Greek Word Studies 

Advanced Level

Lesson 8        

Lesson Title:  Patience (Hupomone)

 

Text:  Romans 5:3  ‘And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience (Greek: hupomone);’

 

Introduction:   Meaning of ‘hupomone’ patience.

Patience ‘hupomone’ comes from two root Greek words - ‘hupo’ meaning under, and ‘mone’ meaning abiding, remaining steadfast.

Patience is remaining steadfast under trial.

 

Shipwrecked lives - Lacking patience.

Tribulation will reveal the true character.

 

Patience is one of the characteristics for a fruitful Christian life.    

2 Peter 1:5-8  ‘And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’

 

giving (pareisferw)para means ‘beside’; ‘eis’ means ‘into’ and ‘phero’ means ‘to bring’.  It means ‘along with this (the promises of God that makes us partakers of His nature) bring…’

diligence (spoudhn) giving oneself totally to the task.  Zealous with haste.  A diligent person will pursue the goal with fervent zeal.

add (epicorhghsate) – ‘epi’ is a preposition and has the meaning of being ‘over’ or ‘upon’ and ‘choregeo’ meaning ‘to minister with abundance’. 

 

Faith (pistei)firm persuasion based upon the character of God and the fulfillment of His word. 

virtue (areth) moral excellence (living life by the highest standard of uprightness)

knowledge (gnwsin) – Subjective (experiential) and objective knowledge - subjectively through relationship; objectively through the scriptures.

temperance (egkrateian)appetites and desires under the control of the Holy Spirit.

patience (upomonhn) – remaining steadfast under trials.

godliness (eusebeian)  a godly lifestyle, devout, always seeking to do that which pleases the Lord.

brotherly kindness (filadelfian)love as brothers

love (agaphn) divine love

 

Introductory Story:  Steadfast in the face of great trial.

I went to Romania on ten occasions with Thorkil from Denmark.  Thorkil was the Danish leader of ‘Rescue’, a Romanian prison ministry.  In January 2009, Thorkil died.  

Thorkil faced great trials in his life.  But his steadfastness in the face of these trials produced fruitful ministry.  When I thought about Thorkil’s life I saw that his ministry had three main characteristics.

Thorkil’s ministry to the prisoners:

  1. He had an unstoppable determination
  2. He loved with the love of Jesus
  3. He spoke as a King for he always kept his word.

 

I gave this short testimony at Thorkil’s funeral.

 

These three characteristics should be the hallmark of every Christian.

Christians should be known for having an enduring character.

When we are stopped by trials and difficulties, it is because we have not zealously sought to minister with patience ‘hupomeno’.

It is only the Holy Spirit who can give the power to endure under trial.

 

1 Corinthians 15:58 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.'

 

 

Main Points: 

1.  Patiently enduring with joy.  Colossians 1:11 'Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience (hupomeno) and longsuffering (makrothumia) with joyfulness;’

 

Paul prayer for the Colossians

Colossians 1:9-11

Filled with knowledge and understanding    KNOW THE SCRIPTURES

Walk worthy in fruitfulness   WALK IN THE SPIRIT  

Increasing in knowledge   EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

 

Paul prays that the Colossian believers will be ‘strengthened (dunamoo) with all might (dunamus), according to His glorious power (kratos), unto all patience (hupomeno) and longsuffering (makrothumia) with joyfulness;

 

Difference between Patience and Longsuffering

Patience is the strength to endure – remaining firm in the face of great difficulty

Longsuffering refers to the strength to restrain - Longsuffering is being slow to anger, and never seeks to retaliate.

 

Joyfulness

The life of Christ in the believer produces joy.

Patience produces steadfast joy

Longsuffering produces joy in thankfulness – looks to the promise of an inheritance (1:12).

 

INHERITANCE

All my life I have lived in rented accommodation.

I have been involved in ministry most of my working life and my income has been small.

But I have always known that one day my brother and I will one day inherit my parent’s house.

The will is written and authorized and one day it will come into effect.

I do not need to receive the inheritance but knowing it is there gives me patience to endure difficult times now.

 

Joyfulness in knowing the trial is only while we wait for our inheritance.

 

 

2.  Patiently enduring temptation

James 1:3:4, ‘Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’

James 1:12, ‘Blessed is the man that endures (hupomeno) temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.’

 

A time of testing.

The reality of our faith is being tested.

Temptation (Gr. peirasmos) meaning ‘trial or proving’.  A time of proving to see the reality of our faith.

 

God puts limits on the temptation.

The test will be restricted by what we are able to carry. 

1 Corinthians 10:13, ‘There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to resist; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’

 

Christians often ask the question, why did God allow my family member to die?

There is no easy answer to this question.

But there are many things we do not understand.

 

The question is based on the idea that God is in control of everything.

But God is not in control of everything.

There is a spiritual warfare going on.

Events happen contrary to the will of God.

But God is in control of that which He does not control.

 

I try to explain it like this:

Draw a line to show events happen which God did not control.

Draw a circle around the line to show God is in control.

 

In other words: 

1)      What God controls is determined but

2)      That which He does not control is not determined.

Prayer is asking God to intervene in that which He does not automatically control.

Is it necessary to pray for what is determined?  No – we thank Him for it.

Is it necessary to pray for what is not determined?  Yes at all times with thanksgiving because the Lord operates in response to prayer.

 

Why does God not just do it anyway?

The kingdom of darkness has been given power in this world

This is part of the eternal plan and purpose of God.

We have been given power over it but we must move in this power.

But this does not mean Christians have power to avoid suffering

Sickness and death afflict the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

 

3.   Love will patiently endure. 1 Corinthians 13:7

 

The love of Christ in the believer will patiently endure all things.

Agape love does not have self interest.

Anger arises when the self life is attacked.

But agape love rests in Christ and has no interest in self.

 

In ministry.

If we are seeking the respect and honour (financially or otherwise) from people or organizations then we will become angry when we are rejected or ignored.

Agape love will seek to do the will of the Lord without regard to others.

If we look for the help of others to fulfil our ministries then we will not do what the Lord wants us to do.

Love will patiently endure regardless of the difficulties.

 

In families.

Patient endurance needs to be seen in Christian families.

The family will be steadfast.

Children will feel secure.

The family will prosper – even if times are hard ultimately true prosperity will come.

 

Family discord is destructive and can damage the children psychologically.

Visited a Christian family with marriage problems.

They regarded one another as the problem but the real problem was the lack of love patently enduring.

Love endures all things.  Does not feel threatened when the ‘self life’ is attacked.

Those who are closest to us can hurt us the most.

But love patiently enduring is able to withstand the most painful assaults on our ‘self life’.

 

Much is said today about ‘self esteem’, but the self esteem of a Christian should be ‘in Christ’ and not ‘in self’.

I esteem myself in ‘who He is’ and not in ‘who I am’.

‘On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand’.  

 

 

Summary:

Patience is not a fruit of the Spirit but the fruit of the Spirit will hang from this branch.

  1. Patently enduring with joy – we have an inheritance waiting us in Christ.
  2. Patiently enduring temptation – knowing that God is in control of that which He does not control.
  3. Love will patiently endure – esteeming myself in ‘who He is’ not ‘who I am’.

 

 

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