Longsuffering
- 3115 (makrothumia) and 3114 (makrothumeo) The parts of the word are “long” (macro) and “passion.” Waiting a sufficient time before expressing passion or anger.
- Patience is a different word: 5278 (hupomeno) To stay under, to remain; figuratively, undergo, have fortitude, persevere. 5281 (hupomone ) Cheerful endurance, constancy.
- In some passages, patience and longsuffering are both used in a list, so must be different.
Longsuffering does not necessarily imply bad things happening to me, but putting up with the actions of others that do not affect me directly.
- Romans 9:22 God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.
- Romans 2:4 Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
- 2 Peter 3:20 …the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah…
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance,
- 2 Peter 3:15 …consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…
Longsuffering is a product of the Spirit that dwells in us.
- Galatians 5:22 – 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love ,joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- Colossians 1:9 – 12 For this reason we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
The longsuffering attitude (putting up with people, not necessarily personal affliction) is expected.
- 1 Timothy 1:16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
- 2 Timothy 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance…
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
- Ephesians 4:1 – 3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- Colossians 3:12 – 13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
- 2 Corinthians 6:4 – 8 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love…
- James 5:10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. (The translators did not want to write “suffering and longsuffering”)