We did not have normal class last week (those present got to be with the Jr & Sr High class). I was out of town seeing my brother play in the NAFL Championship Football Tournament. Here are the notes from November 7th’s class.
We started by looking at some of the different words in James 1:3 used for perseverance in different translations of the Bible? This is what we came up with:
1. NIV: perseverance
2. NLT & NASB: Endurance
3. ESV: Steadfastness
4. KJV & NKJV: the dreaded “P” word of Patience
Question: What do these words mean to you?
According to websters.com these are the definitions of each word:
1. Perseverance: The action, condition or instance of persevering: steadfastness
2. Endurance: permanence, duration, the act or an instance of enduring or suffering
3. Steadfastness: firmly fixed in place not subject to change, firm in belief, determination or adherence
4. Patience: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient
Honestly, all of these definitions from Webster's don’t give the same understanding as when you go back to the original Greek.
I am not going to tell you the Greek word cause frankly, you won’t remember it. Anyway the definition is what we want to remember:
“The characteristic of a man who is NOT swerved from his deliberated purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety (reverence for good or devout fulfillment of religious obligation) by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”
QUESTION: What does that definition say to you…if anything at all?
What that definition tells me is that when my known faith is tested, I want to be known as a servant of Jesus that is NOT swerved from my belief in Jesus. That no matter what test comes my way that I am close enough to God to realize that if He allowed it…then He will in HIS TIMING bring good from it.
Perseverance and patience according to our definition are a “characteristic” so what is a characteristic?
Look for Part 2 of this blog tomorrow.
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