Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 125:497 (Jan 1968)
Article: Fruit in the New Testament
Author: James E. Rosscup

BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 56

Fruit in the New Testament

James E. Rosscup

[James E. Rosscup, Chairman of Bible Department, Talbot Theological Seminary, La Mirada, California.]

Christians are always talking about “fruit,” yet few bother to define it very carefully. This is unfortunate, since it is the very product of life itself, what life is all about. The servant of Christ who will settle for nothing less than a life of highest fulfillment sees in it momentous possibilities. This is true whatever his sphere of service. He may be a fascinating evangelist who sways crowds to action, a businessman faced with decisions of ethics in a “dog-eat-dog” world, a housewife slaving over a sink of dirty dishes, or a student confronted by the compromise and confusion of unsound philosophies about life. Regardless of his niche, fruit has moment-by-moment relevance.

Scripture itself uses the concept of fruit with a frequency that is impressive. The main Old Testament word, peri, appears not less than 106 times, and Young lists eleven other Hebrew words which denote various aspects of meaning relating to fruit.1 Karpos, the chief New Testament word, occurs about 66 times, and there are other terms such as genēma and Orora. Then related variations exist, like akarpos (unfruitful). The significance of fruit in the thinking of New Testament writers becomes apparent when one finds that 24 of the 27 books refer to the idea in some clear way.2

God has reminded man of fruit through plants about him as well as “the fruit of the womb” (Gen 30:2; Ps 127:3). His first mandate after creation concerns the command to be fruitful (Gen 1:28), and the last chapter in the Bible

BSac 125:497 (Jan 68) p. 57

pictures the tree of life “which bare twelve (manner of) fruits” (Rev 22:2). The predominant type of life God selected for Israel—the agricultural—illustrated to them daily that fruit is the effect of life.3 Bible writers, profoundly impressed by the object lesson, capitalized upon it to draw vivid analogies between natural fruit and spiritual fruit. Highlight chapters are Psalm 1, Isaiah 5, John 15, and You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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