Bible Study with the Cincotti's - Fruit - 05/30/2021

 Today's Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti. 05/30/2021

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Fruit

 

Fruit seems to be important in God’s economy.

         It’s first mentioned in Gen 1:11, created on day three

         In 1:28, God blessed the man and the woman and said,

                  “be fruitful and multiply”

         And in Gen. 2:16&17, implying it’s fruit, God said to Adam,              “Of every three of the garden you may freely eat; but of                            the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not                           eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”          

 

         The word in Hebrew is “peree” (phonetically) and can also       be translated “reward”, Psa. 58:11, and Psa. 127:3

 

Botanically, the difference between fruits and vegetables is that  fruit contains seeds and come from the flower of a plant.

 

The fruit Eve took to eat, in Gen. 3 was not said to be an apple. Confusion about that occurred with the translation of the Latin Vulgate in the 4 cen. The word for apple and evil are similar.

 

Four fruits are frequently mentioned in the Bible; figs, grapes, olives,, and pomegranates, and there are 63 verses about fruit.

 

God may be trying to tell us something.

 

One usage refers to, “the fruit of the womb” as in off spring, or progeny.

         This was very important in Semitic culture, and Psa 127 tells us that, “children are a heritage from the LORD” and “Happy is the man who has a full quiver.”

We certainly see, however, how God uses the “barren womb” as a powerful theme through out Scripture.

 

As important as progeny, and heritage are in the Biblical narrative, it seems that God is pointing to something more important.

 

Jesus said, in Jn. 15:8, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

 

We may draw out two possibilities for the value of fruit bearing:

 

          1) Winning souls

                     Prov. 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.”

 

          I emphasize soul winning in regard to fruit bearing because the Gen. 1:11 account of fruit says, “the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself…”

 

God is not interested in temporal fruit, but in Jn. 15:16, Jesus goes on the say, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains...”

 

Isa. 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news...Who proclaims salvation.”

 

2) Righteous living.

          Gal. 5:22, “the fruit of the Spirit is…”

We could read that as, “the out pouring, or over flow, or produce of the Spirit filled life is…”

 

          In Matt. 7:17-19, Jesus is speaking of “every good tree bears good fruit…” the implication is righteous living.

          In Matt. 13, the “Parable of the Sower” could be interpreted either way.

          Heb. 12:11, speaks of God’s chastening bringing forth “peaceable fruit”.

 

Interesting:

          In Greek, the word for fruit is “karpos” St 2590, from the base of G726; fruit (as plucked) “harpazo” which means “caught up”  as in rapture, and  Matt. 11:12, “and the violent take it by force.”