Wednesdays Words

GOODNESS

 

This is the sixth word in our look at the ‘Fruit of The Spirit” text from Galatians 5:22 and 23.

 

GOODNESS is the English word for three Greek words.

 

1.       AGATHOS – that which is good on character, therefore good in it’s effect; beneficial; morally upright; honorable.  It is used of physical things (Matthew 7:17 – “A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit.”(NLT); of God (Matthew 19:17 - "Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "Only God is good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments."(NLT); of people (Matthew 20:15 – “Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?”(NLT); and in general (Matthew 5:45 – “In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too.”(NLT)

2.     KALOS – That which is good to it’s very core; well adapted in circumstances; ethically good, honorable and right.  AGATHOS and KALOS are used together in Luke 8:15 (“But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.”) with KALOS being the attitude and AGATHOS being the action.

3.     CHRESTOS – That which is pleasant; kindly; gracious; easy.  The term “easy going” is derived from this.

 

Webster’s College Dictionary, 4th edition defines goodness as “the state or quality of being good; specifically – virtue, excellence, kindness, generosity, benevolence; and the best part, essence or valuable element of a thing.

 

GOODNESS. In some places kindness seems more especially meant; e.g., "the earth is full of the goodness [NASB, lovingkindness; NIV, "unfailing love"] of the Lord" (<Ps. 33:5>, KJV). In others it expresses the supreme benevolence, holiness, and excellence of the divine character, the sum of all God's attributes. "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you" <Exo. 33:19>. In common use goodness is the opposite of badness, the quality of character that makes its possessor lovable; excellence more particularly of a religious kind, virtue, righteousness.  (from New Unger's Bible Dictionary,  originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois.  Copyright (C) 1988.)