Common Sense Commentary: My youngest son Robert Paul sent the following e-mail which inspired me to write this New Testament study of "Patience" (endurance/long suffering/perseverance). Suffering long with perseverance and "patience" IS ENDURANCE.
Robert wrote: Hi Dad, I love you and thoroughly enjoy the insights God has given you and appreciate that you share them through your blogs. Recently I was reading Luke 21 and verse 19 stood out, prompting a word study on "patience". I would love to get your insights on this. I believe the Greek word that Jesus used for patience (hupomone) in Luke 21:19 is the highest form of long suffering as agape love is the highest form of love. Hupomone patience is the highest form of endurance and long suffering (a fruit of the Spirit and comes only from faith, trials, experience .... Hupomone is not something you force yourself to have ... this patience is performed by God in our souls when we trust him completely ... when we have come to the end of ourselves in a trial and rest in Him ... when He finally answers a prayer and we realize we should have trusted Him all along (experience)... when we are at the end of our lives and hupomone (patience, endurance ... that only comes from God) carries us through the dark valley of the shadow of death. "In your patience (God given hupomone) possess ye your souls". It's what carries those through the devastation talked about there in Luke 21.
In this study I will use the Greek meaning of the word "patience" (hupomone) which is "Endurance" in place of the word "patience" itself. Many Old English words have changed meanings, somewhat, over the years. Many Greek words have no exact English counterpart ... sometimes requiring several English words to reflect one Greek word.
The first appearance in the New Testament where Jesus teaches us the meaning of "patience" is Luke 8:15=
(The seed planted) "on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (endurance)." The planting of all seed, including God's Word and human life, requires honest "labor, heart and long endurance to finally see the "fruit" which often arrives years later.
Luke 21:19= "In your endurance (patience) possess ye your souls." Endurance produces self control.
Rom.5:3-5= "...We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh endurance...." Tribulation ...is not as difficult and painful when we know that it is the only way to spiritual strength and endurance. Tribulation works ! It builds endurance which builds experience (Gk. dokime=proof) which builds HOPE ...which builds courage (unashamed) to witness because NOW "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts". (paraphrased in part).
Rom.8:25= "But if we hope for that which we see not then do we with endurance wait for it." Heb.11:1 says,..."Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen."
Rom.15:4 = "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through endurance and comfort of the scriptures might have HOPE." Read again Heb.11:1 just above .
Rom.15:5 = "Now the God of endurance and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus." Ours is THE GOD of endurance and the consolation which goes with it every time.
2Cor.6:4 = "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses..." Christian, prove yourself by "enduring tribulations " such as these.
2Cor.12:12 = "Truly the signs of an APOSTLE were wrought among you in all endurance , in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." Patience (endurance) is one of the "signs of an Apostle" we can all participate in.
Col.1:11 = "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all endurance and long suffering with joyfulness." By the omniPOTENT , "glorious power" of Jesus, a Christian can be "strengthened with all power unto endurance ... long suffering and joyfulness." It really depends on what you want in this life.
2Thess.1:4= The Apostle said, "We glory in you in the churches of God for your endurance ...and faith in all your tribulations which ye endure." Paul encouraged the Thessalonian Christians that they were a huge blessing to all other Christians because of their "endurance ...and faith " in facing much persecution there.
2Thess.3:5 = "And the Lord direct your hearts ... into the patient waiting for Christ." Be patient, persevere, ENDURE .... Christ WILL return and take us home.
2Thess.6:11 = "But thou O man of God .... follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, meekness." Walk the righteous, Christlike path of endurance, with Jesus, throughout the rest of your life.
Titus 2:2 = "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in endurance...."
Old age is no excuse for complaining, bitterness and self pity. The faith, love, gratitude and endurance of an aged Christian should be writ large upon their faces, words and attitudes. That and prayer is their ministry and testimony. They have nothing else left with which to serve God. I am only eighty so I have a lot to learn.
Heb.6:12 = "Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and endurance inherit the promises."
Associate yourself with mature and faithful Christians who walk with Jesus and thereby you will enjoy the benefits of His promises too..... "For you have need of endurance, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promises." Heb.10:36. How important it is for Christians to walk with the faithful, enduring Christians and with Jesus in the way He trod, that we might endure and grow in His grace.
Heb.12:1 = Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Let us forsake every weight and besetting sin which hinders our Christian walk with Jesus that we might run with endurance the life long calling and ministry assigned us.
James 1:3-4="Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh endurance." Tribulation will certainly try your "faith" ... but it also builds up your patience, perseverance, endurance that you might run faster, farther and longer for Jesus and finish your course. "But let patience (endurance)have her perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and entire ..." Yield your all to God's divine method of perfecting His will for your life through tribulation which results in endurance .... if you and I yield our will to His will.
James 5:11= "We count them happy which endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job...." Walking this tribulation path and enduring it to its end is actually the "happiest", most satisfying and rewarding life possible on this earth .... Consider Job's loss, pain, sickness and frustration. He endured it until God delivered him and restored his health and gave him double his lose.
2Peter1:3-8 = "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature .... giving all diligence, add to your (salvation) faith, virtue; and to virtue knowledge (Bible knowledge) . And to knowledge temperance (self control); and to temperance endurance; and to endurance godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity
(agape love). Outlined here is the spiritual progression of a Christian from initial, saving faith step by step up to the crowning glory of agape Love which is Christlikeness. "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you ....that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pass it on. RB
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