Forbearing One Another
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Four Aspects of Forbearance
Ephesians 4:1–4 APNT:
1 I, therefore, a prisoner in our Lord, beg you that you should walk as is proper for the calling that you were called,
2 with all humbleness of mind and quietness and long-suffering. And hold up one another in love
3 and be diligent to keep the alliance of the Spirit with the girdle of peace,
4 so that you will be in one body and by one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling.
There are four aspects of forbearance to consider.
- Holding Onto — sustain, help, assist, support, give strength to, cheer up.
- Holding Up — with hope as an anchor to our souls
- Holding Back — as God does with us
- Holding On — endure
Holding Onto
The first is regarding relationships with people. It’s different than how we normally think about forbearing. I think of undergirding a ship.
Holding Up
The second aspect is like your hands under something, lifting it up.
1 Corinthians 13:7 APNT:
[Love] endures [bears, holds up] everything, believes everything, hopes all, bears all.
Aramaic Word Picture for “Forbear”
The Aramaic word picture for “forbear” has a simple root that means “to hope.” There’s a variation that adds the idea of giving power to hope.
When we really hold someone up, we are offering them hope in such a way as to allow them to persevere.
Romans 8:25 APNT:
But if we hope for something that is not seen, we continue with endurance.
Hope provides an anchor for the person.
Hebrews 6:17–20 APNT:
17 Because of this, God especially wanted to show to the heirs of the promise that his promise would not change, so he bound it with oaths,
18 that by two things [His Word and His character] that are unchangeable in which God is not able to lie, we who have sought refuge in him may have great comfort and may hold fast to the hope that was promised to us,
19 which we have as an anchor that holds our soul, so that it is not shaken and it enters within the veil,
20 where Jesus previously entered for us and became a priest forever in the likeness of Melchisedec.
When you add the word “power” to “hope,” it enables people to bear up.
Holding Back
Holding back is not impatience, ill temper, hastiness, or even stoicism like “grin and bear it.”
Romans 3:25–26 ESV:
25 whom [Jesus] God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
God provided the answer, He gave us room.
Colossians 3:13 APNT:
And be forbearing to one another and forgiving to one another. And if someone has a complaint against his associate, as Christ forgave you, so also you forgive.
When we see the character of God, He holds back the consequences that we deserve. That’s what we should do for each other; forbearing one another in love.
Holding On
This is primarily regarding situations and distresses that we can’t control.
1 Peter 2:19–20 APNT:
19 for they will have grace before God, who because of a good conscience endure [forbear] sorrows that come on them wrongfully.
20 But what praise will they have who endure pressures because of their transgressions? But when you do what is good and they pressure you and you endure, then your praise is great with God.
You could translate it as “bear on your shoulders.” If the stress is from something that you can’t control, then you have to hold on and pray for God’s grace to be poured out and to help you understand how to respond in love.
We have to stand firm with the sandals of the gospel of peace. Every believer has a place in the body of Christ. Because Jesus Christ is the head of the body, it’s his job (not ours) to figure out how it’s all supposed to mesh together. What each one of us is to do. We each have a function, but it’s Jesus who tempers the body together so that it functions the way he wants it to. And so that it accomplishes the gospel.
Wearing those sandals of the gospel of peace, we can hold onto and sustain others, hold up someone with hope, hold back as God does with us, and we can hold on and endure.
Ephesians 4:15 APNT:
But we should be steadfast in our love, so that [in] everything we ourselves may grow up in Christ, who is the head.
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
See Also:
Forbearing One Another on the Acts Now Fellowship website
Bookstore Suggestions:
