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Series: God’s Plan to Change Me - “Fight the Good Fight” Today: Fighting For Patience (Col 3:12-13; Eph 4:1-3 & other texts) Use these notes only if you find them helpful, but do listen with an open heart & Bible (Acts 17:11) Pastor Jeff
Intro:
I. … flows ________ our experience of ______________ God’s patience toward us.
II. ... flows _____ others in a________ of patience - no matter how difficult the ___________or circumstances.
Digging Deeper into the fight for “patience”
I want to suggest several ways we can study God’s Word so as to learn more about & seek to grow in the spiritual virtue of “patience”.
1. The primary NT word for patience is found about 17 x in the noun form including: Rom 2:4 & 9:22; 2 Cor 6:6; Ga 15:22; Eph 4:2; Col 1:11, 3:12; 1 Tim l:16; 2 Tim 3:10 & 4:2; Heb 6:12; Jam 5:10; 1 Pet 3:20 & 2 Pet 3:15. It occurs about 8 x as a verb including: Mt 18:26 & 29; Lk 18:7; 1 Cor 13:4; l Thess 5:14; Heb 6:15; Jam 5:7-8 & 2 Pet 3:9. • Note the connections of related virtues in Col 3:12-15 & Eph 4:1-4.
2. The OT was translated into Greek before the time of Jesus. This version is called the Septuagint. The NT word for “patience” is used many times in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew idea of God being “slow to anger”. For example this word is used in that way in Ex 34:6, Num 14:18; Ps 86:15, 103:8, Joel 2:3 & Nah 1:2-3ff. See also Jonah 4:2. Hence the OT teaches that our patience is grounded in God’s patience for us. This is made clear in NT texts like Rom 2:4 & 1 Tim 1:16.
3. Patience is related to the term “endurance” or “steadfastness” which we studied last week. The NT noun (in Greek) for “endurance” is found about @ 31 x in the NT including the following: Lk 8:15, & 21:19; Rom 5:3-4, 8:25 & 15:4-5; 2 Cor 1:6, 6:4 & 12:12; Col 1:11; 1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:4 & 3:5; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:10; Tit 2:2; Heb 10:36 & 12:1; Jam 1:3-4 & 5:11; 2 Pet 1:6; Rev 1:9, 2:2-3, 2:19, 3:10, 13:10 & 14:12. This word normally has the idea of a capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances. • The NT verb (in Greek) for “to endure” is also translated as “to persevere”, “to be patient” & “to be steadfast”. It is used @ 17 x in the NT including the following: Mt 10:22, 24:13; Mk 13:13; Lk 2:43; Acts 17:14; Rom 8:24, 12:12; 1 Cor 13:7; 2 Tim 2:10 & 12; Heb 10:32, 12:2 & 3 & 7; Jam 1:12 & 5:11;& 1 Pet 2:20. • “patience” is found with “endurance” in Col 1:11 & 2 Tim 3:10
4. I want to again recommend 2 very good books on the idea of suffering, endurance & patience. How Long O Lord by DA Carson deals more with the Biblical theology of suffering & why we suffer. The Call to Joy & Pain by Ajith Fernando is much easier to read & more practical. But it is by no means superficial.
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