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
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:
- He had an unstoppable determination
- He loved with the love of Jesus
- 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
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 (
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
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.
- Patently enduring with joy – we have an inheritance waiting us in Christ.
- Patiently enduring temptation – knowing that God is in control of that which He does not control.
- Love will patiently endure – esteeming myself in ‘who He is’ not ‘who I am’.