____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 19, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Love is Patient, Bears All Things, Endures All Things by Tom Edwards Undoubtedly, one of the most important virtues for the Christian is love. Notice, according to 1 Corinthians 16:14, how much a part of our lives it is to be: "Let all that you do be done in love." Our lives, therefore, should always be characterized with it. For without that love, even major sacrifices cannot deliver one from the pit of vanity and emptiness. As Paul writes, "If I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:1-3). In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul defines for us what real love is in verses 4 through 8. He begins by pointing out that "Charity suffereth long," or as the NASB renders it: "Love is patient." Love is slow to anger; it endures and forbears, even under trial. It denotes the state of mind which can bear long when oppressed, provoked, or when injured by another. Mike Willis points out that this phrase, "suffereth long," comes from a Greek word that is "a compound word made up of makros which means `long' and thumos which means `temper'; hence, it basically means to be long-tempered. In English, we speak of short-tempered persons; though we do not use the corresponding phrase `long-tempered,'it would be a perfect translation of makrothumia" (A Commentary on Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 454). He further points out that "The word also describes the man who, having power to avenge himself, yet refrains from the exercise of this power. It is that self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong; it endures injuries and evil deeds without being provoked to anger or revenge" (ibid.). Love's definition also includes other degrees of patience. Paul says that love "Bears all things" and "endures all things" (v. 7). In this last phrase, Trench regards it as pertaining to man's relationship with things -- rather than with people -- and sees the "patience" of verse 4 as "to express patience in respect of persons." "Bears" in verse 7 comes from the Greek word "stego," which Vine defines as "primarily to protect, or preserve by covering, hence to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against or hold out against, and so to endure, bear, forbear" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 104). It is due to the first part of this definition that some view the word as conveying a similar idea of covering as we see in Proverbs 10:12 or 1 Peter 4:8, in which Peter exhorts the brethren to "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." This doesn't mean, of course, that love condones or overlooks sin; for "Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed" (Prov. 27:5), and sin is to be dealt with (1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Gal. 6:1). But there are some sins and faults that do not need to be made public -- such as past sins already forgiven. The person who would do this though, out of a spirit of malice or gossip, would certainly not be acting out of love. This same Greek word (stego), however, is also seen in a different light in other verses. In 1 Corinthians 9:12, for example: "...but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ." McGarvey shows that the Greek word that is translated as "endures" (hupomeno) (v. 7) is a military term that means "to sustain an assault"; and, therefore, it has reference "to heavier afflictions than those sustained by the `beareth' of verse 7. It refers to gross ill-treatment, resistance, strife, etc." "Hupomeno" is used twice in 2 Timothy 2:10-12, in which Paul points out that even though he had suffered hardship and imprisonment (v. 9), he was willing to do so and to "endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory" (v. 10). It is translated as "patiently endure" in 1 Peter 2:20 with regard to those who would unjustly suffer for doing right -- but still maintain this quality of patience in spite of it. It is this same type of endurance that will lead to eternal life, as Jesus Himself says: "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured [hupomeno] to the end who will be saved" (Matt. 10:22). Endurance, therefore, is necessary for our salvation. Similarly, James writes, "Blessed is a man who perseveres [hupomeno] under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life" (Jms. 1:12). The crown of life will only be received by those who persevere. And this is also inferred from Hebrews 10:36, "For you have need of endurance [hupomeno], so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." It is used twice in James 5:11, in which we are encouraged by its demonstration in one of the most famous exemplars of it: "Behold, we count those blessed who endured [hupomeno]. You have heard of the endurance [hupomeno] of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." Just what kind of endurance did Job have? He states, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him..." (Job 13:15). This is also the type of endurance demonstrated in Jesus and His loyal followers (1 Pet. 2:23; 1 Cor. 4:12). Someone once said that "Patience is accepting a difficult situation without giving God a deadline to remove it." What could be a more trying-time than to face the shame, the suffering, and the torturous death on the cross? With this, our Lord was confronted and experienced. And Peter exhorted the brethren to "not be surprised at the fiery ordeal" that would come among them"; rather, they were to "keep on rejoicing" as they shared the sufferings of Christ (1 Pet. 4:12,13). What was this "fiery ordeal"? It could have been either literal or simply intense trials that would come among them. Not only were they to realize that this was not abnormal nor strange, and not only were they to rejoice during such severe adversity; but those who would "suffer according to the will of God" were also encouraged to "entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right" (v. 19). They were to "entrust their souls" to God, just as we read that Jesus did (1 Pet. 2:23; Luke 23:46), and Stephen as well (Acts 7). The second to the last thing Stephen said, prior to his death, was "Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit" (v. 59). The last thing he said was, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (v. 60)! His love motivated him to pray this prayer for the very ones who were viciously stoning him to death. The Bible teaches in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to "be patient with all men." Do you think Stephen was? He was patient unto death! Not just for persecutions, but for any trials of life, we need to be able to patiently endure them -- realizing that they can help us in our development as a Christian. James points this out in James 1:2-4: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James Burns tells the story about a "modern painting by Shields which symbolizes the qualities of patience. A being with great strong wings is represented as standing with ankles chained to a sundial." She has the ability to fly, but cannot do so until God's appointed time. Burns states, "Meanwhile she waits, crowned with thorns, encircled with briers and brambles -- briers which put forth fresh green shoots, which speak of increasing troubles. But to her breast, this winged creature, holds the Word of God; and upon her shoulders, she bears the yoke of Christ. With her lips, she does not complain; and with her eyes, she is `looking forward to things afar.' So she waits in faith, knowing that in God's good time the call will come." And then her chains will be removed; and with her strong wings, she will freely soar across the heavens above. Consider some other passages concerning man's need to be patient: "And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged" (2 Tim. 2:24). Notice this phrase carefully: "patient when WRONGED" -- not patient when wrong! Though patience is continually needed, this passage is emphasizing one's having it even when wronged by others -- and not simply when one does wrong himself. Isn't it usually much easier to be punished when at fault than to receive punishment unjustly? "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God" (1 Pet. 2:20). There is also another sense in which we need to be patient. James writes, "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (Jms. 5:7,8). A crop does not become fully developed over night. The farmer must be patient for it to reach the harvesting stage. Howard Whitman once wrote that "Life is composed of waiting periods. The child must wait until he is old enough to have a bicycle, the young man until he is old enough to drive a car, the medical student must wait for his diploma, the husband for his promotion, the young couple for savings to buy a new home. The art of waiting is not learned at once." I imagine we could each add some additional things to this list, as well as, that one must patiently wait for. In addition, patience is needed in showing our submission to God and in order that we may receive the final reward. "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:1-3). The Hebrew writer states, "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:10-12). In Aesop's fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, it wasn't speed that caused the turtle to win the race; it was perseverance. That turtle kept at his pace until he was all the way to the finish line. And, like the tortoise, we need to also be steadfast in running the race that is set before us. But in our race, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus and strive for the goal of everlasting life; so that we may one day say as the apostle Paul did, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). Patience is also needed in our dealings with one another. In exhorting Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, Paul told him that this was to be done "with great patience and instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2). People don't learn all there is to know over night. We, therefore, should not expect them to. When a bulb is planted, it requires months for a flower to blossom. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and, therefore, a characteristic of God's divine nature that we need to each strive to develop more abundantly in our lives -- for how helpful it will be in so many areas of life! Like the many facets to a diamond, patience is one of the attributes of godly love. ____________________________________________________ News & Notes I learned just yesterday that Joe Thompson, who is 87 years old, is declining rapidly. It might be just a matter of a few days to a few months. Living in Chester County, Pennsylvania, all his life, he has been a Christian for many years. And just last week, his wife Blanche had to be hospitalized due to Alzheimer's-like symptoms. They have been married for about 63 years. Let those of us who are also Christians be keeping both of these good people -- as well as their family and friends -- in prayer. ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________