Hupomone–"...noblest of New Testament words"

If you have followed the comments of the first ever Gringo’s Escape post, you know the discussion. I doubt I could do it justice to attempt to summarize, but McDust rightly points out that individuals are different and that our Christian lives, our walk with God, is not going to be the same for every Christian. Dusty McDust asserts (I think! I warn again of an inadequate summary) that one individual may be convicted of sin, but that individual may not move far from that initial point of Justification along the scale of Sanctification. McDust’s man might find himself continually buffeted by the harsh winds of life’s misfortunes and otherwise is unable to rise above the shame of Spiritual failures, to-wit: he doesn’t grow as a Christian.

I recognize indeed, contrary to the name-it-and-claim-it crowd, that Jesus doesn’t promise us rose gardens. He never tried to sell us a green prosperity handkerchief. [yep, there actually is such a salesman, pretending to be a man of God, on tv--a disgrace to God and His Church.] I say all that to continue to assert, with caution and restraint, that God never intended us to go through life without His strength that sustains us through anything this corrupt earth and fallen mankind can throw at us, not to forget the evil power who gleefully caused it all to become corrupted in the first place. (I make no pretense of knowing our sovereign God’s purpose in allowing the devil to do the dirty work.)

We probably all remember that Paul said he had learned to give thanks in whatever bad circumstances he found himself. And he found himself in many bad circumstances! He teaches us that we have the treasure of God’s Word "in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Cor. 4:7-9 (NIV)

Oh, sure, easy for Paul to say! Or is it? Perhaps Paul really meant what he said when he gave practical advice in Galations 5. He wrote of the contrast of sinful nature(vs 19)with the fruit of the Spirit. Paul, assisted by his excellent Ghost Writer, also listed the fruit of the Spirit: "...love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (from 5:22-23) Verse 25: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." He warned those who lived according to the detailed list of ways man is sinful that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Ohhh, sounds legalistic, doesn’t he?

In the "fruit of the Spirit" list, what the NIV translated "patience" is called "longsuffering" by the KJV. Both are good translations, yet...not quite perfect! I wish to get pedantic and look at a couple of Greek words. I could call upon my own resources, for I know a little Greek and I know a little Hebrew, however, the little Greek could not leave his restaurant nor could the little Hebrew close his shop. With that old joke out of the way, I’ll assure you I’m going to rely on published theologians.

Makrothumia–--William Barclay calls it a "biblical word." It is the steadfastness that will never give in. Patient endurance gives us one thread of the meaning. For example, we wait for the coming of the Lord. The Lord is entitled to destroy sinful man, but He forbears and we have still opportunity to grow as Christians. Another thread of meaning goes along these lines: As God is patient with us, forbears and withholds His wrath, therefore we should have this same attitude towards our fellow men. (Try teaching the idea of forebearance, not retaliating to an insult or ‘disrespect’ to a youth street gang and they would mock and laugh...before they shot you.)

The title of this post uses Hupomone. Not only does Barclay call it a noble word, but says it describes a ‘manly virtue’. "Normally it is translated ‘patience’ or ‘endurance’, but...there is no single English word which transmits all the fullness of its meaning." So I refer to both words, because it seems the translators use them in almost the same way. They seem to have about the same definition.

Tribulation produces Hupomone. It is a word that seems to often describe the martyrs’ strength to endure obediently, even almost joyfully, even unto death. "The testing of faith produces ‘patience’ (James 1:3). It is hupomone which perfects faith." Hupomone, i.e., patience and comfort, produces "hope". (The quotations are from Barclay as well as my gleaning of meaning)

Paul uses hupomone in Colossians 1:10-12: "...that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (NIV with added italics for emphasis)

Only this same Spirit that brought you to salvation can enable us to develop endurance and patience. By the testing that is ours to endure we develop hupomone. I close with another good thought from Barclay about hupomone: "It is the virtue which can transmute the hardest trial into glory because beyond the pain it sees the goal."