Definition and Nature:
Patience, in the biblical context, is often understood as the capacity to endure hardship, suffering, or delay without becoming angry or upset. It is a virtue that reflects a steadfastness and perseverance in the face of trials. Patience is closely associated with other virtues such as humility, love, and faith.

Biblical References:

1. Old Testament:
· Proverbs 14:29 : "A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly." This verse highlights the wisdom and understanding that accompany patience, contrasting it with the folly of a quick temper.
· Ecclesiastes 7:8 : "The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one." Here, patience is valued over pride, emphasizing the importance of a humble and enduring spirit.

2. New Testament:
· Romans 12:12 : "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer." This exhortation from Paul encourages believers to maintain patience during times of suffering, linking it with hope and prayer.
· James 5:7-8 : "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near." James uses the metaphor of a farmer to illustrate the necessity of patience in anticipation of the Lord's return.

Theological Significance:

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." As a fruit of the Spirit, patience is a divine attribute that believers are called to cultivate through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Christ as the Model of Patience:

Jesus Christ exemplifies perfect patience. His life and ministry were marked by enduring suffering and opposition with grace and steadfastness. In 1 Timothy 1:16 , Paul writes, "But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life." Christ's patience serves as a model for believers, demonstrating how to endure trials with faith and hope.

Practical Application:

Believers are encouraged to practice patience in their daily lives, whether in personal relationships, during trials, or in waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled. Colossians 3:12 instructs, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." This call to patience is a reminder of the believer's identity in Christ and the virtues that should characterize their conduct.

Challenges to Patience:

In a world that often values instant gratification and quick results, patience can be a challenging virtue to cultivate. However, Scripture encourages believers to view trials as opportunities to develop patience. James 1:3-4 states, "because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." This perspective helps believers to see the refining purpose of trials in their spiritual growth.

Conclusion:

Patience is a vital Christian virtue that reflects the character of God and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. Through the example of Christ and the guidance of Scripture, believers are called to cultivate patience as they navigate the challenges and trials of life, trusting in God's perfect timing and sovereign plan.1. (n.) The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc.

2. (n.) The act or power of calmly or contentedly waiting for something due or hoped for; forbearance.

3. (n.) Constancy in labor or application; perseverance.

4. (n.) Sufferance; permission.

5. (n.) A kind of dock (Rumex Patientia), less common in America than in Europe; monk's rhubarb.

6. (n.) Solitaire.

PATIENCE

pa'-shens (hupomone, makrothumia): "Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove.

The word "patience" does not occur in the Old Testament, but we have "patiently" in Psalm 40:1 as the translation of qawah, "to wait," "to expect," which word frequently expresses the idea, especially that of waiting on God; in Psalm 37:7, "patiently" ("wait patiently") is the translation of qul, one of the meanings of which is "to wait" or "to hope for" or "to expect" (of Job 35:14); "patient" occurs (Ecclesiastes 7:8) as the translation of 'erekh ruach, "long of spirit," and (Job 6:11) "that I should be patient" (ha'arikh nephesh). Compare "impatient" (Job 21:4).

"Patience" occurs frequently in the Apocrypha, especially in Ecclesiasticus, e.g. 2:14; 16:13; 17:24; 41:2 (hupomone); 5:11 (makrothumia); 29:8 (makrothumeo, the Revised Version (British and American) "long suffering"); in The Wisdom of Solomon 2:19, the Greek word is anexikakia.

In the New Testament hupomone carries in it the ideas of endurance, continuance (Luke 8:15; Luke 21:19 Romans 5:3, 4, the American Standard Revised Version "stedfastness"; Romans 8:25, etc.).

In all places the American Revised Version margin has "stedfastness," except James 5:11, where it has "endurance"; makrothumia is translated "patience" (Hebrews 6:12 James 5:10); makrothumeo, "to bear long" (Matthew 18:26, 29 James 5:7; See LONGSUFFERING); the same verb is translated "be patient" (1 Thessalonians 5:14, the Revised Version (British and American) "longsuffering"; James 5:7, 8, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "patient"); makrothumos, "patiently" (Acts 26:3); hupomeno (1 Peter 2:20); anexikakos is translated "patient" (2 Timothy 2:4, the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version margin, "forbearing"); epieikes, "gentle" (1 Timothy 3:3, the Revised Version (British and American) "gentle"); hupomeno (Romans 12:12, "patient in tribulation"). For "the patient waiting for Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5), the Revised Version (British and American) has "the patience of Christ."

Patience is often hard to gain and to maintain, but, in Romans 15:5, God is called "the God of patience" (the American Revised Version margin "stedfastness") as being able to grant that grace to those who look to Him and depend on Him for it. It is in reliance on God and acceptance of His will, with trust in His goodness, wisdom and faithfulness, that we are enabled to endure and to hope stedfastly.

See also GOD.

W. L. Walker

3115. makrothumia -- patience, long-suffering
... patience, long-suffering. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: makrothumia
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah) Short Definition: patience ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3115.htm - 8k

3114. makrothumeo -- to persevere, to be patient
... patient. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: makrothumeo Phonetic Spelling:
(mak-roth-oo-meh'-o) Short Definition: I suffer long, have patience, am forbearing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3114.htm - 7k

5281. hupomone -- a remaining behind, a patient enduring
... enduring, patience, steadfast. From hupomeno; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance,
constancy -- enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5281.htm - 7k

5278. hupomeno -- to stay behind, to await, endure
... Word Origin from hupo and meno Definition to stay behind, to await, endure NASB
Word Usage endure (3), endure...with patience (1), endured (5), endures (3 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5278.htm - 8k

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... boast" (). Gal 5:22,23: " 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,.
patience, kindness, goodness, (4102), 23 gentleness,. self ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

5254. hupecho -- to hold or put under, fig. to undergo
... to undergo NASB Word Usage undergoing (1). suffer. From hupo and echo; to hold oneself
under, ie Endure with patience -- suffer. see GREEK hupo. see GREEK echo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5254.htm - 6k

430. anecho -- to hold up, bear with
... Transliteration: anecho Phonetic Spelling: (an-ekh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I
endure, bear with Definition: I endure, bear with, have patience with, suffer ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/430.htm - 7k

463. anoche -- a delaying, forbearance
... Transliteration: anoche Phonetic Spelling: (an-okh-ay') Short Definition: forbearance
Definition: forbearance, suspense or delay (of punishment), patience. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/463.htm - 7k

4327. prosdechomai -- to receive to oneself
... dechomai; to admit (to intercourse, hospitality, credence, or (figuratively) endurance);
by implication, to await (with confidence or patience) -- accept, allow ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4327.htm - 8k

3811. laah -- to be weary or impatient
... or impatient NASB Word Usage become impatient (1), exhausted (1), find difficulty
(1), impatient (1), parched (1), tired (2), try the patience (2), wearied (4 ...
/hebrew/3811.htm - 6k

7663. sabar -- to inspect, examine
... Nehemiah 2:13, Nehemiah 2:15) {shaw-bar'}; a primitive root; to scrutinize; by
implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience) -- hope, tarry, view ...
/hebrew/7663.htm - 5k

860. athon -- a female donkey
... she ass. Probably from the same as 'eythan (in the sense of patience); a female
donkey (from its docility) -- (she) ass. see HEBREW 'eythan. 859, 860. ...
/hebrew/860.htm - 6k

750. arek -- long
... Word Origin from arak Definition long NASB Word Usage long (1), patience (2), slow
(10), who is slow (2). longsuffering patient, slow to anger. ...
/hebrew/750.htm - 6k

347. Iyyob -- a patriarch
... Job. From 'ayab; hated (ie Persecuted); Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience --
Job. see HEBREW 'ayab. 346, 347. Iyyob. 348 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/347.htm - 6k

On Patience
On Patience. <. On Patience St. Augustine. Rev. H. Browne, MA Table
of Contents. Title Page. On Patience. 2. The patience ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on patience /

Of Patience
Of Patience. <. Of Patience Tertullian. Translated by Rev. S. Thelwall
Table of Contents. Title Page. Chapter I.--Of Patience ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/of patience/

The Patience of Christ.
... The Patience of Christ. ... They suffered persecutions and were troubled. False alarms
had affected their patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the patience of christ.htm

Whether Patience is a virtue?
... OF PATIENCE (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether patience is a virtue? Objection 1: It
seems that patience is not a virtue. For the virtues are ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether patience is a virtue.htm

Kingdom and Patience
... KINGDOM AND PATIENCE. ... John says, I "am your brother and fellow-partaker
in the tribulation and kingdom and patience with Jesus.". ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/kingdom and patience.htm

The Angel of Patience.
... THE ANGEL OF PATIENCE. THE ANGEL OF PATIENCE. 13,13,13,13. "Ye have need of
patience.""Heb.10:36. "Es zieht eln stiller Engel darch dieses Erdenland.". ...
/.../borthwick/hymns from the land of luther/the angel of patience.htm

Of Bodily Patience.
Of Patience. <. ... Chapter XIII."Of Bodily Patience. Thus far, finally,
of patience simple and uniform, and as it exists ...
/.../tertullian/of patience/chapter xiii of bodily patience.htm

Patience.
... CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE. 345. " Patience. 345. LM Rippon's Coll.
Patience. 1 Patience, O, 't is a grace divine, Sent from ...
//christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/345 patience.htm

Whether Patience is a Part of Fortitude?
... OF PATIENCE (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether patience is a part of fortitude? Objection
1: It seems that patience is not a part of fortitude. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether patience is a part.htm

Eighteenth Day. Patience.
... Eighteenth Day. PATIENCE. "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter.""
Isaiah 53, 7. How great was the patience of Jesus! Even ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the mind of jesus/eighteenth day patience.htm

Patience (59 Occurrences)
...PATIENCE. pa'-shens (hupomone, makrothumia): "Patience" implies suffering, enduring
or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. ...
/p/patience.htm - 27k

Steadfastness (15 Occurrences)
... Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,
that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might ...
/s/steadfastness.htm - 10k

Longsuffering (17 Occurrences)
... else is nothing: "Love suffereth long (makrothumei), and is kind" (1 Corinthians
13:4); The verb makrothumeo is sometimes translated by "patience" (Matthew 18 ...
/l/longsuffering.htm - 16k

Perseverance (27 Occurrences)
... Luke 8:15 That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart,
having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience. ...
/p/perseverance.htm - 18k

Long-suffering (23 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.
2. (n.) Long patience of offense. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/l/long-suffering.htm - 13k

Patient (34 Occurrences)
... Matthew 18:26 The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying,
Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all; (See NIV). ...
/p/patient.htm - 16k

Godliness (16 Occurrences)
... 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ...
/g/godliness.htm - 12k

Forbearance (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Toleration of an offense; patience. 2.
(n.) The quality of being forbearing; indulgence toward ...
/f/forbearance.htm - 10k

Tribulations (11 Occurrences)
... (DBY YLT). Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing
that tribulation worketh patience; (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS). ...
/t/tribulations.htm - 9k

Temperance (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) Moderation of passion; patience; calmness; sedateness. 3. (vt) State with
regard to heat or cold; temperature. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/t/temperance.htm - 12k

What does the Bible say about patience? | GotQuestions.org

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