Tag: hupomone

2 Thessalonians 1:4 – Faithful Endurance

Posted on by Will

so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

Truth to Learn

Our growth comes from enduring difficult circumstances.

Behind the Words

Kauchomai is the Greek verb translated “boast.” This word may be derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which a boastful person holds up in a proud manner. The word kauchomai means “to boast” in either a good or bad sense.

“Patience” is from the word hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay in place.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load instead of shaking it off. Therefore, it carries the meaning of being steadfast or patient, particularly in a difficult situation.

The word “persecutions” is translated from the Greek word diōgmos, which is derived from the verb diokō, meaning “to follow, pursue, or persecute.” Diōgmos, therefore, refers to “pursuing someone or something.” Regarding people, this word almost always refers to hostile persecution.

The word “tribulation” is from thlipsis, which is derived from the verb thilbō, meaning “to press, crush, or squeeze.” Thus, thlipsis refers to “pressure or affliction.”

“Endure” is translated from the verb anechomai, made up of ana, meaning “up” and echo, meaning “to have or to hold.” So anechomai means “to hold oneself up” or “to endure.”

Meaning Explained

Anytime a verse starts out with a connective like “therefore” or “so that” we need to back-up and see what it is that is being referenced. If we look at the previous verse, we see that Paul had just thanked God for the growth in faith and love within the church at Thessalonica. Paul says that the growth of these attributes of the church there resulted in his boasting about the Thessalonians wherever he went.

He tells us that they were continuing to experience persecution and tribulation. But, they were not just experiencing these things, they were “hanging in there.” All Christians will experience both persecution and tribulation, but the maturing Christians will endure such things. Such endurance will produce both patience and love. It doesn’t come as a result of hanging your head or hiding in a corner. It comes from looking up to our commander-in-chief, seeking His guidance and assistance.

Let us not forget where this persecution was coming from. It was coming from their fellow countrymen. It was from their neighbors and co-workers. It was from people at the local market and government officials. It was as if the deck was stacked against them everywhere they turned. But, like a heavily laden beast of burden, the Christians in Thessalonica didn’t just give up, nor did they give in; they remained faithful in their Christian walk and in their witness to everyone around them.

Application

In the midst of life’s problems and persecution, let us stand boldly before our foes and proclaim the message of love and forgiveness. Hang-in there, my friend, and let your faith grow. This world needs to see faith in action, not faith in retreat.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 – Hang In There!

Posted on by Will

remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

Truth to Learn

The Christian life requires hard work and patience.

Behind the Words

“Without ceasing” is translated from adialeiptōs, made up of a, meaning “without,” dia, meaning “through” or “between,” and a form of the verb leipō, meaning “to leave.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without leaving space between.” In other words, it means doing something without pausing or stopping.

Ergon is the Greek word translated “work.” It refers to “toil labor, or work.” It doesn’t necessarily refer to “hard work,” but any kind of work, any act, or any deed performed.

The word “labor” is from the Greek word kopos, which is derived from the verb koptō, meaning “to cut” or “to beat on one’s chest in grief.” Kopos refers to the pain of toil or hard work. By analogy it refers to wearisome labor.

“Patience” is from the word hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay in place.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load instead of shaking it off. Therefore, it carries the meaning of being steadfast or patient.

“Hope” is from elpidos, which means more than just a wish. It implies a desire for some good thing with the full expectation that it will come to pass.

Meaning Explained

Yesterday we learned that Paul and his partners were persistent in praying for the people to whom they had been ministering. They cared so much for the Thessalonians that they prayed for them regularly. Here we learn that the prayers weren’t for God to help the Thessalonians; Paul and his companions gave praise to God for the way they lived-out their faith.

In their prayers they remembered and praised the work of faith that the Christians in Thessalonica were engaged in. Being a committed Christian is not easy. It involves persistence because our work of spreading the gospel and building up our fellow Christians is constantly under attack from those who oppose us. The members of the church in Thessalonica apparently were undaunted in their efforts. Paul referred to it as both a work of faith and labor of love. Note the distinction between work of faith (our works will follow us into heaven where we will get rewards for them) and the labor of love (in heaven we will have rest from our hard labor).

Paul also praised the Thessalonians for their patience. The Greek word hupomonē is a very descriptive word. Remaining steadfast in our faith is difficult at times because we can’t see God, we can’t feel His hand of comfort, and we can't hear His words of encouragement except by faith. But in spite of that we have a hope (a firm expectation) that we will be eternally in His presence one day, and that helps us remain under the load.

Application

Be steadfast and patient in your good deeds and hard labor for God. He sees all that you do, and He will reward you for everything you do to bring Him glory. Hang in there! You will receive the rewards of your labor one day.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 15:4 – Heavenly Hope

Posted on by Will

Romans 15:4 – Heavenly Hope

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament holds many teachings that instruct Christians in how to patiently endure with hope.

Behind the Words

The words “were written before” are translated from prographō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before in time or position” and graphō, meaning “to engrave,” which is an ancient form of writing. Thus, prographō means “to write beforehand.”

“Learning” is from the Greek noun didaskalia, which is derived from the verb didaskō, meaning “to instruct” or “to teach.” So, didaskalia refers to “that which has been taught” or “that which has been learned.”

“Patience” is from hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of menō, meaning “to remain.” Hupomonē literally means “to remain under.” It is a picture of a beast of burden who remains under a heavy burden. Thus, it means “to patiently endure difficult situations.”

The word “comfort” comes from paraklēsis, which is derived from parakaleō meaning “to call alongside.” It is the word used to describe the Holy Spirit as our “comforter” who is called to our side when we need comfort and strengthening.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul quoted from Psalms 69:9, which is clearly a Messianic passage referring to the reproachful suffering that Christ endured on our behalf. Apparently, as Paul reflected on this and other Old Testament passages, he recognized that all the Old Testament was written in a manner that expresses Christian principles.

He is not saying that the Old Testament was only, or even primarily, written for Christians. He is saying that all of it is there for our learning. Even though we are no longer under the Law, there is still a wealth of great instruction and exhortation to New Testament believers contained in those writings.

Paul’s key point in this verse is that through the Old Testament, we have hope as we see the patience that was demonstrated by, and comfort that was afforded to, Old Testament saints. And since we know that God does not change, if He provided miraculously for faithful Old Testament saints, then He will also provide for New Testament saints in like manner. As we look at Abraham, Job, David, Moses, Elijah and others, we see that God had a personal, ongoing relationship with them and went to great lengths to nurture their relationships with Him. As their patience in trials grew, so did their reliance on Him, as well as their hope in Him.

Application

Next time you are feeling defeated and spiritually weak, read about what David went through after he defeated Goliath and after Samuel told him that he would be King of Israel. See how he was persecuted by Saul and treated with contempt even when he himself had shown no malice to Saul. David had hope for the future, both earthly and heavenly. Do you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 12:12 – Guided Journey

Posted on by Will

Romans 12:12 – Guided Journey

rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

Truth to Learn

Hope, patience, and steadfastness can be ours in Christ.

Behind the Words

“Rejoicing” is translated from chairontes, meaning “to be full of cheer,” or “to be calmly happy.”

The word “hope” is from elpis, which means, “an earnest desire, and the expectation of obtaining the object of that desire.” It is not an uncertainty that we hope will come to pass; it implies a clear expectation that it will happen.

The word translated “affliction” is a form of the Greek word thlipsis, meaning “to press, squeeze, or crush.” It refers to those times when we are under pressure or affliction.

“Patient” is from a form of hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under or beneath” and a form of menō, which means “to remain.” So literally it means “to remain under.”

The word translated “continuing steadfastly” is proskartereō. This is made up of pros, meaning “to or towards” and kartereō, meaning “to endure.” It literally means “to stay where you are.” As Paul uses it here, it means “to stay in an attitude and practice of prayer.”

Meaning Explained

In this verse, like the previous verse, Christians are told how to behave in life. Paul starts off with “rejoicing in hope.” We have a hope of eternal glory that the unsaved don’t have. We know that there is a future state in which we will live with our Savior, where there will be no more tears, pain, or suffering. It is this future hope of glory that Paul reminds us of, telling us to rejoice in hope.

Paul’s next admonition is to be “patient in tribulation.” When we are under pressure or affliction, we want to take matters into our own hands, causing us to respond inappropriately. Instead, we need to “remain under control” or “remain under the authority and leadership of our Lord.” We need to remain submitted to Him and committed to doing His will, not our own.

Finally, Paul tells us we need to be “continuing steadfastly in prayer.” No matter what happens, whether in good times or bad, whether in sickness or health, whether in joy or in sorrow, we need to consistently be in the attitude and practice of prayer with our God.

God does not intend for our Christian lives to be ones in which we are on a journey by ourselves calling upon our Father whenever we have troubles. Instead, He wants us to be on a journey with Him as our constant companion and guide, talking (praying) about everything with Him as we experience it; asking questions as we go, sharing our joys with Him, and seeking comfort in our sorrows. This is the kind of personal relationship God wants with each one of us.

Application

How is your journey in life going? Perhaps your path is rocky and difficult right now. Are you patiently enduring it? Are you going it alone, or do you have your guide walking with you and leading the way? And, are you carrying on a constant conversation with your guide?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 8:25 – Patience and Perseverance

Posted on by Will

Romans 8:25 – Patience and Perseverance

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Truth to Learn

We patiently endure our trials through faith in God’s promise.

Behind the Words

The words “eagerly wait for” are translated from the Greek word apekdechomai. This is a double compound word made up of apo, meaning “from” but used here as an intensifier, ek which means “out” or “out of,” and deckomai, which means “to receive.” Hence, apokdechomai means “to eagerly or earnestly expect that something is going to be received.”

“Perseverance” is from hupomonē, which is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under or beneath” and a form of menō, which means “to stay or to remain.” It is a picture of a beast of burden who, when loaded with a heavy burden, remains under the load. That is, he perseveres under the load with patience.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse we spoke about the word “hope” being not just an earnest desire but also the expectation that the object of the desire will come to pass. Paul said that our salvation, which in God’s record book has already taken place, is manifest to us with the full expectation that it will be consummated at the end of these last times. But he also makes another statement about this salvation in hope. It is not seen and it is not fully obtained now. If we have something that we can see and touch, then there is no hope, or expectation of it.

Now allow me to open up the word elpis a little more. It is often translated as “hope,” but it is also frequently translated as “faith.” In the first part of the previous verse Paul said that “we are saved by (or in) faith (hope).” In Ephesians 2:8 Paul said “For by grace you are saved through faith.” It is this faith, this hope, this belief that God will do what he promised He would do at the end of the age that allows us to persevere. Faith is the instrument as well as evidence of our salvation.

We have to accept God’s promise on faith alone, because we don’t have visible, concrete proof of it right now. All we have is the promise and the seal of that promise in the form of the Holy Spirit living in us, and even He (the Holy Spirit) is unseen and untouchable for now.

In today’s verse Paul says that if we have faith (hope) in God’s promise, then we can eagerly wait for it with patience, knowing in our innermost parts that God will do for us just as He promised. There are some today who insist on concrete proof for everything. They will never be saved because we are saved through faith, not through proof. That’s why we as Christians often say that “believing is seeing,” not “seeing is believing.”

Application

In verse eighteen Paul said our current sufferings are not even worthy of comparison to the glory that will be revealed in us. Now he has shown us that through genuine faith we can endure these sufferings because we have faith that it will be over some day and we will receive the richest blessings of God when our salvation is consummated. I think it’s time for a prayer of thanksgiving, don’t you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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