What does suffering mean in the bible

To undergo; to be affected by. Substances suffer an entire change by the action of fire, or by entering into new combinations. To feel or undergo pain of body or mind; to bear what is inconvenient. We suffer with pain, sickness or sorrow. We suffer with anxiety. We suffer by evils past and by anticipating others to come.

We suffer from fear and from disappointed hopes. The father was first condemned to suffer on a day appointed,and the son afterwards, the day following. To be injured; to sustain loss or damage. A building suffers for want of seasonable repairs. It is just that we should suffer for neglect of duty.

Toleration; permission; allowance; negative consent by not forbidding or hindering. In process of time, sometimes by sufferance, sometimes by special leave and favor, they erected to themselves oratories. An estate at sufferance, in law, is where a person comes into possession of land by lawful title, but keeps it after the title ceases, without positive leave of the owner.

WEY Ephesians Therefore I entreat you not to lose heart in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf, for they bring you honour. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. See NAS 1 Thessalonians You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, See NIV 1 Thessalonians But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God, to tell you God's Good News amid much opposition.

WEY 2 Timothy Do not be ashamed then to bear witness for our Lord and for me His prisoner; but rather share suffering with me in the service of the Good News, strengthened by the power of God. WEY DBY RSV 2 Timothy in which I suffer evil -- unto bonds, as an evil-doer, but the word of God hath not been bound; See RSV NIV 2 Timothy And thou -- watch in all things; suffer evil; do the work of one proclaiming good news; of thy ministration make full assurance, See RSV Hebrews But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.

Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering , this is commendable with God. WEY YLT 1 Peter Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. And I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, but have put to the test those who say that they themselves are Apostles but are not, and you have found them to be liars.

WEY Revelation Behold, I will throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great oppression, unless they repent of her works. See NIV Revelation Because in spite of suffering you have guarded My word, I in turn will guard you from that hour of trial which is soon coming upon the whole world, to put to the test the inhabitants of the earth.

I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you. See NIV Numbers When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people. See NIV Numbers Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies be consumed in the wilderness.

See NIV Deuteronomy so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he has nothing left him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your gates. See NIV 2 Kings Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness of which he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!

See NIV Nehemiah Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries. See RSV Job So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Days of affliction have taken hold on me. Days of affliction have come on me. See NIV Psalms For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.

For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me. Thus, people do not deserve anything good because all human beings are inherently sinful. When sin entered the world, pain and suffering were introduced as a consequence of sin. Because of this, you and I now experience many levels of suffering during our lifetime such as bodily pain, sickness, mental illness, death, and persecution for our faith.

God is as sovereign as He is loving. This life is the only time we get to glorify God through our suffering. In heaven, there will be no more tears, pain, or sorrow. Our present suffering can help us look to God for help and make spending eternity with Him forever so much more meaningful. Here are some Biblical views on suffering.

These can be used to help you develop a theology of suffering in your own life. Whenever I am going through a difficult time, I find myself running to God for everything. When everything is going well, I wonder where God is. Have you ever felt this way? As you encounter suffering, think about how it pushes you closer to God. Suffering creates a dependency on the Lord that is not always there when everything is going well. The Lord can use our suffering to cause us to run to Him for help.

He promises He will answer us and be a refuge to us in the storm. Going through suffering also makes you question what you really believe about God. God wants you to come to Him with your questions, doubts, and pain so that He can show you His purposes and plan. God can grow you the most through suffering.

He uses your sufferings to draw you closer to Him. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it, for how should My name be profaned?

My glory I will not give to another. God is the only one who should receive all the glory for what happens in your life—including what happens in your suffering. God can also use your suffering to purify you from sin and conform you more into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, bringing glory to His name. Remember that your present sufferings are also not worth comparing to the eternal glory that you will receive when we get to see Christ face to face.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Jesus never told you that as soon as you gave your life to Him, it would be smooth sailing forever. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. The Church in many parts of the world has gone through fiery trials and suffering, and although many are facing persecution for their faith, the Lord is bringing more and more people to faith in Him.

Let's look at 10 things the Bible says about suffering and how we should respond so that our faith can be built. All Christians have or will suffer John ; Acts The Apostle Paul experienced various faces of suffering 2 Corinthians Suffering can come because of foolish choices.

We see this in Proverbs: fools suffer harm , lazy people become hungry , adulterers reap bad consequences , etc. While suffering can be a result of sin, all creation, even the righteous, will groan under the weight of sin and suffering Romans Only in heaven is there no pain, death or grief Revelation Suffering is not without purpose. God sovereignly uses circumstances to teach powerful lessons or accomplish His will.

His suffering led to many people being rescued Suffering causes the biblically-grounded believer to worship God—praising His providential hand and trusting His loving heart—even when the causes for hurtful circumstances are unclear.