How Many Fruits of the Spirit Are There?

Most Bibles count nine fruits of the Spirit, all in one passage: Galatians 5:22-23. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Catholic tradition lists twelve. And here's the catch most people miss: Paul actually wrote "fruit," singular, not "fruits."

So if you've counted on your fingers and landed on nine, you counted right. But the number is only half the story, and the one word Paul chose quietly changes how the whole thing works. Let's walk it.

What are the nine fruits of the Spirit?

Here are all nine, in the order Paul lists them, with a one-line read on each:

1. Love. Self-giving love (Greek: agape) that wants the best for others, modeled on God's love for us.
2. Joy. A settled gladness rooted in God, deeper than circumstances or mood.
3. Peace. Wholeness and calm that come from being right with God, not from an easy life.
4. Patience. The NIV calls it forbearance: staying steady with people and with God's timing.
5. Kindness. Practical goodness shown to others, even when they haven't earned it.
6. Goodness. Moral character that does the right thing when no one is watching.
7. Faithfulness. Reliability and loyalty, keeping your word the way God keeps His.
8. Gentleness. Strength under control, power that stays tender.
9. Self-control. The ability to say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit.

If you want a deeper look at each one, we break them down in our complete guide to the fruit of the Spirit.

Where does the Bible list the fruit of the Spirit?

All nine show up in one passage, Galatians 5:22-23, near the end of a letter Paul wrote to churches drifting back into rule-keeping instead of resting in God's grace. He has just described the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), and he sets the fruit of the Spirit directly against them.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

Context matters here. A few verses earlier Paul gives the command the whole list hangs on:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16 (NIV)

And he closes the thought like this:

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

That framing is everything. The fruit isn't a checklist you grind out by willpower. It's what grows in a life that stays close to God's Spirit. If you're fuzzy on who that Spirit even is, it's worth reading who the Holy Spirit actually is before you try to grow His fruit.

Is it "fruit" or "fruits" of the Spirit?

Technically, it's fruit. Singular. Paul wrote one word (the Greek karpos) and kept it singular even though he lists nine qualities after it. That's not a grammar accident. He's making a point: this is one fruit with nine traits, not nine separate prizes you collect one at a time.

Think of it like a single cluster of grapes, not nine different fruits in a bowl. You don't get to be loving but not patient, or joyful but not gentle. They grow together, from the same root, as one work of the Spirit. Jesus used the same picture:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NIV)

Branches don't strain to produce grapes. They stay connected and the fruit comes. That's the whole logic, and it's also the purpose behind the fruit of the Spirit: it's evidence that you're abiding, not a trophy for trying harder.

Why does the Catholic tradition count twelve?

If you grew up Catholic, you may have learned twelve fruits, not nine. Both are reading the same passage; the difference comes from translation. The Latin Vulgate, the Bible the Western church used for centuries, rendered Galatians 5:22-23 with twelve qualities, adding generosity, modesty, and chastity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church follows that list: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

Modern translations like the NIV go back to the older Greek manuscripts, which name nine. So it isn't a contradiction, just a longer and a shorter way of grouping the same character. Nine is what most Protestant Bibles list today.

Fruit of the Spirit vs. gifts of the Spirit: what's the difference?

People mix these up constantly. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) is about character, who you're becoming. The gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) are about ability, what the Spirit empowers you to do, like teaching, serving, or encouragement. Every believer is meant to grow all nine fruits, while the gifts are handed out differently across the church. The gifts show what the Spirit does through you; the fruit shows what He's doing in you. The fruit is the bigger deal, because you can have gifts without love, but never the Spirit's fruit without it.

How do you grow the fruit of the Spirit?

Short answer: you don't, not directly. You can't squeeze patience out of yourself any more than a branch can squeeze out grapes. What you can do is stay connected to the source: time in the Word, honest prayer, confession, real community, and obedience in the small things. The fruit follows the relationship, every time.

There's a reason we put scripture on tees in the first place: a verse you wear is a verse you remember, and a reminder you carry into the room. The SPIRIT tee was made for exactly this season of growth, a quiet daily nudge to keep in step with the Spirit. Wear it to share it: someone asks what it means, and you get to talk about the One actually growing the fruit. You'll find it alongside our other bible verse t-shirts if a different verse fits where you are right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fruits of the Spirit are there?

There are nine fruits of the Spirit in most Bibles, all listed together in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Catholic tradition counts twelve, because the older Latin Vulgate translation added three more (longsuffering, modesty, and chastity). Either way, they describe the same Spirit-grown character. If you are reading a modern translation like the NIV, you will find nine.

What are the nine fruits of the Spirit in order?

In the order Paul lists them in Galatians 5:22-23, the nine fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience (the NIV calls it forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul puts love first on purpose, since the other eight tend to flow out of it. Together they paint a picture of Christlike character that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer over time.

Is it fruit or fruits of the Spirit?

In the original Greek it is fruit, singular. Paul used one word (karpos) and kept it singular even while listing nine qualities. The point is that this is one fruit with nine traits, not nine separate items you collect one by one. They grow together from the same root, like a single cluster of grapes. So fruit of the Spirit is the more accurate phrase, even though many people say fruits out of habit.

Why does the Catholic Church list twelve fruits of the Spirit?

The Catholic tradition follows the Latin Vulgate translation of Galatians 5:22-23, which lists twelve qualities instead of nine. It adds generosity, modesty, and chastity to the list. The Catechism of the Catholic Church names them as charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. Modern translations like the NIV follow the older Greek manuscripts, which name nine. It is the same passage grouped two slightly different ways.

What is the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit?

The fruit of the Spirit, from Galatians 5, is about character: who you are becoming. The gifts of the Spirit, from 1 Corinthians 12, are about ability: what the Spirit empowers you to do, such as teaching or serving. Every believer is meant to grow all nine fruits, while the gifts are given differently across the church. The gifts show what the Spirit does through you, and the fruit shows what He is doing in you.

What is the first fruit of the Spirit?

Love is the first fruit of the Spirit. Paul lists it ahead of the other eight in Galatians 5:22, and that order seems intentional. The Greek word is agape, a self-giving love that seeks the good of others the way God loves us. In a real sense the other fruits are love in action: joy, peace, patience, kindness, and the rest are what love looks like when the Holy Spirit grows it in everyday life.