I. Representative Biblical references

    A. Old Testament
         Exod. 34:6 - "Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger..."
              cf. Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13...
         Prov. 14:17, 29 - "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is               quick-tempered exalts folly"
    B. New Testament
         1. Greek makrothumia. makro=long; thumos=wrath. "long-temper"
              I Cor. 13:4 - "love is patient"
              Gal. 5:22 - "fruit of Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.."
              I Thess. 5:14 - "be patient with all men"
              James 5:7,8 - "be patient until the coming of the Lord"
         2. Greek hupomeno. hupo=under; meno=to abide. "abide under"
              Rom. 5:3 - "tribulation works patience"
              Rom. 15:5 - "the God of patience"
              Heb. 10:36 - "you have need of endurance"
              James 1:3,4 - "test of your faith produces endurance"

II. Defining patience

    A. Patience is not a natural trait
         1. Not to be confused with
              a. Stoicism - "bear it"
              b. Fatalism - "put up with it"
              c. Passivism - "roll with it"
              d. Escapism - "move away from it"
              e. Isolationism - "shut it out"
              f. Humanism - "deal with it"
         2. Differing personality patterns
              a. Some personalities have natural tendency to be flexible, tolerant, restrained, leisurely,                    lenient, reserved, acquiescent, easy-going, unruffled, cooperative, complacent, to defer, to                    overlook faults, etc.
              b. Is this patience? Why? Why not?
              c. Is such behavior motivated by a fear of, or avoidance of, confrontation, alienation,                    disharmony, disloyalty, making someone feel bad, etc.?
    B. Patience is a divine attribute
         1. Character of God
              Exod. 34:6 - "Lord God,...slow to anger"
              I Pet. 3:20 - "the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah"
         2. Exhibited in/by Jesus Christ
              II Thess. 3:5 - "the steadfastness of Christ"
              I Pet. 2:23 - "while being reviled, He did not revile in return,...but kept entrusting Himself                    to Him who judges righteously"
              II Pet. 3:9 - "The Lord is patient toward you"
              II Pet. 3:15 - "the patience of our Lord...salvation"
         3. Divine implementation in behavior of men
              a. "not a virtue achieved, but a character received"
                  Gal. 5:22 - "fruit of Spirit...patience"
                  Col. 1:11 - "strengthened with all power, for the attaining of all steadfastness and                        patience"
    C. Contexts of patience
         1. Patient with people - when wronged, offended, rejected, falsely accused, slighted, assaulted,               treated unjustly; when people don't do it right
              Eph. 4:2 - "conduct yourselves with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love"
              Col. 3:12,13 - "put on patience, bearing with one another"
              I Thess. 5:14 - "be patient with all men"
              II Tim. 2:24 - "patient when wronged"
         2. Patient in trials, inconveniences, events, when things go wrong
              Rom. 5:3 - "tribulation brings about perseverance"
              James 1:3 - "the testing of your faith produces endurance"
         3. Patient with yourself, personal expectations, aspirations, weaknesses.
    D. Finding definition in the Greek words for "patience"
         1. Makrothumia - "long temper"
              a. Delayed reaction of anger, wrath, irritation, retaliation, judgment ­ avoidance of impulsive                   "fight" response.
              b. Positive response connected to "love"
                  I Cor. 13:4 - "love is patient"
                  Gal. 5:22 - "fruit of Spirit is love...patience..."
                  II Tim. 3:10 - "patience, love, perseverance"
         2. Hupomeno - "to abide under"
              a. Delayed reaction of frustration, despondency, despair, panic ­ avoidance of impulsive                   "fright" response.
              b. Delayed reaction of escape, withdrawal, isolation, running away ­ avoidance of impulsive                   "flight" response.
              c. Positive response connect with "hope"
                  Rom. 5:4 - "perseverance brings about proven character, and proven character, hope..."
                  Rom. 8:25 - "if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it"
                  Rom. 12:12 - "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation"
                  I Thess. 1:3 - "steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
         3. Together they provide more comprehensive definition
              a. Delayed reaction to circumstances of life.
              b. We do not make a quick reaction, because...
                  (1) God has a bigger perspective
                  (2) God has a purpose in it all
                  (3) God is in control
                  (4) God wants to act in control through you
                       (a) in grace - His activity by His character
                       (b) in love - that seeks highest good of others
                       (c) in thanksgiving - that recognizes His grace
                       (d) in joy - gladness of grace
                       (e) in hope - confident expectation that He does all things well
                       (f) by faith - our receptivity of His activity
                            Rev. 13:10 - "perseverance and faith"
                       (g) in action - persistence, perseverance, constancy
                            Ps. 37:7 - "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him"