The Greek verb anechomai means to hold up under, endure, bear with, or tolerate. Occurring 15 times in the NT, it describes putting up with people, bearing with one another in love, and enduring difficulties. It can be used positively (Ephesians 4:2 — bearing with one another) or negatively (2 Timothy 4:3 — people who will not endure sound teaching).
Anechomai is a virtue essential to community life. Paul commands believers to 'bear with one another in love' (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13) — anechomai is the social glue that makes diverse people in Christ cohere. Yet 2 Timothy 4:3 warns of a time when people will not anechomai sound doctrine — they will accumulate teachers who tell them what they want to hear. The ability to endure hard truth and difficult people is a mark of spiritual maturity. Christ bore (anechomai) with sinners (Luke 9:41) — we are called to imitate Him.