22 Jerome : (Verse 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And what other should hold the chief place among the fruit of the Spirit, if not charity, without which the other virtues are not considered to be virtues, and from which all good things are born? Indeed, both in the Law and in the Gospel, it holds the first place: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). How abundantly charity is filled with goods, and above we have briefly expressed, and now it may suffice to have said too little: that love seeks not what is its own, but what is another's. And although someone through their own fault may be an enemy to the one who loves them, and they may strive to stir up turmoil in their tranquility through waves of hatred, nevertheless that person is never disturbed: they never consider a creature of God worthy of hatred. For charity covers a multitude of sins. Moreover, what is said by Salvatore: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit (Matt, VII, 18), I believe is pronounced not so much about men as about the fruits of the flesh and the spirit: because neither can the spirit ever produce those vices that are enumerated in the works of the flesh; nor can the flesh overflow with those fruits that arise from the spirit. However, it can happen through the negligence of the possessor that the spirit, which dwells in a person, does not have its fruits; and conversely, the flesh, with its works mortified, ceases to sin. However, they do not always proceed to the point where the neglected tree produces the works of the flesh, and the cultivated tree bears spiritual fruits. In the second place of spiritual fruits, joy is placed: which the Stoics also, who distinguish more subtly, consider to be something different from happiness. For they say that joy is the exultation of the soul over things that are worthy of rejoicing: But they say that happiness is the unrestrained exultation of the soul, which knows no moderation, and even rejoices in things that are mixed with vice. Others in this region place their delight in pleasure: not the kind that excites the body to lust, titillates the senses, or caresses with sweet affection; but another kind, which without moderation and any charm of joy, exalts its voice in laughter. If this is true, and the distinction between their words is not deceiving and deceived, let us consider whether perhaps it is said for this reason: 'The wicked do not rejoice,' says the Lord (Isaiah 57:21). However, it should also be noted that after love, joy follows. For someone who loves another, always rejoices in their happiness. And if they see them deceived by some error and fallen into the slippery slope of sin, they will indeed feel sorrow and hasten to rescue them, but they cannot change joy into sadness, knowing that no rational creature can perish eternally before God. The third fruit of the spirit is peace, from which Solomon himself, who preceded Christ as a type, received his name. And the Psalmist sings about the Church: His place has become peaceful (Psalms 75:2). And in the eight blessings of the Gospel it is written: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). It is also sung in the first psalm of degrees: With those who hate peace, I was peaceful (Psalms 120:6). And we should not seek peace only in that, as if we are not quarreling about anything else: but then the peace of Christ, that is, our inheritance, is with us, if our tranquil mind is not disturbed by any passions. After peace comes longanimity, or patience: for both can be interpreted as long-suffering. Opposed to this is pusillanimity, of which it is written: 'The pusillanimous is exceedingly foolish; but he who is patient and endures all things is a wise man' (Ecclus, VII). And when a man is called very wise, he is also called longanimous, as it is written in Proverbs: 'A long-animous man is much in prudence' (Prov. XIV, 29). Benignity or kindness, because in Greek it signifies both, is a gentle virtue, soft, tranquil, and fit for the companionship of all good things; it invites to familiarity, it charms by its discourse, it is regulated by good manners. Finally, the Stoics define it as follows: Kindness is a virtue that is inclined to do good voluntarily. Goodness is not very different from kindness, because it also seems inclined to do good. But it differs in that goodness can be more serious and characterized by stern manners while still doing and providing what is required. However, it may not be pleasant to be around and attract everyone with its sweetness. The followers of Zeno also define it as follows: Goodness is a virtue that is beneficial, that is, a virtue from which utility arises, or a virtue for its own sake, or an emotion that is the source of utilities. Among the fruits of the Spirit, faith holds the seventh and most sacred place, which is also placed elsewhere among the three: hope, faith, and charity. It is not surprising that hope is not mentioned in this list, since it is in faith that what is hoped for is found. Thus, the Apostle, writing to the Hebrews, defines it: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). For what we hope for is coming but is not yet present, and through faith we possess it, hoping to hold onto what we believe. It is also asked how faith is placed in charity. The one who loves never considers themselves to be hurt: they suspect nothing except what they love and are loved by. But when love is far away, faith also departs. After faith, gentleness is counted, which is opposed to anger, quarrels, and disagreements. It is never provoked by its opposite, truly like a good tree of the Spirit, producing good fruits. Through this, the servant of God Moses deserved to receive the testimony of Scripture, which said: Moses was meek, more than all men on earth (Num. XII, 3). Above the earth, he said. Above those who saw God face to face, it could not be: for we are often compelled by the weakness of the flesh to do many things. Regarding David also, although many think that he prophesied about our Lord, which we also do not deny, the Holy Spirit sings in a figure of the coming one: Remember, O Lord, David, and all his meekness (Ps. 104:1). Whose meekness was most evident against Saul, Absalom, and Shimei (1 Samuel 24; 2 Samuel 15)? When one person wanted to kill him, another was plotting rebellion, and yet another was throwing stones at him and shouting: 'Leave, leave, wicked man!' (Ibid., XVI, 7). The highest level of self-control is found in the fruits of the spirit. This not only applies to chastity, but also to eating and drinking, and to anger and disturbances of the mind, and to the desire to gossip. The difference between moderation and self-control is that moderation is for those who have reached perfection and complete virtue, of whom the Savior says: 'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth' (Matthew 5:4). And about himself: Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart (Matth. XI, 29). Continence, however, is truly a virtue on the way, but has not yet reached the goal: because desires still arise in the mind of one who restrains himself, and they defile the mind's ruler, although they do not overcome him, nor drag the one who thinks into action. But not only in desires and desire is continence necessary, but also in the three remaining disturbances, namely, pain, joy, and fear. Against the fruits of such a spirit, there is no law. For the law is not laid down for the just, but for the unjust and disobedient, for the godless and sinful (1 Timothy 1:9). The law tells me: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, you shall not swear falsely (Exodus 20:12 ff): if I do not do all these things, with the fruit of the Spirit reigning in me through charity, the precepts of the law are unnecessary for me. Finally, the wise men of the world have such an opinion about philosophy that what public laws compel people to do out of necessity, philosophy persuades them to do willingly. — Commentary on Galatians John Chrysostom : He says not, "the work of the Spirit," but, "the fruit of the Spirit." Is the soul, however, superfluous? the flesh and the Spirit are mentioned, but where is the soul? is he discoursing of beings without a soul? for if the things of the flesh be evil, and those of the Spirit good, the soul must be superfluous. By no means, for the mastery of the passions belongs to her, and concerns her; and being placed amid vice and virtue, if she has used the body fitly, she has wrought it to be spiritual, but if she separate from the Spirit and give herself up to evil desires, she makes herself more earthly. You observe throughout that his discourse does not relate to the substance of the flesh, but to the moral choice, which is or is not vicious. And why does he say, "the fruit of the Spirit?" it is because evil works originate in ourselves alone, and therefore he calls them "works," but good works require not only our diligence but God's loving kindness. He places first the root of these good things, and then proceeds to recount them, in these words, "Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." For who would lay any command on him who hath all things within himself, and who hath love for the finished mistress of philosophy? As horses, who are docile and do every thing of their own accord, need not the lash, so neither does the soul, which by the Spirit hath attained to excellence, need the admonitions of the Law. Here too he completely and strikingly casts out the Law, not as bad, but as inferior to the philosophy given by the Spirit. — Homily on Galatians 5 Methodius of Olympus : The vine, and that not in a few places, refers to the Lord Himself, and the fig-tree to the Holy Spirit, as the Lord "maketh glad the hearts of men," and the Spirit healeth them. And therefore Hezekiah is commanded first to make a plaster with a lump of figs—that is, the fruit of the Spirit—that he may be healed—that is, according to the apostle—by love; for he says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;" which, on account of their great pleasantness, the prophet calls figs. — Methodius Discourse X. Domnina Oecumenius : He said "fruit" and not "work," in order to show that it needs the help of God in order to bear fruit. "of the Spirit." Concerning the same one of the Paraclete, or of the spiritual and virtuous life. "joy." To rejoice in God, to have a conscience. For such people rejoice. — Commentary on Galatians Pseudo-Clement : He in whomsoever the Spirit of God is, is in accord with the will of the Spirit of God; and, because he is in accord with the Spirit of God, therefore does he mortify the deeds of the body and live unto God, "treading down and subjugating the body and keeping it under; so that, while preaching to others," he may be a beautiful example and pattern to believers, and may spend his life in works which are worthy of the Holy Spirit, so that he may "not be cast away," [1 Corinthians 9:27] but may be approved before God and before men. For in "the man who is of God," [1 Timothy 6:11] with him I say there is nothing of the mind of the flesh; and especially in virgins of either sex; but the fruits of all of them are "the fruits of the Spirit" [Galatians 5:22] and of life, and they are truly the city of God, and the houses and temples in which God abides and dwells, and among which He walks, as in the holy city of heaven. — Two Epistles on Virginity