"Love. No. 2" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.

The prominence given to the manifestation of Christian love calls upon
every believer to consider his own relation to the teaching of the Word
on this subject.  It may be of service to us all if we endeavour to
trace out some of the scriptural definitions of this grace, and to note
the contexts of its many occurrences.  Scripture speaks of "love
without hypocrisy" and "love unfeigned," which makes us feel that there
is the danger among believers of a counterfeit love, a feigned love,
and causes all who have the truth at heart to desire a knowledge of the
real thing itself.

The thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians contains a most striking
summary of love, and to that chapter we will turn.  After having
"weighed in the balance and found wanting" loveless gifts, knowledge,
understanding, zeal and almsgiving, the apostle proceeds to tell us
something positive concerning love itself.  The first statement which
he makes is, "love suffereth long and is kind."  The first quality
which it has pleased God to tell us regarding unfeigned love is that it
is longsuffering.  Let it be ours at once to seek grace to manifest
more fully that which the Lord holds so high.

The word "longsuffering" is a translation of the Greek makrothumeo.
Makrothumos is composed of two words, makros meaning long, or far, and
thumos, the mind, anger.  Makros is translated "far" in Luke xv. 13 and
xix. 12, "into a far country"; "long" in Matt. xxviii. 14, "long
prayer."  The idea of distance seems to be uppermost, as in the first
example.

Thumos.-- The A.V. translates this word 15 times by "wrath,"
"indignation" once, "fierceness" twice.  Dr. Bullinger in his Lexicon
has a full note on the word as follows:-

"Thumos, the mind, the spirit that is breathed out, an intense passion
of the mind .... the animus, the working and fermenting of the mind,
the demonstration of strong passion, which may issue in anger or
revenge, though it does not necessarily include it" (p. 905).

Among the many graces which the apostle Paul detailed as proofs that
Timothy and himself were approved as the ministers of God is found
longsuffering.  "In pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in
kindness, in holy spirit, in love unfeigned" (2 Cor. vi. 6).  It will
be observed that longsuffering is linked to kindness, and that both are
connected with "love unfeigned."  As always, it will be found that the
apostle practised what he preached.  The reference to pneuma hagion
(holy spirit) in this verse leads us to Gal. v. 22, where fourth in the
list there given comes longsuffering.  "Love, joy, peace" (these are
more directly connected with the work of the Holy Spirit), then come
three more which may be said to spring out of these -- the first of
which is longsuffering.  Not only do we find love and longsuffering
linked in this cluster of spiritual fruits, but in Eph. iv. 1-3 we find
that the exercise of longsuffering is a part of our walk, and also an
important factor in the keeping of the unity of the Spirit.

"Walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called, with all humility
of mind and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in
love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace."

It will be observed that longsuffering is manifested by "forbearing one
another in love."  So important is it that we should be made to
understand that our walk demands this exercise of longsuffering that we
meet with a parallel to Eph. iv. 2, 3 in Col. i. 10, 11.  There,
instead of being exhorted to walk worthy of the calling, we are told
that the apostle prayed that we might:-

"Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with
all might according to His glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness."

Longsuffering is twice linked with doctrine in 2 Timothy, once in
Paul's own case, and once in the charge to Timothy (iii. 10 and iv. 2).
 Such is the character of true Christian love, after all but a faint
echo of that great longsuffering of the love of God Who is "merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."  If
only believers everywhere exhibited this precious characteristic, what
a difference there would be.  Yet even those who are truly members of
the one body need the word of exhortation.  If love suffereth long,
should we be so easily annoyed and angered at the waywardness of our
fellows?  However great their offence against us our attitude is
clearly defined.  We should exhibit all longsuffering in the most
aggravating case, or we have not this grace of love in its highest
degree.

One more qualification must be noticed before we leave the
consideration of the longsuffering of love, and that is the kindness
which glows through the patience manifested.  Just as Col. i. teaches
us to have longsuffering with joyfulness, so I Cor. xiii. teaches us
that love suffereth long and is kind. Love does not suffer long and
grumble, or use hard looks and begrudge the longsuffering.  Love
suffers long and is kind.  Love is ever ready to meet the offender more
than half way.  Offended and outraged, misunderstood and
misrepresented, love still has no hard thoughts for those who cause the
pain. Let us examine ourselves before the mirror of the Word.  Does the
reflection cause us to fear that we are in danger of exhibiting too
much love yet?  As we see our lack of longsuffering, our impatience,
our quickness to take offence, our unwillingness frankly to forgive,
let us acknowledge our failure.  If we have manifested longsuffering,
yet that precious salve may have sent forth an evil smell because of
the dead fly of unkindness.  The Lord is kind unto the unthankful (Luke
vi. 35); He was indeed kind to us (Eph. ii. 7; Titus iii. 4), and
should not we, offenders as all of us are, should not we most earnestly
pray that we may have a little more of the love that suffereth long,
and is kind?