PART 2 · A NEW STUDY BUILT ON FOUNDATIONAL BIBLICAL DOCTRINE
Patience — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
OPENING WORD
The testing of your faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work. That is the foundation already laid out for us; now we go further, with fresh witnesses to the same truth. The Greek word is hupomone (G5281, patience), a patient endurance, a holding up under pressure; the verb is hupomeno (G5278, to endure), to stay under the burden and not run away. Alongside it stands makrothumia (G3115, longsuffering), the long-tempered spirit that waits out the time. The old Hebrew word is qavah (H6960, to wait), and Strong's says its root means a binding together, like a cord — the person who waits is bound to his God. Notice carefully where patience stands in Scripture: after the will of God is done, and before the promise is received. It runs a race. It possesses the soul. It inherits the promises. It waits, like a farmer for his precious fruit, until the coming of the Lord. And you do not get it by yourself alone: the Scriptures teach it, and the God of patience grants it. Blessed is the person who endures. Search it out.
THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:
1. Why do we need patience, and what is promised to those who endure?
2. Where does patience come from — who gives it, and where is it learned?
3. How long must patience wait, and what outcome does the Lord bring for those who wait?
THE FOUNDATION ALREADY LAID — PATIENCE
THE FOUNDATION → THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE (JAMES 1:3).
THE FOUNDATION → LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK, THAT YE MAY BE PERFECT AND ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING (JAMES 1:4).
THE FOUNDATION → TRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE + PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE + EXPERIENCE, HOPE (ROMANS 5:3-4).
THE FOUNDATION → ADD TO TEMPERANCE PATIENCE + TO PATIENCE GODLINESS (2 PETER 1:6).
THE FOUNDATION → HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS: THEY THAT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD (REVELATION 14:12).
THE FOUNDATION → BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION: HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE (JAMES 1:12).
This Part 2 confirms the same truth from a fresh set of witnesses.
(My personal thoughts — notice the two great words, because they are closely related but not the same. hupomone (G5281, patience) is a holding up under pressure — the word for a burden that has to be carried. makrothumia (G3115, longsuffering) is the long-tempered spirit — the word for a time that has to be waited out. Job shows the first; the farmer shows the second. And Scripture places each word in its own spot: you need hupomone for the race and the trial, and the heirs inherit the promises through makrothumia, because the promise is delayed. God chose each word for where he put it, and that choice teaches us: you must both carry the burden and wait out the time.)
(My personal thoughts — Strong's says qavah (H6960, to wait) at its root means a binding together, the way a cord is twisted; and from there, to look for, and to expect. The person who waits on the LORD is not cut loose from him in the waiting — he is bound to him like a cord, and the waiting itself is the binding. And chul (H2342, to wait patiently) means to labor in pain, like a woman giving birth: some waiting is agony, and God still calls it patience. Notice too yachal (H3176, to wait, to hope), Job's word, and yachiyl (H3175, expectant), which comes from it: the person of patience is an expectant person. He does not wait for nothing; he waits for HIM.)
OPENING ANCHOR
Hebrews 10:36Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
YE HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE + AFTER YE HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD → YE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.
(My personal thoughts — Scripture says you NEED patience. It is not a decoration for a few; it is a necessity for everyone. hupomone (G5281, patience) is a patient endurance, a holding up under pressure. And notice where it stands: after the will of God is done, and before the promise is received. Many people have done the will of God and then given up in the waiting — the promise is not lost, it is only delayed. Patience carries a person from the doing to the receiving.)
1. RUN WITH PATIENCE — POSSESS YE YOUR SOULS
1.Hebrews 12:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗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 patience the race that is set before us,
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT + RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US.
(My personal thoughts — patience is not standing still; it is RUNNING. The race is laid out in front of us: we did not choose the course, but we do choose to run it. And nobody runs weighed down — set aside every weight, and the sin, and then run. hupomone (G5281, patience) holds up under the whole length of the race.)
(My personal thoughts — a short verse, and a deep one. In your patience — not next to it, but inside it — a person comes to possess his own soul. Lose patience, and the soul is swept away; keep it, and you still hold on to your soul.)
2. THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE INHERIT THE PROMISES
1.Hebrews 6:12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
BE NOT SLOTHFUL → FOLLOWERS OF THEM WHO THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE INHERIT THE PROMISES.
(My personal thoughts — the patience here is makrothumia (G3115, longsuffering), the long-tempered spirit. And notice the pair: faith AND patience. Faith grabs hold of the promise; patience holds on tight until it comes. The lazy person has neither; the heirs have both.)
AFTER HE HAD PATIENTLY ENDURED → HE OBTAINED THE PROMISE.
(My personal thoughts — this is Abraham. The promise did not arrive the same day it was spoken; there was an AFTER between the word and the receiving, and that gap was filled with patient endurance. makrothumeo (G3114, to be patient) — he waited a long time, and he received it. So will every heir who does not give up.)
3.Romans 8:25Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
HOPE FOR THAT WE SEE NOT → WITH PATIENCE WAIT FOR IT.
3. BE PATIENT UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD
1.James 5:7Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
BE PATIENT UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD + THE HUSBANDMAN WAITETH FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUIT OF THE EARTH.
(My personal thoughts — how long must patience wait? Until the COMING OF THE LORD — that is the marker. And look at the picture: the farmer cannot hurry the rain, and he waits for it, because the fruit is precious. So is yours.)
2.James 5:8Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH → BE YE ALSO PATIENT + STABLISH YOUR HEARTS.
3.James 5:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
WE COUNT THEM HAPPY WHICH ENDURE + YE HAVE HEARD OF THE PATIENCE OF JOB → THE LORD IS VERY PITIFUL, AND OF TENDER MERCY.
(My personal thoughts — two words meet here: endure is hupomeno (G5278, to endure), and the patience of Job is hupomone (G5281, patience) — the holding-up word, not the waiting word. Job did more than wait; he held up under the burden. And notice the END of it: those who heard of the patience of Job have SEEN the outcome the Lord brought, and that outcome is pity and tender mercy. The trial has an end, and the end reveals his heart.)
4. WHENCE PATIENCE COMETH — THE SCRIPTURES, AND THE GOD OF PATIENCE
1.Romans 15:4Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
WRITTEN AFORETIME = WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING → THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE.
2.Romans 15:5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
THE GOD OF PATIENCE AND CONSOLATION → GRANT YOU TO BE LIKEMINDED ONE TOWARD ANOTHER.
(My personal thoughts — where does a person get patience? Two answers stand together: the SCRIPTURES, and the GOD of patience himself. The things written long ago — Job, Abraham, David — were written to teach us, so that WE might have hope. And what the Scriptures teach, God grants: he is called the God of patience, and what he is, he gives. Ask him, and search the book.)
3.Colossians 1:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
STRENGTHENED WITH ALL MIGHT → UNTO ALL PATIENCE AND LONGSUFFERING WITH JOYFULNESS.
(My personal thoughts — notice what all that power is FOR. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power — and the goal of it is not signs and wonders, but ALL PATIENCE. The longsuffering next to it is makrothumia (G3115, longsuffering), placed together with hupomone (G5281, patience) in one spot — the carrying and the waiting together — and both WITH JOYFULNESS. Patience without joy is a heavy thing; his power makes it glad.)
5. WAIT ON THE LORD — THE OLD WITNESS
1.Psalm 37:7Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
REST IN THE LORD + WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM + FRET NOT THYSELF.
(My personal thoughts — three words in one breath: rest, wait, do not fret. The word for rest is damam (H1826, to be silent, to be still) — be still before him. And wait patiently is chul (H2342, to travail, to wait) — a waiting that can feel like labor pains, and it is still patience. Fretting looks at the person who prospers; resting looks at the LORD.)
2.Psalm 40:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD → HE INCLINED UNTO ME + HEARD MY CRY.
(My personal thoughts — the old word here is qavah (H6960, to wait), and in Hebrew David says it twice over — in waiting I waited — a waiting stretched out to its full length. Strong's says the root means to bind together, like a cord: the waiting soul is bound to his God. And look at the answer: he BENT DOWN — the high God bent down his ear to the person who waited.)
3.Lamentations 3:26Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
IT IS GOOD THAT A MAN SHOULD BOTH HOPE AND QUIETLY WAIT FOR THE SALVATION OF THE LORD.
(My personal thoughts — the hope here is yachiyl (H3175, expectant), which comes from yachal (H3176, to wait, to hope) — Job's own word, as the shadow will show. Hope and quiet waiting stand together, and Scripture calls it GOOD. The salvation of the LORD comes to the person who quietly waits.)
MOUTH OF TWO
Hebrews 10:36Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
YE HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE → YE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.
Hebrews 6:12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(My personal thoughts — set the witnesses side by side. One says, you NEED patience, so that you may RECEIVE the promise. The other says, through faith and patience they INHERIT the promises; and Abraham, after he patiently endured, OBTAINED the promise. Receive, inherit, obtain — three words, one truth: patience and the promise are bound together, and nobody takes one without the other. And the Lord adds his own witness: in your patience you possess your souls. Patience is the hand that holds on tight to what God has promised.)
THE SHADOW AND THE FULFILLMENT
4.Job 13:15Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM.
5.James 5:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
YE HAVE HEARD OF THE PATIENCE OF JOB + HAVE SEEN THE END OF THE LORD → THE LORD IS VERY PITIFUL, AND OF TENDER MERCY.
(My personal thoughts — the word trust on Job's lips is yachal (H3176, to wait, to hope): even if he kills me, I will still wait for him, I will still hope in him. That is patience in the darkest hour. Job in his pain is the shadow; James shows the outcome: those who heard of the patience of Job have SEEN the outcome the Lord brought, and that outcome is full of compassion and tender mercy. The trial has an end, and at the end stands the Lord, and his heart is tender toward those who endure.)
CLOSING
2 Thessalonians 3:5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEARTS → INTO THE LOVE OF GOD + INTO THE PATIENT WAITING FOR CHRIST.
James 1:12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION → HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE.
(My personal thoughts — here is the conclusion of the whole matter. Patience is a necessity, and the promise depends on it: it runs the race, it possesses the soul, it inherits the promises, and it waits until the coming of the Lord. It is learned in the Scriptures, and granted by the God of patience; it rests in the LORD, and is heard. The foundation said the testing of your faith produces patience; these fresh witnesses say the same thing, and show how it ends — not in loss, but in a crown. May the Lord himself direct your heart into that patient waiting: the farmer's rain is coming, the coming of the Lord is near, and when you are tested you will receive the crown of life.)
GREEK KEYWORDS
These are the keywords for this study. Tap any dotted word in the verses above to see its meaning here.
“patience” — G5281 hupomone — a patient enduring, a bearing up under
you have need of patience, that you might receive the promise
“endure” — G5278 hupomeno — to stay under, to bear trials, to persevere
we count them happy which endure
“longsuffering” — G3115 makrothumia — long patience, forbearance
to all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness
“be patient” — G3114 makrothumeo — to bear long, to have long patience, to patiently endure
be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord
HEBREW KEYWORDS
“wait” — H6960 qavah — to bind together, to look for, to expect, to wait
I waited patiently for the LORD
“wait patiently” — H2342 chul — to travail, to be pained, to wait
rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him
“trust” — H3176 yachal — to wait, to be patient, to hope
though he slay me, yet will I trust in him
“hope” — H3175 yachiyl — expectant, that should hope
it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait
PRACTICE QUIZ
1. Hebrews 10:36 — For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might:
a) enter into his rest
b) receive the promise
c) inherit the earth
2. Luke 21:19 — In your patience possess ye your:
a) souls
b) hearts
c) minds
3. Hebrews 6:12 — That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience:
a) obtained a good report
b) subdued kingdoms
c) inherit the promises
4. James 5:7 — Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive:
a) the early and latter rain
b) the former rain moderately
c) the harvest of the earth
5. Romans 15:4 — Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have:
a) peace
b) faith
c) hope
6. James 5:11 — Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is:
a) gracious, and full of compassion
b) very pitiful, and of tender mercy
c) slow to anger, and of great mercy
7. Colossians 1:11 — Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with:
a) thanksgiving
b) meekness
c) joyfulness
ANSWER KEY: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-a, 5-c, 6-b, 7-c
HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES
→ How the old promise meets the new: they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall run, and not be weary (Isaiah 40:31) — the wait there is qavah (H6960, to wait), David's own word — and the new says, let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1) — they that wait become they that run, ready for its own study.
→ How the words matter: the patience of Hebrews 10:36 is hupomone (G5281, a patient enduring), and the patience of Hebrews 6:12 is makrothumia (G3115, longsuffering) — the one bears up under the burden, the other waits out the long time — mark which word stands in which place, and why.
→ How it is hid in Christ: John was your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9), and the Lord says, because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation (Revelation 3:10) — the patience is his before it is ours.
→ How to apply your heart to it: patience stands in the ladder of 2 Peter 1:5-7 — add to temperance patience, and to patience godliness — every step of that ladder leans upon this one.
→ How it reaches to eternity: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12) — the suffering there is hupomeno (G5278, to endure) — and blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life (James 1:12).
