Key Arguments

• Augustine states he has learned from God to distinguish between gift and fruit: "From you, my God, I have learnt to distinguish between gift and fruit."
• He defines ‘gift’ as the outward material or practical help: "A gift is the object given by the person who is sharing in these necessaries such as money, food, drink, clothing, a roof, assistance generally."
• He defines ‘fruit’ as the inward will of the giver: "Fruit, however, is the good and right will of the giver."
• He appeals to Christ’s teaching about receiving a prophet or righteous person ‘in the name of’ that person, and giving water ‘in the name of a disciple’, to show that the intention conditions the reward: "The good Master has said not only ‘he who receives a prophet’ but also adds ‘in the name of a prophet’. He does not speak only of him who ‘receives a righteous person’, but adds ‘in the name of a righteous person’." … "So the gift is to receive a prophet, to receive a righteous person, to offer a cup of cold water to a disciple. But the fruit is the intention to do this ‘in the name of a prophet, in the name of a righteous person, in the name of a disciple’."
• He illustrates by Elijah: the widow’s feeding of Elijah counts as fruit because of her conscious recognition of him as a man of God: "It was fruit when Elijah was fed by a widow because she knew she was feeding a man of God, and fed him with that intention."
• By contrast, when ravens fed Elijah, there was no inner intention; this was only a gift, nourishing only the outward man, not the ‘inward Elijah’: "But when he was fed by a raven that was only a gift. For the inward Elijah was not being fed but the outward man who, though a man of God, could starve for lack of food (1 Kgs. 17: 4–18)."

Source Quotes

We can be sure of this, because he goes on to say: ‘Not that I seek a gift but I look for fruit’. From you, my God, I have learnt to distinguish between gift and fruit. A gift is the object given by the person who is sharing in these necessaries such as money, food, drink, clothing, a roof, assistance generally.

From you, my God, I have learnt to distinguish between gift and fruit. A gift is the object given by the person who is sharing in these necessaries such as money, food, drink, clothing, a roof, assistance generally. Fruit, however, is the good and right will of the giver.32 The good Master has said not only ‘he who receives a prophet’ but also adds ‘in the name of a prophet’.

A gift is the object given by the person who is sharing in these necessaries such as money, food, drink, clothing, a roof, assistance generally. Fruit, however, is the good and right will of the giver.32 The good Master has said not only ‘he who receives a prophet’ but also adds ‘in the name of a prophet’. He does not speak only of him who ‘receives a righteous person’, but adds ‘in the name of a righteous person’.

10: 41–2). So the gift is to receive a prophet, to receive a righteous person, to offer a cup of cold water to a disciple. But the fruit is the intention to do this ‘in the name of a prophet, in the name of a righteous person, in the name of a disciple’. It was fruit when Elijah was fed by a widow because she knew she was feeding a man of God, and fed him with that intention.

But the fruit is the intention to do this ‘in the name of a prophet, in the name of a righteous person, in the name of a disciple’. It was fruit when Elijah was fed by a widow because she knew she was feeding a man of God, and fed him with that intention. But when he was fed by a raven that was only a gift.

It was fruit when Elijah was fed by a widow because she knew she was feeding a man of God, and fed him with that intention. But when he was fed by a raven that was only a gift. For the inward Elijah was not being fed but the outward man who, though a man of God, could starve for lack of food (1 Kgs. 17: 4–18). xxvii (42) On this ground Lord, I will make an affirmation which is true before you. We believe that ‘fish and whales’ symbolize the sacraments of initiation and miraculous wonders necessary to initiate and convert ‘uninstructed and unbelieving people’ (1 Cor.

Key Concepts

• From you, my God, I have learnt to distinguish between gift and fruit.
• A gift is the object given by the person who is sharing in these necessaries such as money, food, drink, clothing, a roof, assistance generally.
• Fruit, however, is the good and right will of the giver.
• So the gift is to receive a prophet, to receive a righteous person, to offer a cup of cold water to a disciple. But the fruit is the intention to do this ‘in the name of a prophet, in the name of a righteous person, in the name of a disciple’.
• It was fruit when Elijah was fed by a widow because she knew she was feeding a man of God, and fed him with that intention.
• But when he was fed by a raven that was only a gift. For the inward Elijah was not being fed but the outward man who, though a man of God, could starve for lack of food (1 Kgs. 17: 4–18).

Context

Book XIII, xxvi (41): While commenting on Paul’s joy over the Philippians’ generosity, Augustine introduces a precise ethical distinction between ‘gift’ and ‘fruit’, grounded in Christ’s words about receiving prophets and disciples and illustrated by Elijah’s two kinds of provision.