Warm goodwill
to others
Colossians 3:1-15
"... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience." (v.12)
The fifth virtue listed in the fruit of the Spirit is kindness. The
King James Version uses the word "gentleness" but there is little
doubt that "kindness" is a more faithful translation of the
original Greek word -- chrestotes. "Kindness" is a very beautiful
word; it means "a kindly disposition, or warm goodwill toward
others."One commentator says that if you wanted to express
Christianity in one English word, you would use the word
"kindness." To speak, for example, of an "unkind Christian" is
almost a contradiction in terms. There is some evidence that in the
early centuries of the Church, non-Christians used the words
"kindly" and "Christian" as synonyms. Tertullian, one of the Church
Fathers, said, "The words were so allied in meaning that no harm
was done by the confusion."
I once asked a church youth group, if I had the power to give them
just eight of the fruit instead of nine, which one would they be
willing to do without. Almost everyone in the group said
"kindness." When I asked why, they explained that for them, the
word conjured up a picture of weakness and sentimentality. I told
the group that they were obviously unaware of the true meaning of
the word "kindness," and that a kindly disposition does not
necessarily mean maudlin sentimentality. So let's be quite clear
what we are talking about when we use this word: kindness is a
supernatural virtue endowed upon us by the Holy Spirit, engendering
within us a warm goodwill to others. How much of it, I wonder, will
flow out to others today from you and me?
For Further Study
Rom. 12:1-10; 1 Cor. 13:4; Eph. 4:32
1. What was Paul's exhortation to the Romans?
2. What does "compassionate" mean?
