As part of our study of Colossians, I am spending several posts digging into what Paul was praying for the church at Colossae and why:
“9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV84)
Posts 41-43 have dealt specifically with this phrase in v.10: “bearing fruit in every good work.”
Our Day 43 post focused on the first fruit in the apostle Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5: LOVE.
Today we are going to look at the next three fruits on that list.
“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:22-26 (ESV)
Joy-Fruit
“But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
John 17:13-19 (ESV)
Jesus had already told His disciples they would “weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy,” (John 16:20). Also, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy,” (John 16:22). He adds that there is a day after He leaves then returns when their “joy will be complete,” (John 16:24).
Here, just prior to His arrest, Jesus prays the disciples will be able to have the full measure of His joy within them even though He will soon be leaving them, the world hates them, they need protection from the evil one, and they need to be sanctified.
Looking Forward to Joy
Could the disciples really look forward to joy while grieving the death of Jesus?
- Can you have joy when the world hates you?
- Is it possible to have joy when you need protection from the evil one?
- Are you able to have joy during the painful, long-term process of sanctification?
Yes.
I like the way chara, Greek for “joy” in v.13, is defined in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: “cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.” Calm delight. Ahhh. This is a fruit I want to bear, I can bear through the Spirit within me, and I am called to bear in order to please God and live a worthy life.
Peace-Fruit
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27 (ESV)
eirēnē: translated “peace;” “tranquility” (Mounce)
tranquil: “Free from disturbance; calm,” (lexico.com)
“My peace I give to you,” Jesus says. When I read these words I can’t help but picture sleeping Jesus in the boat during a raging storm.
There Was a Great Calm
“23And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. 25And they went and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ 26And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?'”
Matthew 8:23-27 (ESV)
“Peace! Be still!”
“35On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ 36And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
And they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ 39And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'”
Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)
There Was a Calm
“22One day He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, 23and as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24And they went and woke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even winds and water, and they obey Him?'”
Luke 8:22-25 (ESV)
As they sailed, He fell asleep.
A great windstorm arose and came down on the lake.
The waves broke into the boat — the boat now swamped with waves, filling with water.
They were in danger.
They were afraid of death (perishing).
But Jesus was with them.
He was in control.
He spoke, “Peace! Be still!,” and there was a great calm.
This is the peace He has given us. This is the peace we can bear in the Spirit, having calm and living free from disturbance; maintaining a settled and peaceful condition when interruptions abound!
Patience-Fruit
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:1-2 (NIV)
Forms of the Greek word makrothumia, translated “patient” here in Eph. 4:2 and “patience” in Gal. 5:22, means:
“Forbearance, longsuffering, patient endurance when others attack or make our lives difficult. Makrothumia describes patience with people…” (AMG’s Annotated Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament).
You can see this idea of patience as bearing with others when you look at the end of Eph. 4:2: “bearing with one another in love.” The Greek word here is anechōmai, “to bear with” (Mounce).
You could say the idea here is
putting up with people out of supernatural love from God above through His Holy Spirit within us.
Patience with People
As Beth Moore writes in Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit,
“When it comes to prioritizing between circumstances and people, God is obviously going to choose people…
Wouldn’t you agree that to be patient with circumstances is far easier than with people?…
When it comes to dealing with trying people, we have someone to blame, so we need all the help we can get! Amen?”
(June 2005 printing, p.119).
In the synoptic gospels, we see Jesus speaking of Himself “bearing with” people (anechōmai).
| Matthew 17:17 | “Jesus answered, saying, ‘Unbelieving and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long must I put (anexomai | ἀνέξομαι | fut mid ind 1 sg) up with you? Bring him here to Me.'” |
| Mark 9:19 | “Answering them He said, ‘O unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put (anexomai | ἀνέξομαι | fut mid ind 1 sg) up with you? Bring him to Me.'” |
| Luke 9:41 | “In answer Jesus said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you and put (anexomai | ἀνέξομαι | fut mid ind 1 sg) up with you? Bring your son here.'” |
Jesus had to “put up with” people, too, and He was perfect! He died for the people He had to put up with. We’re commanded to bear with people, first with those who are believers like us. Praise God, He gave us the Holy Spirit so we would have the supernatural ability to bear the fruit of makrothumia-patience! I am certainly thankful my fellow believers have this Spirit-ability to put up with me.
Family Patience Prayer
I have this super simple prayer written on a notecard and posted on my bathroom mirror:
Father God,
Help us to be patient
with each other,
others,
& ourselves.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
