Quote:

 

Of all the principles that go together with faith (which is an important principle in itself for without faith we cannot please God – Hebrews 11:6), the most important is longsuffering (Greek ‘makrothumia’ mistranslated patience in most versions of the Bible). It is faith working together with longsuffering that achieves the miraculous. The proper Greek word for patience is ‘hupomone’ which is an expansion of the word ‘mone’ which means ‘to abide.’ The word ‘makrothumia’ is derived from ‘thuos’ and ‘thumos’ which conveys an essence of rage, passion, heat, desire. When ‘makrothumia’ is used with faith as in Hebrews 6:12, it speaks of the ability to stretch forth (makro – long) one’s passionate desire to achieve that which faith has visualise and received within oneself. It is by faith and makrothumia that one inherits the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). Perhaps the word ‘longsuffering’ is not the best translation of ‘makrothumia’ as it conveys a passive quality which is not a good picture of ‘thumos.’ Perhaps the two English words ‘persistence’ and ‘gumption’ mixed together conveys a sense of the meaning – a sense of outright boldness of courage mixed with an unrelenting persistence.