CHRISTIAN GRACES
ENDURANCE HUPO-MONE Υπω-μονη
This word is generally translated "patience" in our Authorized Version, and by "endurance" in the New Translation by J. N. Darby. The original meaning of the Greek word is "remaining behind". It comes from the verb, "I remain behind", which in Luke 2:4343And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. (Luke 2:43) is translated in this way.
We find a very beautiful example of this word in the lovely story of Shammah in the field of lentiles in 2 Sam. 23:11, 1211And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory. (2 Samuel 23:11‑12). "After him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory.”
Shammah "remained behind". Shammah "endured". There are, perhaps, few things more difficult than to endure. When others have given up, to remain behind, is not easy. I suppose Shammah's friends and fellow-soldiers told him it was hopeless, it was certain death to stay where he was, and anyway for a field of lentils (in the Chinese Bible it is "red beans") it was not worth remaining behind to defend. I expect David had given that field of lentils to Shammah to defend. And you and I have been given a field of lentils to defend, in the midst of which 'great David's Greater Son' has placed us. Our field of lentils may be our home, or the office or the shop; it may be the little feeble company of two or three gathered to our Lord's own Name, that others have despised and forsaken for something greater and more attractive. Our field of lentils may not seem worth defending, and we may feel like giving up, or perhaps we are turning our eyes to fields that seem to us more attractive, and more worthwhile. Let us remember Shammah, who remained behind when the others fled. Let us endure, as he endured.
Our God is called "The God of Endurance"; "The God of Endurance and Encouragement". (Rom. 15:55Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: (Romans 15:5) New Translation) Many years ago some kind friends were urging a young man to give up some work the Lord had given him to do. He went in his perplexity to a dear old brother. He will never forget the way he exclaimed: "Give up? All giving up is of the devil!" Yes, our God is "the God of Endurance".
I suppose every Christian is willing to "boast in hope of the glory of God," (Rom. 5:22By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2). New Translation), but how many of us can truthfully add: "And not only (that), but we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance." The word tribulation comes from the Latin word `tribulum', 'a flail'. The flail I used when a boy was a cruel looking instrument, made of two sticks of wood fastened together at the ends with a thong. You held one of the sticks, swinging it so that the other came down with a terrific whack on the wheat. The result was that the chaff and straw were separated from the wheat. The chaff and straw were blown away, while the wheat remained. The wheat endured. The flail brought tribulation to it, right enough, but by that tribulation the wheat obtained endurance.
It may be you have been having some pretty heavy blows with the flail. You may feel that you have been having more than your share of tribulation. May the God of Endurance give you to boast in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation works endurance. You will have noticed the way James opens his epistle. Immediately after the greeting (which only takes one verse), he plunges straight into his subject. "Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations." (Peirasmos: An experiment, a trial, a testing, a temptation. We are put into the crucible, like the chemists do the substances they are testing.) "Count it all joy when ye fall into various temptations, knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance." Bishop Ellicott says: "In the noble word hupomone there always appears in the New Testament a background of andreia (manliness).... it does not mark merely the endurance, but the perseverance.... the brave patience with which the Christian contends against the various hindrances, persecutions and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the inward and the outward world.”
Yes, endurance is so precious, and of such inestimable value, that we may count it all joy when we fall into these trials, because we know they work endurance. "But let endurance have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2, 32My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2‑3)). And the passage we looked at in Romans, says: "We also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; and endurance, experience; and experience, hope; and hope does not make ashamed." Yes, endurance works experience. That is what our hymn tells us:
“His love in times past
Forbids us to think
He'll leave us at last,
In trouble to sink.”
This is experience, and it was endurance which taught it. Do you think Shammah would have missed the experience he gained by that fight in the lentil field? Never! And when we get Home, we will see that some of these hard places on the road were the bits we would not have missed for anything. They worked endurance.
The first mark of a true servant of God is "endurance". "In everything commending ourselves as God's ministers (or, servants), in much endurance." (2 Cor. 6:44But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, (2 Corinthians 6:4)). The false servant, the hireling, fled when he saw the wolf coming; but the Good Shepherd "remained behind". He endured. Endurance was also the first sign of an Apostle. "The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance...." (2 Cor. 12:1212Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. (2 Corinthians 12:12)).
Years ago my work took me to the woods in the North of Canada, far from any Christian services. One Lord's Day morning I was reading the first chapter of Col. 1 got as far as the eleventh verse, and I read: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory...." and I stopped there, somewhat overwhelmed by the stupendous display of mighty power. And as I stopped, I dreamed of the great deeds I would someday do for the Lord, with all this mighty power on which I might so freely draw; what crowds might be converted; how the heathen might be won for Christ! Then I decided to finish the verse: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy". It was a bit of a shock, for in those days I had never thought very much of endurance, or of patience either, as it is put in our ordinary English Bible. But God's thoughts are not our thoughts; and God knows the true worth of endurance, and just the power that is needed for it, especially when "longsuffering" or "suffering-for-along-time", is connected with it; and the whole is done not with a spirit of being sorry for ourselves, but, "with joy". Ah, my brothers, my sisters, you will find you do indeed need to be "strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory," if you are to have "all endurance and long-suffering with joy." We never, never can do it in our own strength, but "Thanks be to God," He does not ask us to use our own strength, and He offers us all this vast store of power on which to freely draw, with unlimited demands, and all for the sake of endurance: "endurance and longsuffering with joy." It is not easy, but, "Thank the Lord," He can do it for us; He can work it in us.
The Apostle used to boast about the endurance of his dear children in Faith, the Thessalonian Christians. "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 1:33Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1 Thessalonians 1:3)). And their endurance kept up, for in the Second Epistle we find he is still boasting of it, "Your faith increases exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all towards one another abounds; so that we ourselves make our boast in you in the assemblies of God for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, which ye are sustaining." (2 Thess. 1:44So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: (2 Thessalonians 1:4)). They had the real, genuine thing; their endurance did not break down.
There are some things that pursue us, press after us. This word `dioko', 'pursue' or 'press after' is an intensely interesting word, but we may not stop to pursue it now. The things that press after us are very often troubles (not always: for 'goodness and mercy' are amongst the things that very earnestly press after us, as well as other good things). But we are to press after quite a lot of things; you will find a list of some of them in 1 Tim. 6:11, 1211But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11‑12); and amongst these you will find endurance. Yes, we are to press after endurance. These days are apt to be soft days, and we do not like to endure hardness if we can help it; but remember, it is not wealth, nor ease, nor comfort, nor learning, we are to press after, but endurance, as well as other blessed graces we may not mention now.
The Apostle could say to Timothy, his son in the faith, "Thou hast been thoroughly acquainted with my.... endurance." (2 Tim. 3:1010But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (2 Timothy 3:10)). Yes, Timothy knew how Paul had remained behind when John Mark gave up and deserted him; He knew how Paul had endured when Peter gave up the truth at Antioch, and all the others with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away; but Paul remained behind in the true faith. And in 2 Tim. 4:1616At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. (2 Timothy 4:16), the old Apostle, Paul the Aged, tells his child in the faith how "all deserted me." But Paul endured, he remained behind, and faced Nero alone; "and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth." Few there are indeed who have endured like Paul, and few were acquainted with his endurance like Timothy.
Paul tells Titus that the "elder men" were to have endurance, though this would indeed include patience (See Titus 2:22That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. (Titus 2:2), New Translation Note). It may be that as we get older we learn to value this quality more. The urge and impetuosity of youth has passed away, perhaps. But "Thank the Lord," endurance is one quality we old folks who are not good for much may, and should have. Keep on in the race, dear old Friend, the goal is almost in sight, "Press toward the mark!" Endure!
And Heb. 10:3636For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36) tells us we have need of endurance in order that, having done the will of God, we may receive the promise. We can see "the streaks in the sky." The 'Bright and Morning Star' will soon appear, and make good all the promises. But now, in the darkest part of the night, just before the dawn, "Ye have need of endurance." And those who have endured, we call happy. "Ye have heard of the endurance of Job, and seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is full of tender compassion and pitiful." (James 5:1111Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (James 5:11)). Sweet attributes are these to link up with endurance. It did not look like tender compassion and pity in the early chapters of Job. But it was true for Job, and it is true for us. Tribulation did work endurance, and if we let it, tribulation will work endurance for us too, and we also will prove the Lord to be "full of tender compassion and pitiful.”
And in that famous addition sum of Peter's (2 Peter 1:5, 65And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (2 Peter 1:5‑6)), we find our word once again: endurance! To our faith add courage; to our courage add knowledge; to our knowledge add self-control; to our self-control add endurance; and to endurance add brotherly affection; and to our brotherly affection add love. May God help us so to do.
“Let us therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, looking steadfastly on JESUS the Leader and Completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before Him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider well Him who endured so great contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds." (Heb. 12:1-31Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:1‑3))
ENDURE HARDNESS as a Good Soldier of JESUS CHRIST.