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Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 426 to 450 of 579 results

426. The Census of the Twelve Tribes

Num 1:1–2:54

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... for spiritual tasks, but this is very shortsighted. Planning ahead for tasks that God has asked his people to accomplish is a matter of prudence. It is not incompatible with authentic spirituality. Illustrating the Text Promises inspire hopeful perseverance. History: General Douglas MacArthur was the commander in charge of the Philippines at the time it was overrun by imperial Japan in 1941. As the situation worsened, MacArthur was ordered by President Roosevelt to leave the Philippines and relocate ...

427. Eliphaz Turns Up His Criticism of Job

Job 15:1-35

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... has praised in the prologue (1:8; 2:3). Eliphaz does not realize that his rigid thinking has brought him to a conclusion that rejects Yahweh’s assessment of Job’s character. Ironically, James 5:11 will later point to Job as a positive example of perseverance in the face of suffering, not the negative example that Eliphaz decries. 15:5–6 Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. Distorting Job’s words in 9:20, Eliphaz accuses Job of being driven by his sin into dangerous ...

428. “I Waited Patiently for the Lord; He Turned to Me and Heard My Cry”

Psalm 40:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... David,9and Calvin also believes it was not illness that David was delivered from but “a multitude of dangers.”10 Interpretive Insights 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord.The infinitive absolute before the finite verb (“I waited patiently”) implies constancy and perseverance.11Hakham renders it: “I hoped with all my heart.”12Compare Psalm 18:6–9. 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.The phrase translated as “slimy pit” refers to “a pit of devastation, of ...

429. What To Do While Waiting for the Judgment?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... with truth; put on the breastplate of righteousness; take the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation; the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” In other words, while waiting for the judgment we keep oil in our lamps. Dr. John Claypool told of going to the barber shop with his father. There was an old man in the shop who had shined shoes for ...

430. The Widow's Oil & Elisha's Ministry

2 Kings 4:1-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of the episode involves intercession and revival, and the woman’s journey to Mount Carmel (recalling the God who answers by fire) is “Elisha-like” when she says she will not leave the prophet, just as Elisha once said to his master. Her perseverance is likewise rewarded with a double portion of rescue from death. Right after the account (3:27) about an appalling child sacrifice, we have a narrative about the prophet as a catalyst in the birth and “resurrection” of a promised son, against all ...

431. Recognize that Bad Days Can Bring about Good

Ecclesiastes 7:1--8:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , unfortunately, are constantly at risk (7:7–10). Oppression (as in Eccles. 4:1; 5:8, contra NIV’s “extortion”) can drive even a wise person mad, while a bribing gift can destroy the core of one’s being (literally “heart”). Perseverance and patience are to be valued over pride (literally “better long of spirit than high of spirit”), hasty and persistent reactions to provocation, and plaintive comparisons (7:8–10). Verses 11–12, which conclude the central section by comparing wisdom and ...

432. Judgment and Comfort: Part One

Isaiah 1:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... compares the people as a whole to the effects of a drought in which the leaves of an oak fall off and the garden is burned up (1:30). However, the oak still stands and the garden is still there. Hard times may come upon the godly, but they will persevere. The wicked, however, will be utterly consumed as by fire.

433. A Prayer for God’s People

Isaiah 26:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Isaiah further describes the nature of the people of God. He is aware that it may be a long time before God’s purposes are fully realized on earth. In order to encourage the godly community to persevere in righteousness and faithfulness, he offers a prayer of wisdom, confidence, and petition. He prays that God’s people may be wise (26:7–10). Wisdom is the mark of godliness in the Old Testament, as it expresses dependency on Yahweh and his word. At the same time, however, it ...

434. The Tithe

Malachi 3:6-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... own eyes the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom on earth. In the meantime, the hope of the faithful is in God, whose honor, fidelity, and justice are beyond question. The prophet sums up his argument by affirming that God will reward his loyal children who persevere to the end. This disputation is also related to the fifth (2:17–3:6), but is more direct and severe. The prophet does not give a general call for repentance. He makes it clear that many in the covenant community are too concerned with self ...

435. Warnings and Encouragements

Luke 12:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to see (12:2–3). Verses 2–3 also blend in with the following exhortation (12:4–12) to the disciples. The disciples should not deny Jesus, because ultimately such a denial will be broadcast for all to see. The disciples are encouraged to persevere under persecution (12:4–12) for the following reasons: (1) Those who buckle under persecution are afraid because of the pain and deprivation of physical death. Such fear needs to be conquered because bodily pain is all that their adversaries can inflict (12 ...

436. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... The humanity of Jesus can be seen in how even he wrestles with this truth (John 12:27; cf. Mark 14:36). Strength is found here and later in Gethsemane, when he submits himself to God’s higher purposes. The glory of God is manifest when his servants persevere in temptations such as this and in ultimate trials (12:28–29). The cross will be the ultimate test for Jesus, and here in the midst of God’s glory Jesus himself will be glorified (17:1–5). The crowds receive the confirming voice from heaven just ...

437. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... this in verse 11: “Keep them in thy name” (literal). Christian unity stems from personal faithfulness in God’s presence. Like the good shepherd of 10:7–18, Jesus has protected his sheep until now, but other provisions will soon be necessary. (2) Joy and perseverance (17:13–16). Conflict will hallmark the life of any who simultaneously live in the world and adhere to God’s word. This was made clear in 15:18–16:4a. Jesus, however, asks not simply for spiritual protection (17:15) but for a new ...

438. God’s Righteous Judgment

Romans 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... either to eternal life or to eternal condemnation. He speaks not simply of a broad principle, or hypothetically, as some have argued. Paul explains the real eternal destinies of real people, whether they are Jews or Greeks (2:10). He asserts that people who persevere in good works seek glory and honor and immortality; these are the personal benefits of those for whom God’s glory and honor are priorities—they will receive eternal life (2:7, 10). Paul will clarify in verses 28–29 the identity of these ...

439. Life through the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... will inherit everything that God has promised, the supreme benefit being life in the very presence of God. The assertion at the end of verse 17 is surprising only at first sight: the condition of receiving God’s inheritance in the glory of God’s new world is faithfulness and perseverance in suffering. Christians are not there yet; they still live in a world where the flesh exerts influence through temptation to sin. Believers suffer until they experience future glorification.

440. Love

Romans 12:9-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... must be determined by diligent discipline and earnest eagerness, by an enthusiastic spirituality, by the consistent commitment to serve Christ as Lord, by rejoicing in view of the hope of sharing the glory of God, by patient endurance in suffering, by perseverance in prayer, by helping to alleviate the practical needs of other believers, and by providing hospitality in their homes for strangers (12:11–13). In 12:14–21 Paul moves from the internal relationships of believers within the congregation to the ...

441. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in hope (cf. Rom. 5:1–5; 8:25). Paul ends with a prayer wish in which he prays for the unity of the strong and the weak (15:5–6). This is a unity expressed in Gentile believers and Jewish believers living together, which requires perseverance and encouragement; the constant orientation by Jesus, the crucified and risen Messiah; and the desire to honor God with one voice. 15:7–13 · Paul summarizes the section on the controversy between the strong and the weak, and at the same time, he concludes the ...

442. Epistolary Introduction

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... spiritual gift” as it eagerly waits with Paul “for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” at his return (1:7). The words that follow contain one of the strongest statements within Paul’s letters of his conviction that his converts would be enabled to persevere in their faith until the time of our Lord’s return. Paul does not base his confidence on the strength of his converts’ faith or on his own ability to pastorally maintain them in the faith, but rather on the sustaining and atoning power of ...

443. Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... for ourselves by such means. Its enjoyment consists in acknowledging the truth, of which our perception and interest are only a part. Such love always protects the interests of others, always trusts in their intentions, always hopes for their good, and always perseveres in its attempt to do these things. Such love also “never fails” to express itself—whether in the past, the present, or the future—among those who belong to God. It will continue to do so even after prophecies, tongues, and knowledge ...

444. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... opponents or those whose apostolic authority they might claim as su-perior to Paul’s. All the manifestations of divine power—“signs, wonders and miracles”—have been demonstrated at necessary points in the mission to Corinth, along with a kind of “perseverance” that convinced the Corinthians these were more than the tricks of a charlatan seeking some temporary converts (12:12). Indeed, they have received from Paul all that the other churches have except for the request that they share in the ...

445. Follow the Example of Paul As He Follows the Example of Christ

Philippians 3:12-4:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the gospel that he can confidently exhort them to join in imitating him as he imitates Christ. Paul has expounded, in the form of personal testimony, the true position of the believer in Christ, and in Philippians 3:15–16, he urges the Philippians to persevere in this situation with him. Here he contrasts “all of us . . . who are mature” with those who “think differently.” The word used for “mature” has the idea of a goal toward which one is striving; those who are mature have in mind the same ...

446. Set Your Heart and Mind On Things Above

Colossians 3:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , so, too, the resurrection of Christ confirms the future glory awaiting the saints. The gospel message must embrace both aspects of the cross—its past victory over sin and the future glory when Christ returns. Flanked by these two realities, the believer perseveres faithfully. Paul now turns his attention to this present, in-between time with instructions on life as God’s chosen people (see 3:12). Paul pushes the believers to make Christ’s return and future glory a beacon that guides their steps ...

447. Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17--3:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ; Acts 18:23; Rom. 16:25; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:12; Rev. 3:2; and with new converts in Acts 14:22; 15:32, 41). In the same way “encourage” appears in contexts where new converts are exhorted to persevere in the faith (Acts 14:22; and 11:23; 16:40; 20:1; and see 2 Thess. 2:17). Timothy’s mission was prompted by concerns Paul had about the Thessalonians’ stability in the midst of persecution (3:3). “Unsettled” in 3:3 could mean a profound emotional agitation but ...

448. Warning against Falling Away

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

5:11–6:8 · The exposition of Christ’s high priesthood is interrupted in the interest of another exhortation to persevere in faith. This section begins with a rebuke and is more severe in tone. The author intends to say more of Christ’s priesthood but must first prepare the audience to listen with understanding and appreciation. Their spiritual childishness shows itself in a disposition to content themselves with their theological ...

449. The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :8; Prov. 3:1, 3; Isa. 51:7; Jer. 24:4–7) but wholly without support in this letter. It is very important to recognize that the author’s exhortation is never in the form a fortiori (from the lesser to the greater; for example, “if they could persevere in the old covenant, how much more ought we to do so in the new . . .”). Third, the specific promises of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the new covenant are not considered by this author to have been fulfilled and cannot be so considered. Indeed, it would be ...

450. Warning Not To Turn Away from God

Hebrews 12:14-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (the probable interpretation of Greek proserchomai, NIV “you have come to”; cf. Heb. 11:6), and thus that their situation is different from Israel’s in the same way it is unlike Esau’s. This confidence is the basis of his appeal to them to persevere. Of course, the blessings enumerated are not peculiar to the new epoch; they are the better things of the heavenly country that believers have always grasped from afar by faith (Heb. 11:10, 13–16, 26–27) and must so grasp by faith today. Hebrews was ...

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