My Big Fat Greek Post

I had my first post-marriage date with God on Sunday. It was a refreshing time. I ended up in Galations 5:22-23, studying the fruits of the Spirit. I wanted to know if there are really nine of them in the original translation, so I consulted my Greek New Testament, a Christmas gift from my wonderful husband. In looking at the Greek, I found out some interesting elements of the fruits of the Spirit. There are two words that can both be translated into English as goodness or kindness, agathosunae and chrestotes. I wondered how these two words differ. What I found in the dictionary lead me to write the following. Most of it comes directly from the definitions of the word and related words found in my Oxford Greek dictionary (the words in bold) but some tidbits I filled in on my own.

What is "kindness" (agathosunae)?
Kindness is community justice.
It consists of those who stand side by side and realize that they have the wealth and power of God and who by birthright are His noble men and women called to act bravely, morally and rightly to all those they stand together with.

What is "goodness" (chrestotes)?
Goodness is the Heavenly City.
Goodness consists of useful, honest, worthy, trustworthy and beneficent citizens who furnish what is needed in their city, including needed answers from the heavens through bold proclamation, whether warning or direction, and who consult the heavens to furnish the needed answer. It consists of citizens lending, giving and borrowing among themselves as needed. It consists of citizens who use items as needed, who are endowed with what they need, who indulge in the things of God, who experience and suffer, who are subject to God, who live under His name, who treat each other fairly, who are wont to be themselves but want for nothing, yet who need, yearn after and are used by God.

No wonder Jesus said who is good but God.
~Shannon