Patience Transliteration: hupomonē
Phonetic: hoop-om-on-ay’

Thayer Def.:
steadfastness, constancy, endurance.
In the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials. a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Rev 3: 7-10 “And to the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: :…Behold, I make them of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie; behold, I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before your feet, and shall know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.“

Prominent points of this passage relative to this topic:

1.
Philadelphia: The Church where Love was the primary characteristic.
The name of the city meant “brotherly love” from Greek φιλεω (phileo) “to love” and αδελφος (adelphos) “brother”.

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2. “Behold, I make them of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie“
The Christian’s of Philadelphia lived among men who claimed a Jewish relationship to God, but these men lied to both men & God. Christ’s way is the only way that pleases The Father. Man’s structure of “religion” isn’t acceptable to God, even if it claims to have a foundational relationship to, or appearance similar to the true religion practiced by His chosen people.

Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither that circumcision which is outward in flesh; but he is a Jew who is so inwardly; and circumcision, of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

To better understand the context of the scripture in relation to God’s judgement of those who lied about their relationship to God, some words may need to be considered further, to understand the gravity of the reason for the judgement:

The word “evil” as used in Revelation 2:2 below, is translated from the Greek word kakos, which is defined by Thayer, as:
1. of a bad nature.
2. of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting
a. base, wrong, wicked
3. troublesome, injurious, pernicious*
(*Oxford Dict. having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.),
destructive, baneful* (*Oxford Dict. Harmful or destructive.)

Christian aren’t to bear (Accommodate or live comfortably with) men who practice evil G2556: Whatever was the motive of those who claimed to be Jews, it is clear that they were evil motives, as God declared they were to be identified as part of the congregation who serve Satan.

Revelation 2:2 I know your works and your labour, and your endurance, and that you can not bear evil G2556 men ; and you have tried them who say that themselves are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;.

We’re told in Galatians 5:9, and 1 Corinthians 5:6, that “a little leaven, leavens the whole lump” or to lightly paraphrase it, When corruption is permitted in a church, it spreads and corrupts many others in the church. There are unlikely to be times when Saints aren’t to rebuke evil when it’s observed within the Church, I believe that it should always be rebuked by those who have oversight responsibilities, and for those who aren’t in such a position of responsibility, they should bring their account of having observed it to the elders: God is pleased with those who do not bear/endure/support evil men.

The following scripture shows the selfish action of evil in promoting carnal man, and how it has no respect for the righteousness of Christ in Him directly and subsequently in His Saints:

John 18:20-23 “Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews always resort; and I’ve said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22 And when he had spoken this, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Do you answer the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil G2560“;

G2560 kakōs
Strong’s NT: b. (morally) improperly, wrongly: see the following examples..

to speak ill of, revile, one: Acts 23:5; “Then said Paul, brethren, I didn’t know, that he was the high priest: for it’s written, You shall not speak evil (kakōs) of the ruler of your people.“,

with bad intent: James 4:3. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss (kakōs), that you may consume it upon your lusts.

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3.
“The word of my patience”, refers to Christ… “His patience”.
He was “not swerved from his deliberate purpose”. He exemplified “steadfastness, constancy & endurance.”
He’s The Word which became flesh, and He is The Revelation of The Fathers love toward us. He obeyed The Father, in carrying His cross daily, through adversity of every conceivable type* (the extent of which, we may never know), the greatest of which was His bearing the sins of many, while The Father turned His face away. Yet during this time and every moment of His life among men, He related with patience and steadfast love, to those He suffered for and never said a bitter word to any man.

*Hebrews 4:15 “For we haven’t a high priest not able to sympathise with our infirmities, but tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart.”

By God’s strength, the saints at Philadelphia, had steadfastly endured in the manner of Christ, through the adversities that were put before them.

To live according to the pattern of Christ, is to exercise patience with each other, and we’re required to do this even more so as we understand the depths of God’s grace in our own lives. We have no right to judge others motives, or look at each other from a superior position, as we are equally guilty of sin. And just as the Fathers patience was shown to us through Christ, so we too are to be patient toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those presently without faith; Just as God is patient toward men.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some account of delay, but is long suffering towards you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

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4. “Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you…“
God will never leave or forsake His own, neither here nor after death. And we need to remember that His refining process in the saints, entails removal of the dross. 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us that Refining is a momentary & light affliction which “works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; “

This knowledge we have in faith, that the outcome of affliction is for Gods glory, and for our deliverance from the flesh, raises our eyes to heaven where Christ has gone before us; so we can see why Luke 21:19 says… “By your patient endurance gain your souls.” That doesn’t mean gaining our souls to salvation, as Christ has already done that for us, it means to be living in the fruit of Christs work and daily bearing fruit for His glory and our peace, growing in faith, which will save us from the grief of reaping what grows from the flesh, which leads to death; so that rather; we reap of the fruits of the spirit from sowing righteousness.

So by Gods power through Christ in us, we lead our body’s captive, to eternal benefit:

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance in order that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

Romans 12:12 “As regards hope, rejoicing: as regards tribulation, enduring: as regards prayer, persevering:”

Hebrews 12:1 Let us also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us”

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So remember the Philadelphian Christian’s, they were one of two Churches, out of the seven spoken of in Revelation, who were not told to repent, because they were already fulfilling their responsibilities to God; (Some saints in Thyatira were also not told to repent, because they had not accepted or held to the teaching of fornication etc… Revelation 2:24 But to you I say, the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I do not cast upon you any other burden, but what you have hold fast till I come.).

The Christian’s of Philadelphia, had been given an open door; that’s opportunity to continue in His way, for His glory, by His protective hand, under His authority… Phillipians 2:13  “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Revelation 3:8,11-13 “I know your works: behold, I have set before you an opened door, which no one can shut, because you have a little power, & have kept my word, & have not denied my name. I come quickly: hold fast what you have, that no one take your crown. He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, & he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, & the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, & my new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

Note: This letter is not addressed to Philadelphia for personal attention only; It’s for all those in every one of the assemblies, to him that has an ear to hear!

An ear like Samuel’s, exercised to hear God’s voice.

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man that doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, and doesn’t stand in the way of sinners, and doesn’t sit in the seat of scorners; But his delight is in Jehovah’s law, and in his law he meditates day and night. And he is as a tree planted by brooks of water, which gives its fruit in its season, and whose leaf doesn’t fade; and all that he does prospers.”

By God’s grace through Christ, we will run the race in steadfastness, constancy & endurance. “looking stedfastly 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.” Where we will one day join the saints bowing at His feet and declaring His praises!

(Header picture: Thanks to sister Sylvia from Uganda, steadfastly enduring by God’s strength through Christ.)

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