Fourteen Sufferings Rolled Into One

 

Suffering 3

 

          One of the unvarnished laws of teaching is the law of language: the language of the teacher and the student have to be the same. This is true of English, in the case of this blog, but it is even more true of the various shades of meaning of words. “Laser” implies something different to a nine-year old Star Wars fan than to a fifty-five year old physicist.

Words mean things; they have context. In reference to spiritual things, the better I understand that context, the larger sense of meaning behind the word and how it is being used, the more I will understand the things God intended to tell me in His Word. Ergo, in any thematic study of Scripture I attempt to come to a sound understanding of the term/concept under examination.

The word “suffer” is found 161 times in the King James Version. Most of the time it means allow, let, or permit, as in the first use, Genesis 20.6. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Though this represents the majority, there are also numerous uses in both the Old and New Testament that relate specifically to what you and I understand as suffering. In the OT, most often this carries the connotation carry, wait, and starve. In the NT, most often this carries the connotation endure or bear. In the original language, the underlying words translated “suffer” are also translated as thirst, took away, cast off, hunger, famished, destitute, bear, bare, carry, endure, forbear, vexed, felt, passion, leave, left, forsook, affliction, persecution, wronged, injured, and reviled. The underlying original language sense of these words is described variously as suffer ruin, suffer pain, suffer punishment, suffer together, misery, suffer evil, labor pains, suffer loss, suffer violence, and to hurt.

Confining our attention only to the underlying original language words translated as some form of the word “suffer” in the King James Version we will discover there are fourteen of them. In today’s post, I am going to briefly show you all fourteen, and then summarize them into a single, understandable, biblical definition of suffering. For simplicity’s sake, I am going to transliterate these original language words into English.

In the Old Testament, there are two. The first is raeb, to hunger, be famished. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And an idle soul shall suffer hunger. (Proverbs 19.15) This is the idea of suffering because you are missing something or lacking something. It can include food, certainly, but it can be many things i.e. a widow suffering the lack of a companion, etc.

The second Old Testament term is nasa, to lift, carry, bear. O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. (Jeremiah 15.15) The idea here is of carrying a burden over the long term. Jeremiah, known as the Weeping Prophet, had a ministry that consisted of decades of consecutive suffering. Moses endured Israel’s murmuring in the Wilderness for forty years. This is the kind of suffering those with chronic health conditions or a long term bad marriage endure. It is also worth mentioning, that by implication, this is something God has given me to carry. It is not something I have chosen for myself by my direct choice or indirect choice (consequences).

The other twelve terms are in the New Testament. There we find, third, pascho, to experience pain, to be vexed. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16.21) Pain here can be both physical or psychological pain.

It is worth noting before we move on that suffering and pain are not synonymous necessarily. One of the books I read in preparation for this series told the story of a young Jewish soldier whose leg was blown off via a mine. The soldier, a woman, was interviewed shortly afterward in the hospital. Weeping, she described her deep sorrow at the realization she would almost certainly now never get married. Her physical pain was real, but her underlying suffering, though connected to it, was much deeper.

Fourth is mello, a strengthened form of expect, this is my duty or purpose. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. (Matthew 17.12) This is similar to the Old Testament nasa. This is suffering under a long term load it is your duty to carry. If I were to describe pastoring, for example, I would probably use this word.

Fifth is anechomai, to endure. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. (Matthew 17.17) Sometimes, all you can do is grit your teeth. Sometimes, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other. Something has gone so badly and irretrievably wrong, and you are so deeply hurt that your response has been reduced to merely hanging on. You do not feel as if you are learning anything or gaining anything. You do not feel like it will ever get any better. You feel trapped in a horror movie and all you know how to do is keep-moving-forward. This is anechomai.

Sixth is sumpascho, to experience pain together. You can see the relation to our third term above. I used this passage last week. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8.17) This is a mutual suffering we are experiencing together. Carrying grief and sorrow and suffering alone is debilitating; having someone come alongside and carry it with you, even if it does not lessen the suffering, helps. In our context, this is the premise of support groups or their more biblical equivalent, churches.

Here let us pause for a beautiful thought. Other than suffering related to my rebellion and sin, as a child of God all my suffering is sumpascho. He is with me in it.

Seventh is pathema, to undergo hardship or affliction. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8.18) Yesterday morning, after reading my Bible on the bench outside my window, I texted a preacher friend to tell him I was praying for him. He responded, “Thank you. Its been a long week and I appreciate it.” Some things are just hard, some seasons in life are just hard. They are temporary, but hard.

Eighth is zemioo, to receive damage, to suffer loss. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Corinthians 3.15) This is similar to our first term, the Hebrew raeb, which is to suffer because you lack something. You had what you needed but it was taken from you. This is the suffering of victims, and there are all kinds of victims i.e. crime, abuse, disaster, etc. Sometimes, it is just life that takes things away from you. Old age robs us of family, of friends, of health, of our independence, for example. In this particular passage, it is God that is doing the taking away.

He does that a lot.

Ninth is stego, to cover with silence, in other words, to endure quietly. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. (I Corinthians 9.12) Mature Christians do not generally broadcast their suffering; they endure quietly. This is not stoicism; it is resignation. This is “God sent it to me and I accept it.”

By definition, this kind of suffering is rarely noticed. I can almost guarantee that every good Christian of your acquaintance is experiencing it. They are bleeding on the inside silently.

Tenth is dioko, persecution. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased. (Galatians 5.11) This is suffering specifically because of my belief and practice. Peter expands on this superbly in his first epistle.

Eleventh is thlibo, to crowd, a host of afflictions. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. (I Thessalonians 3.4) Troubles comes in packs. The psalmist said, and notice the plural, Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (Psalm 42.7)

This is why tribulation is a good word here. At any given time, several people I pastor are in this predicament. They do not have one grievously heavy burden; they have several. Each one would be enough to stagger the average Christian, but God is pressing them, developing them, driving them deeper into Himself by layering burden on top of burden on top of burden.

Twelfth is oneidizo, to defame, revile, rail. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. (I Timothy 4.10) Reviling is different than persecution. They both cause us to endure suffering, but reviling is only verbal. It still hurts, and understandably so, but the distinction is worth noting.

Thirteenth is hupomeno, to stay under, abide, persevere with the idea of patience. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. (II Timothy 2.12) This is similar to five, anechomai, endure. This is a suffering that I live in, that abides. The difference between this and anechomai is the stress is placed here upon patience under suffering. Good pastoring and good barbecue both take time. In exactly this way, God holds us in suffering for extended seasons, sometimes our entire lives, that the beautiful image of Christ may be formed in us.

Fourteenth is sugkakoucheo, to torment. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (Hebrews 11.25) God is referencing Moses here, and by extension the Jews in Egypt. The pharaohs were purposely inflicting pain and suffering on them as a form of institutional ethnic control. The Chinese government is doing exactly this with the Uyghurs at the moment. It is the epitome of injustice, and God hears the cries of those so afflicted.

We could spend several more weeks examining the biblical synonyms for suffering. By one count I read, there are nineteen distinct Hebrew terms related to suffering in Isaiah 53, for example. But I think we can fairly summarize all of this in one relatively simple definition: suffering is loss.

Sometimes, I lose bodily strength. Other times, I lose peace of mind. I lose freedom. I lose choice. I lose comfort. I lose strength. I lose happiness. I lose people I love. I lose health. I lose success or accomplishment. I lose the respect of others. I lose my desire for life. I lose ease. I lose possessions or money. I lose attention. I lose love. I lose the future. I lose my life. I lose Heaven. Illustrate suffering any way you want, biblically or practically, the result is the same – loss.

You cannot live life without suffering, without experiencing loss. Since the Garden of Eden this has been so and will be until the advent of the New Heaven and the New Earth. No, you cannot live without suffering, but understanding that helps you to accept it. Accepting it helps you to deal with it.

Like the life it always comes along with, suffering can be spent well or spent badly. It is going to come; it is inevitable. Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward. (Job 5.7) We do, though, get to choose how to respond to it. We can spend it well or spend it badly.

May the Lord give you and me the grace and wisdom to respond well.