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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJames Hastings Dictionary of the NT: Endurance
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ENDURANCE.—The active qualities of perseverance and persistence, never absent from the biblical notion of endurance, form, in effect, the substance of the art. Activity, and need not be considered here. The passive aspect suggests an inquiry as to—
1. The causes of those trials which Christ had to endure.—Of (a) supernatural causes (1) the first, an all-inclusive cause, was the Divine will (Joh_10:18), recorded beforehand in OT Scriptures (Mat_26:54, Mar_14:21, Luk_22:37; Luk_24:25 f.), and referred to constantly by Christ in words of resignation (Mat_26:42, Luk_10:21), often under the figure of a ‘cup’ (Mat_20:22; Mat_26:39, Joh_18:11). (2) A second supernatural cause (under Divine permission) appears in the agency of Satan, acting both directly, in temptation and opposition (Mat_4:3 ff; Mat_13:39, Luk_10:18), and also oftener indirectly, through the weakness (Mat_16:23, Luk_22:31) and wickedness (Luk_22:3; Luk_22:53, Joh_6:70; Joh_8:44; Joh_13:2) of men. These two causes, whether expressly referred to or not, are undoubtedly to be regarded as factors never absent (see Joh_19:11 and also Joh_12:31, Joh_14:30, Joh_16:11, where the title ‘prince of this world’ is significant in this connexion).
(b) Internal causes (supernatural also, in a different sense) were not wanting. (1) The prophetic mission of Christ (Joh_12:46; Joh_18:37) made suffering and death morally inevitable at the hand of man (Luk_4:24; Luk_11:49 f., 13:33f., Joh_7:7), light and darkness being essentially opposed (Joh_3:19 f.; cf., for illustration, a remarkable passage in Plato, Rep. vii. 517 B, where a similar inevitability is declared even in the case of Socrates). (2) The revelation of His Divine nature, implied in His relationship to the Father’s Being (Joh_5:18; Joh_8:58; Joh_10:30 ff.) and prerogatives (Mat_9:2, Luk_7:48 f.) was bound to provoke deadly hostility in unbelieving Jews (Mat_26:65, Joh_19:7). It is at the same time clear, from Christ’s anxiety to avoid publicity (Mat_12:16, Mar_7:36; Mar_8:26 etc.) and needless offence (Mat_17:27), that persecution and death were not courted by Him.
(c) The external causes were more complex. (1) Many trials arose from the imperfections of His disciples; their dulness (Mar_8:15 ff; Mar_9:32, Luk_24:25), spiritual powerlessness (Mat_17:16 f.), false zeal (Mat_15:23; Mat_16:23, Mar_9:38, Luk_9:54), mistaken aims (Mar_9:5; Mar_10:35 ff., Luk_22:24), and discreditable falls (Mat_26:56, Mar_14:66 ff., Luk_22:47 f.). But (2) most arose from Christ’s rejection by ‘His own’ (Joh_1:11, Mat_23:37, Mar_12:6 ff., Joh_5:43; Joh_19:15) from motives (which He well perceived, Mat_9:4; Mat_12:25, Mar_9:33 f., Luk_6:8, Joh_2:25) of fear (Mat_8:34, Joh_Joh_12:42 f., Joh_19:12), policy (Joh_11:49 f., Mar_15:15), gain (Mat_26:14 f., Mar_10:22, Luk_16:14), envy (Mat_21:38; Mat_27:18, Joh_12:10), and hate (Luk_19:14, Joh_7:7; Joh_15:18; Joh_15:24); a rejection characterized in its display by indifference (Luk_14:18 ff.), ingratitude (Luk_17:17 f., Joh_5:15), contradiction (Joh_8:13), insult (Mat_10:25; Mat_12:24, Mar_15:32, Luk_7:34; Luk_22:63; Luk_23:11, Joh_8:48; Joh_9:24), treachery (Luk_11:53; Luk_20:20; Luk_22:48), injustice (Mar_14:55 f., Joh_19:4; Joh_19:10; Joh_19:18), violence (Luk_4:28 f., Joh_8:59; Joh_10:31), brutality (Luk_22:64, Joh_19:1-3 etc.), and death (Joh_19:18).
2. Some features of Christ’s endurance are vitally connected with fundamental doctrines of His person and work. (1) It was voluntary. Of this the emphatic statement in Joh_10:17 f. leaves no doubt. Such an utterance may be hard to parallel, but prudence would almost make it so; and the expressions used in Luk_9:31, Joh_7:33 f., Joh_8:21, Joh_13:31 seem to speak of a course equally spontaneous; indeed, in one case (Joh_8:22) a voluntary (i.e. a suicide’s) death is actually suggested as their meaning! (2) It was perfect. (a) Under suffering: for His spirit, words, and demeanour were admittedly supreme examples of His own teaching, e.g. upon submission (Joh_18:22 f., Mat_5:39), retaliation (Luk_6:35; Luk_22:51), and love to enemies (Mat_5:44 f., Luk_23:34). (b) Under temptation: otherwise it would be inexplicable that Christ should have urged repentance as a first essential for others (Mat_4:17; Mat_11:20 f, Mat_21:38 ff., Luk_5:32; Luk_13:3; Luk_13:15, etc.), whereas He afforded no example of it in His own case. On the contrary, He laid claim to sinlessness both negatively (Joh_14:30) and positively (Joh_8:29), as unchallengeable (Joh_8:46). An intuitive perception of His sinlessness appears in the self-abasing awe of a few good men (Mat_3:14, Luk_5:8) more convincingly than in the ambiguous testimony of many other observers (Mat_27:3; Mat_27:19, Luk_23:47, Joh_19:4 etc.). (3) It was human. Christ’s capability of human suffering is beyond question. No mention, indeed, is made of sickness in the ordinary sense; perhaps it is excluded; but all other bodily needs and infirmities were shared by Him (Mat_4:2; Mat_8:20; Mat_8:24; Mat_21:18, Joh_4:6 f., Joh_19:28). The emotions of His mind (Mar_3:5; Mar_7:34; Mar_10:14, Luk_19:41, Joh_11:35) and spirit (Luk_10:21, Joh_11:33; Joh_13:21) were evident from their outward traces, as well as from His own statements (Mat_15:32, Luk_22:15, Joh_11:15). On two occasions He referred to those of His soul (Joh_12:27, Mar_14:34). That this capability of suffering was not counteracted by the exercise of miraculous power is proved by His reference to His ‘temptations’ (Luk_22:28), by His prediction of sufferings on the part of His disciples similar generally to His own (Mar_10:38 f.), by the shrinking of His human will (Mat_26:39; Mat_26:42, Luk_12:50, Joh_12:27), by His refusal to allay His own hunger miraculously (Mat_4:3 f.), or to lessen His torments even by ordinary means (Mar_15:23), by His craving for the support of human sympathy (Mar_14:33 ff.), and by His reliance above all else upon the Father’s presence (Joh_8:29; Joh_16:32) and the spiritual support of prayer (Luk_6:12; Luk_9:18; Luk_9:28; Luk_11:1; Luk_22:41 etc.). As man He met temptation (Mat_4:4), and overcame by faith (see Joh_11:41 f., Mat_27:43, and also the important expression ‘my God,’ Mat_27:46, Joh_20:17).
In some respects, however, His endurance differed essentially from that of believers. (1) It was free from the inherent tendencies of a sinful nature (Joh_14:30) and from the enslaving influence of sins committed (Joh_8:34-36). (2) It contained the additional elements of prescience and perfect consciousness. Predictions of suffering are numerous and detailed (Mat_17:22 f., Mat_20:18 f., Mat_26:2, Mar_14:18; Mar_14:30, Luk_9:22; Luk_9:44; Luk_12:50; Luk_13:33; Luk_17:25; Luk_22:37 etc.). The knowledge (Joh_18:4) whereby He ‘saw’ and ‘tasted’ death (Joh_8:51 f., Joh_10:12) was complete. (3) Above all, the relation between the Passion of Christ and the sin of the world (Joh_1:29), symbolized by the supernatural darkness, laid on Him that infinite woe, almost amounting to despair (Mar_15:33 f.), the prospect of which was undoubtedly the main factor in the Agony and other forebodings.
3. There remain to be considered the purposes for the attainment of which Christ’s endurance was a necessity (Luk_24:26). In the trials and temptations of (a) His life, two such purposes are prominently visible: (1) the fulfilment of all righteousness (Mat_3:15; Mat_5:17), described as a progressive course through service and suffering (Luk_22:27 f., Joh_13:14; Joh_19:30), in which Christ met continually the Father’s approval (Luk_2:40; Luk_2:52, Mat_3:17; Mat_17:5, Joh_12:28), being declared to be the ‘Son of God’ ideally as well as actually. (2) The acquirement of sympathy; through experimental acquaintance with the weakness of the flesh (Joh_1:14, Mat_26:41). Numerous instances might be given of the sympathy of Christ with human nature in its aspirations (Mar_10:21; Mar_10:38 ff., Joh_21:17), weakness (Mat_12:15 ff.), weariness (Mat_11:28, Mar_6:31), misery (Mat_8:3), and shame (Mat_11:19, Luk_15:1 f.). To Him, therefore, as ‘Son of Man,’ ideally as well as actually, is given authority to exercise pardon (Mar_2:10), legislation (Mar_2:28), and judgment (Joh_5:27). Lastly, the great purpose which involved the endurance of (b) His death is in the main so clear as to leave no room for doubt. It may be summed up in the words ‘forgiveness’ (Mat_26:28), ‘redemption’ (Mar_10:45), and ‘removal of sin’ (Joh_1:29); to which, in Joh_11:50 ff., is added the gathering of all the children of God into one in Christ (cf. Joh_17:21 ff.), benefits potentially world-wide (Joh_1:29; Joh_6:51), but limited, in their highest realization, to believers (Joh_3:16 ff.). It need be no cause of surprise that these purposes are not more frequently enlarged upon in the Gospels, for they were incomprehensible to the disciples (and are remarked as such, Mat_16:22, Luk_9:45; Luk_18:34, Joh_13:7) until after the Crucifixion had taken place.
4. It may be added that Christ warned His disciples in all ages to expect trials comparable in some measure to His own (Mat_5:11 f., Mat_10:24 f., Joh_15:17 ff.), and accompanied in many cases by decline and apostasy (Mat_24:12; Mat_24:48 ff.). Hence He marked endurance as a continual test of genuineness (Luk_8:13; Luk_8:15) and an indispensable requisite for final salvation (Mat_24:13.). At the same time He declared a complementary truth, namely, the Divine preservation of His ‘own sheep’ (Joh_10:28 f, Joh_17:12, Joh_18:9, Mar_13:22), a privilege commonly described as the ‘perseverance of the elect.’ However stated, the antithesis of these two truths is plain. The assurance in Joh_10:28 f. is largely parallel to that in Mat_16:18, except that the latter, the indestructibility of the Church, is more clearly collective in form. There are ‘branches’ (so it appears, Joh_15:2) even ‘in Christ’ that the Father takes away; moreover, the remarkable use of the imperative in Joh_15:4 suggests an element of conditionality in the abiding or perseverance referred to. The practical inference is intended to lie in a direction quite the opposite of false security and presumption (Mat_7:22 f., Luk_13:24 ff; Luk_21:34 ff; Luk_22:32 ff.). ‘Perseverance is undoubtedly the privilege of the elect, but there is no infallible sign of the elect except their perseverance’ (Vaughan on Php_1:6).
F. S. Ranken.