THE FOUNDATION · THE ORIGINAL STUDY, SET IN THE ANCIENT ORDER
Patience — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
OPENING WORD
Hear what patience is, and how it comes to a person. It is not given all at once in a day; it is worked in you by the testing of your faith. The old Greek word is hupomone (G5281, patience) — a staying under, a patient endurance. The trial comes, and the person who stays under it until it has done its work is left perfect and complete, lacking nothing. But patience does not grow alone. It must be added, with all diligence, in the order God has set — after temperance, before godliness. And there is an enemy: the devil comes in haste to take the word out of the heart, before it can grow. There are false prophets too, known by their fruits and not by their words; and there is sound doctrine, which itching ears will not put up with. Patience must keep the word, prove the fruit, and bear the sound word when the flesh wants to turn aside to fables. And when the fiery trial comes, patience does not think it strange, but rejoices; because the chastening of the Almighty is painful for the present, yet afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Stand firm. The one who endures will receive the crown of life. Search it out.
THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:
1. How does patience come to a person, and what does her perfect work leave him?
2. What must patience endure and discern — and how is the false prophet known?
3. What do trial and chastening yield to those who endure?
(My personal thoughts — endure stands twice in this study, and it is not the same word. hupomeno (G5278, endures) is to stay under, to abide — closely related to patience herself, hupomone (G5281), for both rest on G5259, under, and G3306, to abide: a staying under. The person who endures temptation stays under the trial until it has done its work. anechomai (G430, endure) is to bear with, to put up with — sound doctrine must be borne, and itching ears will not bear it. The trial must be stayed under; the sound word must be borne with. Patience does both.)
OPENING ANCHOR
James 1:2-4Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
PATIENCE IS WORKED IN YOU BY THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH, AND WHEN LET ALONE TO FINISH ITS WORK IT LEAVES YOU PERFECT AND ENTIRE, LACKING NOTHING.
(My personal thoughts — count it all joy: the trial is not sent to break you. dokimion (G1383, trying) is a testing, the way silver is tested; the testing of your faith produces patience, and patience left to finish her work leaves you lacking nothing. Let her work.)
1. DILIGENCE MUST BE ADDED BEFORE PATIENCE CAN GROW, AND THE ENEMY STEALETH THE WORD
1.2 Peter 1:5-7Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗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.
PATIENCE IS NOT GIVEN ALONE — IT IS ADDED, BY DILIGENCE, IN ORDER, AFTER TEMPERANCE AND BEFORE GODLINESS.
2.2 Peter 1:8Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗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.
DILIGENT ADDITION MAKES YOU FRUITFUL; ITS ABSENCE LEAVES YOU BARREN.
3.Luke 8:11-12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
THE DEVIL COMES IMMEDIATELY TO STEAL THE WORD OUT OF THE HEART BEFORE IT CAN GROW INTO BELIEF AND SALVATION.
(My personal thoughts — notice the enemy's haste: the seed is sown, and the devil comes to take the word out of the heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. What diligence adds, the devil wants to take away; so keep the word, and keep it with patience.)
2. WHAT PATIENCE MUST ENDURE AND DISCERN — FALSE TEACHERS AND HARD DOCTRINE
1.Matthew 7:15-16,20Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
FALSE PROPHETS ARE KNOWN NOT BY THEIR CLAIMS BUT BY THEIR FRUIT.
2.2 Timothy 4:3-4Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
SOUND DOCTRINE MUST BE ENDURED, BECAUSE IT WARS AGAINST THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH.
3.Titus 1:10-11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
MANY FALSE TEACHERS ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY, AND THEIR MOUTHS MUST BE STOPPED.
4.Matthew 7:21-23Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER, NOT WORKS DONE IN HIS NAME, IS WHAT PATIENCE MUST BE SPENT ON.
(My personal thoughts — many will say Lord, Lord, and name the wonderful works done in his name; but not everyone who says it enters — it is the one who does the will of the Father. Spend your patience on the will of the Father, not on a name only.)
3. WHAT ENDURING TRIAL AND CHASTENING PRODUCETH — JOY AND THE REWARD
1.1 Peter 4:12-13Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
FIERY TRIAL IS MET WITH REJOICING, NOT SURPRISE, BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU A PARTAKER OF CHRIST'S OWN SUFFERINGS.
2.Philippians 4:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
THOSE WHO ENDURE ARE HIS JOY AND CROWN — STAND FAST.
3.1 Thessalonians 2:19-20Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
THE JOY PRODUCED BY ENDURING IS TIED TO A CROWN — SEEN FACE TO FACE AT HIS COMING.
(My personal thoughts — the joy of those who endure is not for this present time only. They are the joy and crown of those who taught them, and the crown of rejoicing is seen in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. So stand firm, and be glad with overflowing joy.)
MOUTH OF TWO — THE WORD FALSELY
4.Luke 6:22-23Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
A GREAT REWARD IS PROMISED FOR ENDURING REPROACH FOR HIS NAME.
5.Matthew 5:11-12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
MATTHEW ALONE ADDS ONE WORD LUKE DOES NOT: "FALSELY" — THE REWARD IS FOR REPROACH THAT IS UNJUST, NOT TROUBLE BROUGHT ON BY ONE'S OWN FAULT.
[VERSES JOINED TOGETHER — NO ONE VERSE SAYS THIS ALONE]
6.Ecclesiastes 4:12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
TWO SHALL WITHSTAND HIM + A THREEFOLD CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN.
(My personal thoughts — two witnesses say the reward is great in heaven, and a third word binds them together: a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Let the evil said against you be said falsely, for his sake; then rejoice in that day, and leap for joy.)
THE SHADOW AND THE FULFILLMENT — THE CHASTENING OF THE ALMIGHTY
7.Job 5:17-18Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
GOD'S CORRECTION WOUNDS ONLY TO HEAL.
8.Hebrews 12:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
WHAT JOB CALLED CORRECTION THAT DELIVERS, HEBREWS NAMES — THE PEACEABLE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(My personal thoughts — the old word is yakach (H3198, corrects) — to correct, to reprove; the new word is paideia (G3809, chastening) — the nurture and instruction of a father. Job says he wounds, and his hands make whole; Hebrews names the fruit of that healing — the peaceable fruit of righteousness, for those who are trained by it. Do not despise the chastening: it is the hand that makes whole.)
CLOSING
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.
THE MAN WHO ENDURES RECEIVES A CROWN OF LIFE.
Romans 5:3-5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
(My personal thoughts — here is the whole study in one line: the testing of your faith produces patience, hupomone (G5281, patience) — a staying under until the work is done. It is added by diligence; the devil wants to take the word, but the patient heart keeps it. It bears sound doctrine, knows the false prophet by his fruits, and does the will of the Father. It meets the fiery trial with joy, and does not despise the chastening that makes whole. And the end of it is a crown: blessed is the one who endures, because he will receive the crown of life, and hope does not make us ashamed. Let patience have her perfect work, and you will lack nothing.)
GREEK KEYWORDS
These are the keywords for this study. Tap any dotted word in the verses above to see its meaning here.
“correcteth” — H3198 yakach — to correct, to convince, to reprove, to reason together
happy is the man whom God corrects
PRACTICE QUIZ
1. James 1:3 — The trying of your faith worketh:
a) patience
b) godliness
c) knowledge
2. James 1:12 — The man that endureth temptation shall receive:
a) the crown of rejoicing
b) the crown of life
c) a great reward
3. 2 Peter 1:6 — And to temperance patience; and to patience:
a) brotherly kindness
b) virtue
c) godliness
4. Luke 8:12 — Then cometh the devil, and taketh away:
a) the seed by the way side
b) the word out of their hearts
c) their fruits
5. 2 Timothy 4:3 — The time will come when they will not endure:
a) sound doctrine
b) the fiery trial
c) chastening
6. Matthew 5:11 — Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you:
a) for the Son of man's sake
b) falsely, for my sake
c) and cast out your name as evil
7. Hebrews 12:11 — Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth:
a) exceeding joy
b) the crown of life
c) the peaceable fruit of righteousness
ANSWER KEY: 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-b, 5-a, 6-b, 7-c
HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES
→ How the word is kept: the devil takes away the word out of their hearts (Luke 8:12) leads to those who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Luke 8:15).
→ How diligence makes sure: giving all diligence, add to your faith (2 Peter 1:5) leads to give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you will never fall (2 Peter 1:10).
→ How patience possesses the soul: the trying of your faith produces patience (James 1:3) leads to in your patience possess your souls (Luke 21:19) — you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise (Hebrews 10:36).
→ How chastening proves sons: the chastening of the Almighty (Job 5:17) leads to whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives (Hebrews 12:6).
→ How the crown is kept: the crown of life (James 1:12) leads to be faithful to death, and I will give you a crown of life (Revelation 2:10) — hold fast what you have, that no man take your crown (Revelation 3:11).
→ How the suffering ends: partakers of Christ's sufferings (1 Peter 4:13) leads to the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you (1 Peter 5:10).
