If he ever came to speak at your church, you would probably never forget him. He was passionate, articulate, totally committed. He boldly taunted the might of the Roman Empire, courageously defended oppressed believers, and harshly reprimanded compromising Christians. In later life, he lost favor with much of the Church when he at temporarily took up with the Montanists-- what we would probably call today a puritanical-charismatic sect.
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus was born about 150 AD in Carthage, North Africa, the city considered second in importance only to Rome in his time. His father was the captain of a Roman legion and provided Tertullian with the education and training to become a lawyer. When he was about 40, Tertullian converted to Christianity. He exuberantly embraced the gospel and ably used his legal skills to defend Christianity from pagan attackers.
Thirty-one of Tertullian's writings remain, touching on all areas of human life. His works include apologetic treatises, controversial attacks on heresies, and moral writings. He was the pacesetter as the church expanded its teaching and influence into the Latin speaking world. For example, he coined the word Trinity, a word that does not appear anywhere in the Bible, to help us to understand the New Testament teaching about what God is like.
His treatise on patience is HERE.