Defining Patience as a Fruit

In Gk the word is makrothymía (from 3117 /makrós, "long" and 2372 /thymós, "passion, anger") – properly, long-passion, i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger. This avoids the premature use of force (retribution) that rises out of improper anger (a personal reaction).

•Paul is referring to a non-English word ‘long- tempered’
•It means:
•endure for a long time, showing perseverance without retaliation or revenge
•to put up with the weaknesses and faults of others, showing forebearance than irritation and anger enough to fight back
•Patience demands strength and stamina
The Patience of God

•The God of the OT is often visualized as an angry God
•The testimony God gives of himself to Moses however contradicts such an idea
•In both Jonah and Micah this very aspect of God’s testimony is again revealed
•Yes when God’s anger was finally revealed in the OT, it should be seen in the light of his long story of patience, over centuries and generations (e.g. Jer 8:4-7; 25:3-4; Ex 34:6; 33:12-17; Ps 103:8; Jer 8:4-7; 25:3-4; Patience has got a lot to do with what one can bear or carry. Is 43:23,24; Hebrew ‘to forgive’ is to bear or carry a load (Is 53:4,6,12); Paul is speaking of such a patience; Jesus paying the true cost of God’s patience.

The Patience of Jesus

•It is seen in his responses to his disciples who faltered in interpreting his statements and his work (e.g. Jn 14:9 ff; 16:29 ff)
•His tears over Jerusalem (Mt 23:37)
•The supreme patience of Jesus is at the Cross as he endured violence, cruelty and injustice:
•Precisely to ‘bear/carry’ our sins  (1 Pe 2:20-24)
•Thereby the quality of patience maturing in us is progress towards such as Christ’s