Difference between revisions of "Faith"

<p> <b> 1. In the Acts of the Apostles. </b> -In the Acts faith is spoken of as (1) inspired by Christ, (2) directed to Christ, (3) corresponding to [[Christian]] teaching. </p> <p> (1) After St. Peter had healed the lame man, he explained that the miracle had been wrought by the power of God by faith in the name of the ‘Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead’; ‘yea, the faith which is through him (ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ) hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all’ (&nbsp;Acts 3:16). The health-bringing faith both in the apostles and the cripple had been inspired by Jesus, the Holy One. </p> <p> (2) More frequently the faith is directed to Jesus Christ. Thus the general statement is made: ‘Many believed on (ἐπὶ) the Lord’ (&nbsp;Acts 9:42). St. Paul enjoins the [[Philippian]] jailer: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ’ (&nbsp;Acts 16:31). Similarly Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, ‘believed in the Lord with all his house’ (&nbsp;Acts 18:8; ἐπίστευσεν τῴ κυρίῳ = ‘believed the Lord’). In all these cases the faith is directed to the Lord Jesus Christ. </p> <p> (3) In several passages ‘the faith’ is equivalent to the Christian faith or Christian religion. In describing the multiplying of the disciples in [[Jerusalem]] it is said: ‘A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith’ (&nbsp;Acts 6:7). In [[Cyprus]] [[Elymas]] opposed the apostles, ‘seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith’ (&nbsp;Acts 13:8). St. Paul returned to the towns in Asia, ‘confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith’ (&nbsp;Acts 14:22). In each of these cases ‘the faith’ has already become the phrase to express all that is implied by believing in Christ. </p> <p> We can see the transition from (2) to (3) in the expression used by St. Peter when speaking of the work of God among the Gentiles. He says that God mode do distinction, ‘cleansing their hearts by faith’ or ‘by the faith’ (&nbsp;Acts 15:9). </p> <p> This leads us to note that in Acts faith is made the medium for healing, cleansing, and salvation. The largest result of faith is announced by St. Paul when he promises to the jailer salvation for himself and his household as the blessing given to faith in Jesus Christ. The gift of the Holy Spirit is associated with faith in Christ, as in the case of [[Cornelius]] and his friends who welcomed the preaching of the gospel by St. Peter, so that ‘while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word’ (&nbsp;Acts 10:44). More generally the gift of the Holy Spirit follows baptism and the laying on of hands, as in the case of the disciples of John the [[Baptist]] (&nbsp;Acts 19:2) and the [[Samaritans]] whom [[Philip]] had led to believe in Jesus Christ (&nbsp;Acts 8:17). </p> <p> It is noteworthy that in describing both [[Stephen]] and [[Barnabas]] it is said of each that he was ‘full of faith and of the Holy Spirit’ (&nbsp;Acts 6:5; &nbsp;Acts 11:24), and probably it is implied that each had received not only the permanent gift of the Spirit (δωρεάν, &nbsp;Acts 2:38) but also the graces (χαρίσματα, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:9) imparted by Him through a full and obedient faith. </p> <p> <b> 2. In the [[Epistle]] of St. James </b> .-This Epistle must have been written either in the very earliest apostolic times or in a period that is almost post-apostolic. The whole Epistle is practical and undogmatic, and lays the chief emphasis on ethical observance. The writer appreciates the value of faith when he refers to those who are ‘rich in faith’ (&nbsp;James 2:5) and to the ‘prayer of faith’ (&nbsp;James 5:15); but in the section of the Epistle which deals with faith and works, it is not too much to say that he looks upon faith with a measure of suspicion. In this argument (&nbsp;James 2:14-26) the writer evidently defines ‘faith’ in his own mind as intellectual assent to [[Divine]] truth, and with his undogmatic prepossessions he becomes almost antidogmatic in tendency. The [[Apostle]] describes this faith not as false or feigned, but as having such reality only as the faith of demons in the oneness of God, To him ‘faith’ is far from being an enthusiastic acceptance of a Divine Redeemer. </p> <p> If the Epistle was written in very early times, the argument must move more on Judaic than on Christian grounds, and a certain corroboration of this is found in the fact that the illustrations are taken from OT examples like [[Abraham]] and Rahab, and that the typical example chosen is belief in the unity of God, which was the war-cry of the Jew as it became in later days that of the Muhammadan. If the later date is chosen, then time must be left for a general acceptance of Christian truth so that ‘faith’ had become assent to Christian dogma. In either case the argument of the Epistle cannot be regarded as a direct polemic against the teaching of St. Paul. The two writers move in different spheres of thought, so that, while words and phrases are alike, their definitions are as the poles asunder. An instance of this is found in the words with which St. James closes the section on ‘faith.’ The Apostle has already declared: ‘Faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself’ (&nbsp;James 2:17), so now he sums up: ‘As the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead’ (&nbsp;James 2:26). Here we find that so far from faith being the inspiration of works, as St. Paul might suggest, St. James teaches that works are the inspiration of faith. Faith may be a mere dead body unless works prove to be an inner spirit to make it alive. This declaration agrees with the writer’s whole attitude, for throughout this letter he insists that the practical carrying out of ‘the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ’ is found in obedience to ‘the royal law’; ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ This practice of the will of Christ makes faith to be alive. </p> <p> <b> 3. In the [[Epistles]] of St. Paul </b> .-In the writings of St. Paul ‘faith’ and ‘grace’ are the human and the Divine sides of the great experience that revolutionized his own life and the lives of many to whom the gospel was brought. Occasionally faith is spoken of as being directed to God, but commonly it is directed to Jesus Christ. Thus in &nbsp;Galatians 2:16 St. Paul writes: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, save (but only, ἐὰν μή) through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jeans that we might be justified by faith in Christ.’ Here the reiteration is singular, but the insistence on ‘faith in Christ’ is characteristically Pauline. To St. Paul the only faith that is of value is the faith that rests on Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made in the likeness of men, died for our sins, and rose again from the dead. The Death of Christ occupies so large a place in his thought that he is determined to know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him crucified (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:2), while he insists so strongly on the [[Resurrection]] as to declare: ‘If Christ hath not been raised; your faith is vain’ (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 15:17). </p> <p> This revolutionizing faith is awakened by the preaching of the gospel: ‘Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ’ (&nbsp;Romans 10:17), <i> i.e. </i> by the word concerning Christ, or, as it is called earlier (&nbsp;Romans 10:8), ‘the word of faith,’ <i> i.e. </i> the word that deals with justifying faith. This faith, according to St. Paul, brings salvation. Thus in &nbsp;Ephesians 1:13 ‘the word of the truth’ is the medium by which faith comes, and through faith comes salvation. So in &nbsp;Ephesians 2:8 it is said: ‘By grace have ye been saved through faith’ (διὰτῆς πίστεως, not διὰ τὴν πίστιν, <i> i.e. </i> through faith as a means, not on account of faith as a ground of salvation). Hearing and faith are associated in a similar way in the Epistle to the Galatians, as the means by which the gift of the Spirit came. ‘Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?’ (&nbsp;Galatians 3:2), and the meaning varies little whether we conceive of faith as the accompaniment of hearing or as its product. It is possible to infer from &nbsp;Ephesians 1:13 f. that the gift of the Spirit was received after, not contemporaneously with, the act of faith. ‘Having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.’ The sealing with the Spirit is posterior to the act of faith and may be associated with the rite of baptism, which came to be known as a sealing ordinance. </p> <p> St. Paul dwells frequently upon faith as a definite act in his own life and in the lives of Christian converts. Two instances only need be given. In &nbsp;Galatians 2:16 he says: ‘We believed on Christ Jesus,’ where the verb ἐπιστεύσαμεν denotes one definite net in the past when they turned in faith to (εἰς) Christ Jesus. Even more marked is the sentence in &nbsp;Romans 13:11 : ‘Now is salvation nearer to us (ἤ ὄτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν) than when we believed,’ <i> i.e. </i> than when we by a definite act of faith became Christians, In St. Paul’s experience and teaching this act of faith leads to a life of faith, so that he can write of himself: ‘That life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (&nbsp;Galatians 2:20). Faith is not a solitary act but a continuous attitude of the inner life towards Christ Jesus. But this does not imply that either at the beginning or during its course this faith is perfect; it may be halting even when real, and when living it grows ever stronger ‘by faith unto faith’ (&nbsp;Romans 1:17). Faith is weak in the experience of many, sometimes in opposition to the enticing power of evil when flesh lusts against spirit, sometimes in opposition to law as a ground of salvation, and sometimes in failing to appreciate what Christian truth implies. This last form of weakness is discussed by St. Paul towards the close of the Epistle to the Romans 14, where those weak in faith do not understand the extent of their freedom in Christ, and find themselves bound in conscience by irritating non-Christian customs. St. Paul commends a faith that is stronger and freer, but he declares that none mast act in defiance of their faith. They must be clear in mind and conscience before they break even these customs. ‘Whatsoever is not of faith is sin’ (&nbsp;Romans 14:23). Even when [[Christians]] are perfect (τέλειοι, &nbsp;Philippians 3:15), possessors of a mature faith as well as full knowledge, they have not reached the goal, but they must still press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (&nbsp;Philippians 3:14). </p> <p> For St. Paul faith was an experience that touched the inmost part of his nature, but it had perforce to find outward expression. Faith and profession ore necessarily united. The believer in Christ must be a witness for Christ. The statement of &nbsp;Romans 10:10 puts succinctly what St. Paul constantly implies: ‘With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the month confession is made unto salvation.’ These are not so much independent acts as two sides of the same act. Internally faith in Christ brings a change of heart, externally it implies confession of the Lord. This confession finds its formal expression in baptism, and the Apostle expected that in this way as well as in more homely ways this public confession would be made. In St. Paul’s view the believer in Christ must be a professing Christian. </p> <p> If faith must be associated with such outward testimony it must be even more intimately associated with many Christian graces, and especially with love or charity. St. Paul in his eulogy of love (1 Corinthians 13) declares that among the great abiding virtues love is the chief. ‘lf I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing’ (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 13:2). This exalted praise of love is the more remarkable because St. Paul is the champion of faith in the great controversy of which we get his own statement in the Epistles to Galatians and Romans (Galatians 2, 3, Romans 1-5). St. Paul’s experience on the way to [[Damascus]] when he was convinced of the Messiahship and [[Lordship]] of Jesus of [[Nazareth]] became the dominant factor in all his life, and led to his abandonment of allegiance to law and to the strenuous vindication of the place of faith in the religious life. Before his conversion St. Paul had sought justification with God by a religious obedience to the Law, bat Faith in Jesus Christ changed his whole attitude and revolutionized his whole thought. Faith in Christ was not conceived by him primarily as bringing a now power in attaining the end that he had previously kept in view, for now he believed that justification had been attained at once through faith in Christ by the grace of God, [[Justification]] was the beginning of true life, not a blessing to be attained at the end (&nbsp;Galatians 2:16). </p> <p> The faith which receives this blessing is faith in Christ Jesus. This faith in conceived by St. Paul not as a mere intellectual assent or as a recognition of the unseen world, but as an enthusiastic trust in Christ as Saviour, and as a complete devotion to Him as Lord. The whole inner nature, including mind, heart, and will, is committed to Him in trust and devotion. In receiving Jesus as Christ, St. Paul gave himself to Jesus as Lord. This saving faith became the medium of all Divine blessing to St. Paul, and, drawing upon his own experience, he taught that it would be and must be the medium of blessing to all. Hence he gloried in the gospel, ‘for therein is revealed a righteousness of God by faith unto faith’ (&nbsp;Romans 1:17). The gospel could thus become a universal message for mankind, for it dealt with all men alike as sinners, and offered to all who believed in Christ the righteousness of God, ‘being justified freely by has grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (&nbsp;Romans 3:24). </p> <p> After this illuminating experience of the grace of God came to St. Paul he turned back to the OT and found in its pages that in the religious experience there narrated the blessings of God had come also through faith. Thus ‘to Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness’ (&nbsp;Romans 4:9, &nbsp;Galatians 3:6). So David pronounced blessing upon the man unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works (&nbsp;Romans 4:6). He found that God’s method had always been the same. His grace had reached its end when a human heart had responded in faith. This truth is utterly opposed to St. Paul’s former belief that righteousness came by the Law, and both in Rom. and Gal. he labours to prove that, whatever the work of the Law was, it was not to gain a right standing with God. It had a mission even concerning faith, but it was the mission of an attendant slave to bring those who were in ward unto Christ; but when that mission was fulfilled, they were no longer under law, but were all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus (&nbsp;Galatians 3:24-26). Thus the Christian life is regarded as a free, loving, spiritual service, of which faith in Christ is the prime origin and the constant inspiration. </p> <p> In the Pastoral Epistles that are usually associated with the name of St. Paul we find ‘the faith’ frequently used as equivalent to the Christian faith or teaching. Thus in 1 Tim. we find: ‘Some made shipwreck concerning the faith’ (&nbsp;1 Timothy 1:19). Deacons must hold the ‘mystery of the faith in a pure conscience’ (&nbsp;1 Timothy 3:9). ‘In later times some shall all away from the faith’ (&nbsp;1 Timothy 4:1). ‘If any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith’ (&nbsp;1 Timothy 5:8). It is inferred by some that the use of ‘the faith’ in this sense implies a late date for this Epistle, possibly considerably after St. Paul’s death; but it is significant that in Gal., which is among the very earliest of the [[Pauline]] Epistles, there is found the expression: ‘Before the faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed’ (&nbsp;Galatians 3:23). Here the Apostle describes the early period not as the time before faith came, for faith was found already in the OT, but as the time before the faith came, <i> i.e. </i> the faith of Christ. Thus in this early-Epistle we have the starting-point for the later use. </p> <p> <b> 4. In the Epistle to the Hebrews </b> .-In this Epistle faith has not the content that has been found in the Epistles of St. Paul. It is true that when the writer is speaking of ‘the first principles of Christ’ he mentions first, in a manner suggestive of St. Paul’s phrases, the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God’ (ἐπὶ θεόν, &nbsp;Hebrews 6:1). But even here ‘dead works’ is not used in the Pauline sense as works done apart from Christ or as works of themselves, and ‘faith’ is not the enthusiastic trust in Christ which St. Paul enshrines as the central feature of experience and dogma. In Heb., faith may he defined in general terms as the human response to the word of God. When man refuses to respond, he is guilty of unbelief and of hardness of heart; when he responds to God speaking to him, then he believes. God sent His word through agents, such as angels (&nbsp;Hebrews 2:2) and prophets (&nbsp;Hebrews 1:1), but especially in the last times He has spoken through His Son, and has borne witness to this message by ‘signs and wonders, by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Ghost’ (&nbsp;Hebrews 2:3-4). Faith is the obedient response to this word of God, and has been found in all those who have become ‘the cloud of witnesses’ (&nbsp;Hebrews 12:1). The secret of the assurance, devotion, and endurance of the OT saints is found in their unceasing confidence in the God who revealed Himself to them (&nbsp;Hebrews 1:1). The greatest example of this faith was Jesus Himself, ‘the author and perfecter of faith’ (&nbsp;Hebrews 12:2), who led the way in the career of faith and embodied in His own life its full realization. This believing response to the word of God produces within the mind certain activities, the chief of which the writer describes when he gives faith its well-known definition (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:1): ‘Faith is the assurance of things hoped for (or it gives substance to things hoped for), the proving of things not seen (or the conviction of unseen realities.)’ Faith is the conviction of the reality of things not made known through the senses, and, so far as religion is concerned, it is produced by the word of God. </p> <p> It ought to be observed that throughout this Epistle there is also implied a faith in the work of God by Christ, the great High [[Priest]] and [[Mediator]] of a new covenant. Possibly this work ought to be regarded as a part of the word of God, for the writer conceives of God’s word coming in the OT through such works as the arrangements of the tabernacle (&nbsp;Hebrews 9:8), as well as by spoken message, and the work of Christ may he conceived as in its entirety the message of God to men. On the other hand, it is possible that the writer, having described the complete priestly work done by Christ, regards faith as the response to the call then made by God to enter into His immediate fellowship. Those who respond will draw near to God ‘in frill assurance of faith’ (ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πίστεως, &nbsp;Hebrews 10:22). </p> <p> <b> 5. In the Epistles of St. Peter </b> .-There is little that is distinctive in the doctrinal teaching of these Epistles, and analogies may be found with both St. Paul and St. James. The writer of 1 Pet. makes Christ the object of faith, ‘on whom (εἰς ὄν), though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable’ (&nbsp;1 Peter 1:8). He also makes Christ the means of faith in God: Christ ‘was manifested at the end of the times for your sake, who through him (διʼ αὐτοῦ) are believers in God’ (εἰς θεὸν, &nbsp;1 Peter 1:20-21). Similarly those who are suffering greatly are called upon to ‘commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator’ (&nbsp;1 Peter 4:19), where in a unique phrase God as [[Creator]] is presented as the object of trust. Throughout 1 Pet. salvation is regarded as future, certainly near at hand, but still as an inheritance to which Christians are to look forward. Hence the se who are begotten unto this living hope must look upon the trials they are undergoing as tests of their faith (&nbsp;1 Peter 1:6), and must recall that, as Christ suffered in the flesh, they must arm themselves with the same mind (&nbsp;1 Peter 4:1). But the real defence is the power of God, by which they are guarded through faith (&nbsp;1 Peter 1:5). Faith brings under the power of God those who are tried, so that at last they will receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls (&nbsp;1 Peter 1:9). </p> <p> <b> 6. In the Epistles of St. John </b> .-‘Faith’ is not the dominant conception in these Epistles, but ‘light,’ ‘knowledge,’ ‘love.’ Faith and love are presented as twin commands: ‘This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another’ (&nbsp;1 John 3:23). The thought is somewhat varied when the writer says that a believer in Christ receives new life from God, and one sign of that new life is that he loves God who begat him, and also every other one who is begotten in the same way (&nbsp;1 John 5:1). True faith includes genuine love. The knowledge of God, of Christ, and of ourselves leads to faith. ‘We know and have believed the love which God hath in us’ (&nbsp;1 John 4:16); but faith also develops into a deeper and surer knowledge: ‘These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God’ (&nbsp;1 John 5:13). </p> <p> Through faith there comes also victory over the world and all the powers of the world. ‘This is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith’ (&nbsp;1 John 5:4). Thus he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God passes by the way of forgiveness, knowledge, and love into an assured confidence and a great victory over the world and the things that are in the world. </p> <p> <b> 7. In the [[Apocalypse]] </b> .-It is unnecessary to examine the Apocalypse in detail, for it does not deal with either the nature or the defence of faith. In some respects it rises to a higher level as poetic and prophetic expression is given in it to the energy of the deep religious faith that abounds in the heart of the writer. In the Apocalypse we have described for us in words and pictures the unity and power of God, the dominion of Christ over the Church and the world, and the triumphant victory of the [[Kingdom]] of God over all the powers of evil. With all its problems and mysteries, this book has proved in times of despair the means of begetting and sustaining faith in Jesus Christ as ‘the ruler of the kings of the earth’ (&nbsp;Revelation 1:5). </p> <p> <b> 8. [[Conclusion]] </b> .-In whatever ways the apostles differ in their method of regarding faith, they agree in the underlying thought that in and by it there is oneness with Jesus Christ. This union is dwelt upon by St. Paul especially in passages that deal with the ‘unio mystica’ (&nbsp;Ephesians 1:23, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:12, etc.), but it appears also in the argument of 1 Jn. (&nbsp;1 John 2:24). To make this oneness real, there is required less mere intellectual discernment than willingness of heart to commit soul and life to God in Christ. This faith is the answer of the heart to the grace of God, and is associated always with repentance and is accompanied by love and other Christian graces. Thus the writer of 2 Pet. is at one with all the apostles in saying to Christians that when they become partakers of the Divine nature (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:4) they are bound to add to the faith-that is fundamental-virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, love of the brethren, love. Faith, that makes a believer a sharer in Christ’s salvation, makes him also a sharer in Christ’s mind and character. </p> <p> Literature.-H. Bushnell, <i> The New Life </i> , 1860, p. 44; J. C. Hare, <i> The [[Victory]] of Faith </i> 3, 1874; J. T. O’Brien. <i> The Nature and the Effects of Faith </i> 4, 1877; N. Smyth, <i> The [[Reality]] of Faith </i> , 1888, also <i> The Religions Feeling-a Study for Faith </i> . n.d.; J. Kaftan, <i> Glaube und [[Dogma]] </i> 3, 1889: C. Gore, in <i> [[Lux]] Mundi </i> 12, 1891. p. 1; J. W. Diggle, <i> Religions [[Doubt]] </i> . 1895, p. 28; J. Haussleiter, ‘Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?’ in <i> Greifswalder Studien </i> , 1895, p. 159ff.; G. B. Stevens, <i> [[Doctrine]] and Life </i> , 1895, p. 191; A. Schlatter, <i> Der Glaube im NT </i> 2, 1896; J. Martineau, <i> Faith and [[Self-Surrender]] </i> , 1897: W. Herrmann, <i> Faith and [[Morals]] </i> , 1904; G. Ferries, <i> The Growth of Christian Faith </i> , 1905; E. Griffith-Jones, <i> Faith and Verification </i> , 1907; W. R. Inge, <i> Faith </i> , 1909; H. C. G. Moule, <i> Faith </i> , 1909; P. Charles, <i> La Foi </i> , 1910; P. Gardner, <i> The Religions [[Experience]] of St. Paul </i> , 1911, p. 206: H. Martensen-Larsen, <i> Zweifel und Glaube </i> , 1911; D. L. Ihmels, <i> Fides implicita und der evangelische Heilsglaube </i> , 1912; A. Nairne, <i> The Epistle of [[Priesthood]] </i> , 1913, p. 336ff.; W. M. Ramsay, <i> The Teaching of Paul </i> , 1913, pp. 56, 163, 176, 182. </p> <p> D. Macrae Tod. </p>

<p> <strong> FAITH </strong> . Noun for <em> believe </em> , having in early Eng. ousted ‘belief’ (wh. see) from its ethical uses. By this severance of noun and vb. (so in Lat. <em> fides credere </em> , French <em> foi croire </em> ) Eng. suffers in comparison with German ( <em> Glaube glauben </em> ) and Greek ( <em> pistis pisteuô </em> ). But ‘faith’ has a noble pedigree; coming from the Latin <em> fides </em> , through Norman-French, it connotes the sense of personal honour and of the mutual loyalty attaching to the pledged word. </p> <p> <strong> 1. In OT </strong> . This word, the normal NT expression for the religious bond, is found but twice in the OT (EV [Note: English Version.] ) in &nbsp; Deuteronomy 32:20 , signifying <em> steadfastness, fidelity </em> ; and in &nbsp; Habakkuk 2:4 , where a slightly different noun from the same Heb. stem (contained in <em> amen </em> and denoting what is <em> firm, reliable </em> ), may carry a meaning identical with the above ‘the just shall live by his <em> faithfulness </em> ’ (RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ). The original term has no other sense than ‘faithfulness’ or ‘truth’ elsewhere so in &nbsp; Psalms 37:3 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) &nbsp; Psalms 96:13 , &nbsp; Deuteronomy 32:4 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ), &nbsp; Isaiah 11:5 etc.; the context in Hab., however, lends to it a pregnant emphasis, suggesting, besides the temper of <em> steadfastness </em> , its manifestation in <em> steadfast adherence </em> to Jehovah’s word; under the circumstances, passive <em> fidelity </em> becomes active <em> faith </em> ‘the righteous’ [[Israel]] ‘shall live’ not by way of reward for his loyalty, but by virtue of holding fast to Jehovah’s living word (cf. &nbsp; Isaiah 1:12 ). If so, St. Paul has done no violence to the text in &nbsp; Romans 1:17 , &nbsp; Galatians 3:11 . The corresponding vb. (from the root <em> amen: </em> in active and passive, <em> to rely on </em> , and <em> to have reliance </em> or <em> be reliable </em> ) occurs above 20 times with God, His character, word, or messengers, for object. More than half these examples (in Ex., Dt., Ps.) refer to faith or unbelief in the mission of [[Moses]] and Jehovah’s redemptive acts at the foundation of the national Covenant. The same vb. supplies two of Isaiah’s watchwords, in &nbsp; Isaiah 7:9; &nbsp; Isaiah 28:16 . The former sentence is an untranslatable epigram ‘If you will not hold fast, you shall have no holdfast!’, ‘No fealty, no safety!’; the latter leads us into the heart of OT faith, the collective trust of Israel in [[Jehovah]] as her Rock of foundation and salvation, which, as Isaiah declared (in &nbsp; Isaiah 8:12-15 ), must serve also for ‘a stone of stumbling and rock of offence’ to the unfaithful. This combination of passages is twice made in the NT (&nbsp; Romans 9:33 and &nbsp; 1 Peter 2:6-8 ), since the new house of God built of Christian believers rests on the foundation laid in Zion, viz. the character and promise of the Immutable, to whom now as then faith securely binds His people. In &nbsp; Habakkuk 1:5 (cited &nbsp; Acts 13:41 ) Israel’s unbelief in threatened judgment, in &nbsp; Isaiah 53:1 (&nbsp; John 12:38 , &nbsp; Romans 10:16 ) her unbelief in the promised salvation, coming through Jehovah’s humiliated Servant, are charged upon her as a fatal blindness. Thus the cardinal import of faith is marked at salient points of [[Israelite]] history, which NT interpreters seized with a sure instinct. At the head of the OT sayings on this subject stands &nbsp; [[Genesis]] 15:6 , the text on which St. Paul founded his doctrine of justification by faith (see &nbsp; Romans 4:9; &nbsp; Romans 4:22 , &nbsp; Galatians 3:6; also &nbsp; James 2:23 ); ‘and Abraham believed Jehovah, and he counted it to him for righteousness’ (JE [Note: [[Jewish]] Encyclopedia.] ) a crucial passage in Jewish controversy. St. Paul recognized in Abraham the exemplar of personal religion, antedating the legal system <em> the faith of the man </em> who stands in direct heart-relationship to God. &nbsp; Genesis 15:6 supplies the key to his character and historical position: his heart’s trustful response to Jehovah’s promise made Abraham all that he has become to Israel and humanity; and ‘the men of faith’ are his children (&nbsp; Galatians 3:6-8 ). Only here, however, and in &nbsp; Habakkuk 2:4 , along with two or three passages in the Psalms (&nbsp; Psalms 27:13; &nbsp; Psalms 116:10 quoted &nbsp; 2 Corinthians 4:13 , and possibly &nbsp; Psalms 119:66 ), does faith <em> ipso nomine </em> (or ‘believe’) assume the personal value which is of its essence in the NT. The difference in expression between the OT and NT in this respect discloses a deep-lying difference of religious experience. The national redemption of Israel (from Egypt) lay entirely on the plane of history, and was therefore to be ‘remembered’; whereas the death and rising of our Lord, while equally historical, belong to the spiritual and eternal, and are to be ‘believed.’ Under the Old [[Covenant]] <em> the people </em> formed the religious unit; the relations of the individual Israelite to Jehovah were mediated through the sacred institutions, and the Law demanded outward <em> obedience </em> rather than inner faith hearing the voice of Jehovah, ‘keeping his statutes,’ ‘walking in his way’; so (in the language of &nbsp; Galatians 3:23 ) the age of faith was not yet. Besides this, the Israelite revelation was consciously defective and preparatory, ‘the law made nothing perfect’; when St. Paul would express to his fellow-countrymen in a word what was most precious to himself and them, he speaks not of ‘the faith’ but ‘the hope of Israel’ (&nbsp; Acts 28:20 etc.), and the writer of &nbsp; Hebrews 11:1-40 defines the faith of his OT heroes as ‘the assurance of things <em> hoped for </em> ’; accordingly, [[Hebrew]] terms giving to faith the aspect of expectation trusting, waiting, looking for Jehovah are much commoner than those containing the word ‘believe.’ Again, the fact that oppression and suffering entered so largely into the life of OT believers has coloured their confessions in psalm and prophecy; instead of <em> believing </em> in Jehovah, they speak of <em> cleaving to </em> Him, <em> taking refuge </em> under His wings, making Him <em> a shield, a tower </em> , etc. In all this the liveliness of Eastern sentiment and imagination comes into play; and while faith seldom figures under the bare abstract term, it is to be recognized in manifold concrete action and in dress of varied hue. Under the Old Covenant, as under the New, faith ‘wrought by love’ (&nbsp; Deuteronomy 6:5 , &nbsp; Psalms 116:1 etc., &nbsp; Leviticus 19:18 etc.), while it inspired hope. </p> <p> <strong> 2. In NT </strong> . The NT use of <em> pistis, pisteuô </em> , is based on that of common Greek, where <em> persuasion </em> is the radical idea of the word. From this sprang two principal notions, meeting in the NT conception: ( <em> a </em> ) the ethical notion of <em> confidence, trust </em> in a person, his word, promise, etc., and then <em> mutual trust </em> , or the expression thereof in <em> troth </em> or <em> pledge </em> a usage with only a casual religious application in non-Biblical Greek; and ( <em> b </em> ) the intellectual notion of <em> conviction, belief </em> (in distinction from knowledge), covering all the shades of meaning from practical assurance down to conjecture, but always connoting sincerity, a belief held in good faith. The use of ‘faith’ in &nbsp; Matthew 23:23 belongs to OT phraseology (see &nbsp; Deuteronomy 32:20 , quoted above); also in &nbsp; Romans 3:3 , &nbsp; Galatians 5:22 , <em> pistis </em> is understood to mean <em> good faith, fidelity </em> (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘faithfulness’), as often in classical Greek. In sense ( <em> b </em> ) <em> pistis </em> came into the language of theology, the gods being referred ( <em> e.g. </em> by [[Plutarch]] as a religious philosopher) to the province of faith, since they are beyond the reach of sense-perception and logical demonstration. </p> <p> (1) In this way faith came to signify <em> the religious faculty </em> in the broadest sense, a generalization foreign to the OT. [[Philo]] Judæus, the philosopher of Judaism, thus employs the term; quoting &nbsp; Genesis 15:6 , he takes Abraham for the embodiment of faith so understood, viewing it as the crown of human character, ‘the queen of the virtues’; for faith is, with Philo, a steady intuition of Divine things, transcending sense and logic; it is, in fact, the highest knowledge, the consummation of reason. This large [[Hellenistic]] meaning is conspicuous in &nbsp; Hebrews 11:1 b, &nbsp; Hebrews 11:6; &nbsp; Hebrews 11:27 etc., and appears in St. Paul (&nbsp; 2 Corinthians 4:18; &nbsp; 2 Corinthians 5:7 ‘by faith not by appearance’). There is nothing distinctively Christian about faith understood in the bare significance of ‘seeing the invisible’ ‘the demons <em> believe </em> , and shudder’; the belief that contains no more is the ‘dead faith,’ which condemns instead of justifying (&nbsp; James 2:14-26 ). As St. James and St. Paul both saw from different standpoints, Abraham, beyond the ‘belief that God is,’ recognized <em> what </em> God is and yielded Him a loyal trust, which carried the whole man with it and determined character and action; his faith included sense ( <em> a </em> ) of <em> pisteuô </em> (which lies in the Heb. vb. ‘believe’) along with ( <em> b </em> ). In this combination lies the rich and powerful import of NT ‘believing’: it is a spiritual apprehension joined with personal affiance; the recognition of truth in, and the plighting of troth with, the Unseen; in this twofold sense, ‘with the heart (the entire inner self) man believeth unto righteousness’ (&nbsp; Romans 10:10 ). Those penetrated by the spirit of the OT could not use the word <em> pistis </em> in relation to God without attaching to it, besides the rational idea of <em> supersensible apprehension </em> , the warmer consciousness of <em> moral trust and fealty </em> native to it already in human relationships. </p> <p> (2) Contact with Jesus Christ gave to the word a greatly increased use and heightened potence. ‘Believing’ meant to Christ’s disciples more than hitherto, since they had Him to believe in; and ‘believers,’ ‘they that had believed,’ became a standing name for the followers of Christ (&nbsp;Acts 2:44 , &nbsp; Romans 10:4 , &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 14:22 , &nbsp; Mark 16:17 ). A special endowment of this power given to some in the Church seems to be intended by the ‘faith’ of &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 12:9 (cf. &nbsp; Matthew 17:19 f., &nbsp; Luke 17:5 f.). Faith was our Lord’s chief and incessant demand from men; He preaches, He works ‘powers,’ to elicit and direct it the ‘miracle-faith’ attracted by ‘signs and wonders’ being a stepping-stone to faith in the Person and doctrine of God’s Messenger. The bodily cures and spiritual blessings Jesus distributes are conditioned upon this one thing ‘Only believel’ ‘All things are possible to him that believeth.’ There was a faith in Jesus, real so far as it went but not sufficient for true discipleship, since it attached itself to His <em> power </em> and failed to recognize His character and spiritual aims (see &nbsp; John 2:23 ff; &nbsp; John 4:48; &nbsp; John 6:14 ff; &nbsp; John 7:31; &nbsp; John 8:30 ff; &nbsp; John 11:45; &nbsp; John 12:11 ff; &nbsp; John 14:11 ), which Jesus rejected and affronted; akin to this, in a more active sense, is the faith that ‘calls’ Him ‘Lord’ and ‘removes mountains’ in His name, but does not in love do the Father’s will, which He must disown (&nbsp; Matthew 7:21 ff., &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 13:2 ). Following the Baptist, Jesus sets out with the summons, ‘Repent, and believe the good news’ that ‘the kingdom of God is at hand’ (&nbsp; Mark 1:15 ); like Moses, He expects Israel to recognize His mission as from God, showing ‘signs’ to prove this (see &nbsp; John 2:11; &nbsp; John 2:23; &nbsp; John 3:2 etc.; cf. &nbsp; Acts 2:22 , &nbsp; Hebrews 4:2 ). As His teaching advanced, it appeared that He required an unparalleled faith in <em> Himself </em> along with His message, that the Kingdom of God He speaks of centres in His Person, that in fact <em> He is </em> ‘the word’ of God He brings, <em> He is </em> the light and life whose coming He announces, ‘the bread from heaven’ that He has to give to a famished world (&nbsp; John 6:33 ff; &nbsp; John 8:12; &nbsp; John 11:25; &nbsp; John 14:6 etc.). For those ‘who received him,’ who ‘believed on his name’ in this complete sense, faith acquired a scope undreamed of before; it signified the unique attachment which gathered round the Person of Jesus a human trust, in its purity and intensity such as no other man had ever elicited, which grew up into and identified itself with its possessor’s belief in God, transforming the latter in doing so, and which drew the whole being of the believer into the will and life of his Master. When [[Thomas]] hails Jesus as ‘My Lord and my God!’ he ‘ <em> has believed </em> ’; this process is complete in the mind of the slowest disciple; the two faiths are now welded inseparably; the Son is known through the Father, and the Father through the Son, and Thomas gives full affiance to both in one. As Jesus was exalted, God in the same degree became nearer to these men, and their faith in God became richer in contents and firmer in grasp. So sure and direct was the communion with the Father opened by Jesus to His brethren, that the word ‘faith,’ as commonly used, failed to express it: ‘Henceforth ye <em> know </em> (the Father), and have seen him,’ said Jesus (&nbsp; John 14:7 ); and St. John, using the vb. ‘believe’ more than any one, employs the noun ‘faith’ but once in [[Gospel]] and Epp. (&nbsp; 1 John 5:4 ) ‘ <em> knowing </em> God, the Father,’ etc., is, for him, the Christian distinction. Their Lord’s departure, and the shock and trial of His death, were needful to perfect His disciples’ faith (&nbsp; John 16:7 ), removing its earthly supports and breaking its links with all materialistic Messianism. As Jesus ‘goes to the Father,’ they realize that He and the Father ‘are one’; their faith rests no longer, in any degree, on ‘a Christ after the flesh’; they are ready to receive, and to work in, the power of the Spirit whom He sends to them ‘from the Father.’ Jesus is henceforth identified with the spiritual and eternal order; to the faith which thus acknowledges Him He gives the benediction, ‘Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed’ (&nbsp; John 20:29; cf. &nbsp; 1 Peter 1:8 ). To define this specific faith a new grammatical construction appears in NT Greek: one does not simply <em> believe </em> Jesus, or <em> believe on </em> Him, one <em> believes into </em> or <em> unto </em> Him, or His name (which contains the import of His person and offices) so in &nbsp; Matthew 18:6 , and continually in Jn. (&nbsp; John 2:11; &nbsp; John 2:23; &nbsp; John 3:18; &nbsp; John 3:36; &nbsp; John 4:39; &nbsp; John 6:29; &nbsp; John 6:35; &nbsp; John 7:38 f., &nbsp; John 9:35; &nbsp; John 11:25 f., &nbsp; John 12:36 f., &nbsp; John 14:1; &nbsp; John 14:12 , &nbsp; John 17:20 etc.; also in Paul) which signifies so believing in Him as to ‘come to Him’ realizing what He is. By a variety of prepositional constructions, the Greek tongue, imperfectly followed in such refinements by our own, strives to represent the variety of attitude and bearing in which faith stands towards its Object. That the mission of Jesus Christ was an appeal for faith, with His own Person as its chief ground and matter, is strikingly stated in &nbsp; John 20:31 : ‘These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life in his name.’ Christian faith is the decisive action of the whole inner man understanding, feeling, will; it is the trustful and self-surrendering acknowledgment of God in Christ. </p> <p> (3) Further, Jesus called on the world to ‘believe the good news’ of His coming for redemption. This task, marked out by OT prophecy, and laid on Him at His birth (&nbsp;Luke 1:68-79; &nbsp; Luke 2:38 ) and baptism (&nbsp; John 1:29 ), from an early period of His ministry Jesus connected with His <em> death </em> (see &nbsp; John 2:19-22; &nbsp; John 3:14 f.: and later, &nbsp; Matthew 16:16-28; &nbsp; Matthew 20:28 , &nbsp; Luke 9:31; &nbsp; Luke 12:50 , &nbsp; John 12:23-25 ). The words of &nbsp; Matthew 26:28 , which must be vindicated as original, make it clear that Jesus regarded His death as the culmination of His mission; at the Last Supper He is ready to offer His ‘blood’ to seal ‘the new covenant’ under which ‘forgiveness of sins’ will be universally guaranteed (cf. &nbsp; Jeremiah 31:33 f.). Having concentrated on <em> Himself </em> the faith of men, giving to faith thereby a new heart and energy, He finally fastens that faith upon His <em> death </em> ; He marks this event for the future as the object of the specifically <em> saving </em> faith. By this path, the risen Lord explained, He had ‘entered into his glory’ and ‘received from the Father the promise of the Spirit,’ in the strength of which His servants are commissioned to ‘preach to all the nations repentance and remission of sins’ (&nbsp; Luke 24:46-48; cf. &nbsp; Acts 2:22-38 ). Taught by Him, the [[Apostles]] understood and proclaimed their Master’s death as the hinge of the relations between God and man that centre in Christ; believing in Him meant, above all, believing in <em> that </em> , and finding in the cross the means of deliverance from sin and the revelation of God’s saving purpose toward the race (&nbsp; Acts 3:18 f., &nbsp; Acts 20:28 , &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 , 2Co 5:14-21 , &nbsp; 1 Peter 3:18 , &nbsp; Revelation 1:4-6 , etc.). Faith in the resurrection of Jesus was logically antecedent to faith in His sacrificial death; for His rising from the dead set His dying in its true light (&nbsp; Acts 4:10-12 ), revealing the shameful crucifixion of Israel’s [[Messiah]] as a glorious expiation for the guilt of mankind (&nbsp; Hebrews 2:9 , &nbsp; Romans 4:25 , &nbsp; 1 Peter 1:21 ). To ‘confess with one’s mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in one’s heart that God raised him from the dead,’ was therefore to fulfil the essential conditions of the Christian salvation (&nbsp; Romans 10:9 ), since the Lord’s resurrection, including His ascension which completes it, gives assurance of the peace with God won by His accepted sacrifice (&nbsp; Hebrews 7:25; &nbsp; Hebrews 9:11-14; &nbsp; Hebrews 10:19; &nbsp; Hebrews 10:22 ); it vindicates His Divine Sonship and verifies His claims on human homage (&nbsp; Romans 1:4 , &nbsp; Acts 2:36 , &nbsp; 1 Peter 1:21 ); it guarantees ‘the redemption of the body,’ and the attainment, both for the individual and for the Church, of the glory of the Messianic Kingdom, the consummated salvation that is in Christ Jesus (&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 , &nbsp; Romans 8:17-23 , &nbsp; Ephesians 1:17-23 , &nbsp; Acts 17:31 , &nbsp; Revelation 1:5; &nbsp; Revelation 1:17 f., etc.). In two words, the Christian faith is to ‘believe that Jesus died and rose again’ (&nbsp; 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ) that in dying He atoned for human sin, and in rising He abolished death. St. Paul was the chief exponent and defender of this ‘word of the cross,’ which is at the same time ‘the word of faith’ (&nbsp; Romans 10:8 ); its various aspects and issues appear under the terms Justification, Atonement, Propitiation, Grace, Law (in NT), etc. But St. Peter in his 1st Ep., St. John in his 1st Ep. and Rev., and the writer of Hebrews, each in his own fashion, combine with St. Paul to focus the redeeming work of Jesus in the cross. According to the whole tenor of the NT, the forgiving grace of God there meets mankind in its sin; and faith is the hand reached out to accept God’s gifts of mercy proffered from the cross of Christ. The faculty of faith, which we understood in its fundamental meaning as the spiritual sense, the consciousness of God, is in no wise narrowed or diverted when it fixes itself on ‘Jesus Christ, and him crucified’; for, as St. Paul insists, ‘God commendeth <em> his own </em> love to us in that Christ died for us,’ ‘ <em> God </em> was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.’ ‘The glory of God’ shines into men’s hearts, His true character becomes for the first time apparent, and calls forth a full and satisfied faith, when beheld ‘in the face of Christ’ ( Rom 5:8 , &nbsp; 2 Corinthians 4:6; &nbsp; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 ). </p> <p> G. G. Findlay. </p>

<p> Belief, trust, and loyalty to a person or thing. Christians find their security and hope in God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and say "amen" to that unique relationship to God in the Holy Spirit through love and obedience as expressed in lives of discipleship and service. </p> <p> <i> The Old [[Testament]] </i> . The Hebrew language has six terms that develop the fundamental ideas of belief, trust, and loyalty. The root <i> bth </i> [ &nbsp; Ezekiel 33:13 ) or related to warriors (&nbsp;Hosea 10:13 ) and riches (&nbsp;Jeremiah 49:4 ). But security that is a result of a trusting relationship with God is most important. It can be combined with the fear of the Lord and obedience to his Word so that the one who walks in the dark is encouraged to "trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God" (&nbsp;Isaiah 50:10 ). It can also be equated with acknowledging God in all our ways in contrast to relying on our own understanding (&nbsp;Proverbs 3:5-6 ). </p> <p> The term <i> hsh </i> [ &nbsp; Judges 9:15 ). While being pursued by an enemy, David asks the Lord to "save and deliver" him based on a similar assertion: "I take refuge in you" (&nbsp;Psalm 7:1 ). The idea of taking refuge can also be contrasted with trusting in people or princes (&nbsp;Psalm 118:8-9 ). It is not surprising then that "those who seek refuge" in God are the same as the godly who experience the love and salvation of God (&nbsp;Psalm 17:7 ). To acknowledge dependence on God for protection when in need of help is a unique mark of the godly. </p> <p> The terms <i> qwh </i> [ &nbsp; Psalm 33:22 ); he confesses: "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield" (33:20).These descriptions that express a hope in God that involves patience and persistence are expressions of faith. During the siege of Samaria, Ahab, who blamed his troubles on the Lord, showed a lack of faith when he asked, "Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?" (&nbsp;2 Kings 6:33 ). </p> <p> The term <i> mn </i> [ &nbsp; 1 Kings 8:26 ); and the prophet threatens, "I proclaim what is certain" when speaking of God's sure judgment (&nbsp;Hosea 5:9 ). The proper response of individuals to this firm and stable activity of God is modeled by Abraham, who is chosen by God. Because his heart is faithful, God enters into a covenant with him that involves a homeland (&nbsp;Nehemiah 9:7-8 ). </p> <p> The recognition and acknowledgment of the relationship into which God enters with people is a declaratory saying of "amen" to God and a special religious attitude of the people of God. The commands of God demand a proper response. Individuals are to acknowledge his demands, regard him as trustworthy, and be obedient to him. Faith is a spiritual attitude involving activity. The children of Israel stood condemned because they rebelled at God's command to take possession of the land he had given them. Fundamental to this rebellion is the claim: "You did not trust him or obey him" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 9:23 ). On the other hand, [[Abram]] stood approved when he acknowledged the promise of God, and trusted God's power to perform what he had promised: "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (&nbsp;Genesis 15:6 ). The Lord indicated to Abram his plan for history, and Abram believed it to be something real and was filled with a firmness and security in the Lord. His subsequent exercise of patience and obedient actions are clear indications of the meaning of faith. </p> <p> The setting and origin of the term "faith" as used in the Old Testament are intimately linked to the covenant between God and his people. The term sums up all the ways by which people express their relationship to God. Isaiah dares to equate existence and faith when he claims that the people of God have their particular manner of being, and are established through their faith (&nbsp;Isaiah 7:9 ). This understanding is in sharp contrast with the picture of Ahaz, who rejects God's invitation to confirm the truth of his word, and then ironically is given the promise of [[Immanuel]] (&nbsp;Isaiah 7:14 ). In the fulfillment of this promise lies the challenge of the New Testament to redefine faith. </p> <p> <i> The New Testament </i> . The transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament understanding of faith involves an appreciation of the continuity between them and that which is unique in the New Testament. The concepts of covenant, people of God, revelation, and the activity of God in history continue from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The unique understanding in the New Testament is defined by a new covenant, and the people of God being identified by their response to God's Son, Jesus. In the language of the New Testament, the common Greek of Jesus' day, we are told how God enters history as the Christ in the person of his Son Jesus, and remains active in the world through his Holy Spirit and the church. </p> <p> The Septuagint, as a transitional text between the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament, fixes the theological vocabulary that the church uses to define what God has done, is doing, and will do. The meaning of faith in the New Testament is then both a reflection of its continuity with the Old Testament and an expression of its uniqueness in a different historical and cultural setting. In the representative selections from the Old Testament that we have examined, only one term, <i> mn </i> [אָמַן אָמַן], is consistently translated in the [[Septuagint]] by a single concept, <i> pisteuein/pistos </i> [Πιστεύω/Πιστός]. It is this concept that the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and the Johannine writings use to examine and illustrate the meaning of faith in the New Testament. </p> <p> <i> The Synoptic [[Gospels]] </i> . As for the ancient [[Israelites]] so for the new people of God, faith means primarily confident trust based on God's promise as understood through his Word (&nbsp;Luke 1:20; &nbsp;24:25 ). In Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, and the gospel, the true message of God, people are called to say "yes" to God and to recognize the messenger and the message as true (&nbsp;Mark 1:15 ). </p> <p> For Jesus, God is Father and King. This claim involves a unique sense of presence and communion with God, as well as the call to his hearers to respond to his own claim of Sonship (&nbsp;Mark 12:1-12 ), and his interpretation of the kingdom of God as being near (&nbsp;Matthew 12:22-28 ). Mark opens his Gospel with the simple assertion that this is "the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1). It begins with the ministry of John the Baptist, which climaxes with the baptism of Jesus and the heavenly announcement of Jesus' Sonship (1:11; cf. &nbsp;Matthew 3:17; &nbsp;Luke 3:22 ). This announcement is repeated during Jesus' transfiguration and followed by the command, "Listen to him" (&nbsp;Mark 9:7; cf. &nbsp;Matthew 17:5; &nbsp;Luke 9:35 ). In the beginning of his ministry Jesus proclaims the gospel in terms of the nearness of the kingdom and the need to believe (&nbsp;Mark 1:14-15 ). Specifically, the parables of Jesus and the [[Sermon]] on the Mount call for a response. The parable of the sower calls the proper response to Jesus' word "believing" (&nbsp;Luke 8:12-13 ). The Sermon on the Mount (&nbsp;Matthew 5-7 ), as the ethics of those who are to live under the rule of God as Father, concludes with Jesus' admonition to be wise and to put these words into practice (7:24-27; cf. 5:19-20). </p> <p> The results of faith are seen in the radical changes that people experience when they place their trust in Jesus. The Gospels make the faith response explicit in particular miracles. The centurion's servant (&nbsp;Matthew 8:13 ), a paralytic (&nbsp;Matthew 9:2 ), a woman who had been sick for twelve years (&nbsp;Mark 5:34 ), a twelve-year-old child who died (&nbsp;Mark 5:36 ), and a blind beggar (&nbsp;Luke 18:42 ) are all examples from the Synoptic Gospels of those who are told by Jesus: "Your faith has healed you." </p> <p> In the Gospel of Mark the fearful and amazed responses of individuals to the person and work of Jesus are indicators of belief or unbelief. The amazement of the people in the [[Capernaum]] synagogue at Jesus' teaching and healing of a man possessed by an evil spirit leads to their recognition of his authority (&nbsp;Mark 1:21-27 ). When this same amazement is expressed by the people in the synagogue in Jesus' hometown, it leads to offense and Jesus' comment on their lack of faith (&nbsp;Mark 6:1-6 ). The side-by-side stories of the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage and the raising of Jairus's daughter from the dead have as a common theme the conquering of fear and the exercise of faith that results in new life (&nbsp;Mark 5:32-34,36 ). In two incidents on the Sea of [[Galilee]] the disciples, when rescued by Jesus, respond with fear and amazement that are identified as a lack of faith (&nbsp;Mark 4:40-41 ) or a hardness of heart (&nbsp;Mark 6:50-52 ). These conditions prevent them from responding to Jesus when he reveals to them what it means to be the Messiah (&nbsp;Mark 8:31-32; &nbsp;9:31-32; &nbsp;10:32-34 ), or from hearing how believers can be true followers of this Messiah (8:34-38; 9:33-37; 10:41-45). Because Mark is intent on clarifying for the church the central truth that Jesus as the Son of Man is a suffering-servant Messiah whose example they must be willing to follow, a blind Bartimaeus, who is healed as he exercises faith, becomes the model disciple as he follows Jesus to Jerusalem and the way of the cross with his new sight. </p> <p> Jesus asserts, in a discussion with skeptical disciples, that power is available to all who have faith (&nbsp;Mark 11:23 ), and that prayer is one means for expressing this faith (&nbsp;Mark 11:24 ). This paradoxical power of faith is seen not only in its "mountain-mover" quality, which is a kind of participation in God's creative activity, but also in its comparison with a minute grain of mustard seed (&nbsp;Luke 17:6 ). To place one's trust in Jesus is to open the door for radical change in the meaning of life itself. </p> <p> <i> The Book of Acts </i> . In its record of the statements and activities of the early church, Acts emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the focus of faith. If faith in the Synoptic Gospels means confident trust based on God's promise as understood through his word and the person of his Son, then in Acts, which serves as a bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles, it is that and more. A single statement about faith in God is clarified as "belief in the Lord" (5:14; 9:42; 11:21; 14:23; 18:8) or "belief in Jesus" (3:16; 19:4), and made comprehensive when linked to the idea of salvation through the hearing of the word (4:4; 13:12). [[Gentiles]] (11:21; 13:12,48; 15:7; 17:34; 21:25), Jews (6:7; 15:5; 16:1; 18:8; 21:20) and people of both genders (5:14) will be saved when they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. </p> <p> The church, in responding to the example and words of Jesus radicalized the Old Testament meaning of faith. By means of the ministries of Peter and Paul, Luke paints a vivid picture of the internal and external struggles of the Christian community as both the synagogue and the Jerusalem church resist breaking from the strict keeping of the law and the limitations of racial descent to acknowledge the claim that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone (4:12; 15:14). All those who accept the gospel message and Christ's lordship are identified as "believing ones" (4:32; 11:21; 18:27; 19:18; 22:19), a synonym for "Christians." </p> <p> In anticipation of the more formal analysis of the Epistles, faith in Acts is linked to baptism (8:12-13; 18:8; 19:2), confession (19:18), forgiveness (10:43), grace (15:11; 18:27), healing (3:16; 14:9), the Holy Spirit (19:2), justification (13:39), purification (15:9), and sanctification (26:18). Faith is also portrayed as something one can be full of (11:24), turned from (13:8), remain true to (14:22), and be strengthened in (16:5). Basic to all of these ideas is the understanding that the act of believing is also a commitment to a community of worship (5:12), the meeting of the needs of others (2:44-45), and the sharing of this faith with all as Jesus told them (1:7-8). </p> <p> <i> The Epistles </i> . The fundamental Jewish position—that the law is God's love-gift to his people and that by fulfilling its requirements they could attain the righteousness of Godis countered in the Epistles by the claim that salvation is by faith in the crucified and risen Christ. Saul, a Jew whose persecution of the Christians was based on this premise (&nbsp;Acts 22:3-5 ), after meeting the risen Christ becomes a Paul who with opened eyes receives the Holy Spirit and preaches that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (&nbsp;Acts 9; &nbsp;Galatians 1:23 ). His letters to the churches validate the claim that faith in Christ is the only means of attaining the righteousness of God (&nbsp;Romans 1:16-17; &nbsp;Philippians 3:7-9 ). </p> <p> According to Paul in his letter to the church in Rome, the moral degradation of all people becomes the occasion for God's saving activity (1:18-3:20), with a resulting righteousness being received by faith (3:21-31). This salvation is variously described by Paul using the analogies of justification (&nbsp;Romans 3:24; &nbsp;4:25 ), redemption (&nbsp;Romans 3:24; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:30 ), reconciliation (&nbsp;Romans 5:10; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:18-20 ), and freedom (&nbsp;Galatians 4:1-7; &nbsp;5:1 ). James' argument for the necessary outworking of this salvation in good works (2:14-24) is countered by Paul's insistence on the working of the grace of God in the act of faith for salvation (&nbsp;Romans 3:24-31 ). </p> <p> The effect of faith in the life of the believer can be generalized under the picture of a new creation (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:17 ), but is also particularized in terms of sonship (&nbsp;Romans 8:14-17; &nbsp;Galatians 4:4-7 ), unity (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:10 ), love (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 13; &nbsp;Galatians 5:6,22 ), hope (&nbsp;Romans 6:8; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:21 ), and steadfastness (&nbsp;Hebrews 11 ). Paul's letters to the churches, with their recitation of problems with unity, love, and hope, seem to deny these claims. If faith means being a new creation, why is there so little unity and love in the [[Corinthian]] church and so little hope in the [[Thessalonian]] church? Paul's answer is twofold. First, he acknowledges the tension between the power of God at work in the people of faith and their continuing mortality (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ). Second, he reminds the Corinthians that the presence of the Spirit empowers God's people in their mortality now and also serves as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come, so that they live now by faith and not by sight (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:5-7; &nbsp;2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 ). The writer to the Hebrews uses this same definition, plus the examples of Old Testament persons of faith and Jesus, as a basis for the exhortation to live the life of faith and Jesus, as a basis for the exhortation to live the life of faith in the face of its hindrances (&nbsp;Hebrews 10:35-12:12 ). </p> <p> The later letters in the New Testament to Timothy and Titus, in addition to their continuing use of these dynamic definitions of faith, distinguish true faith from false faith by making the content of faith confessional (&nbsp;2 Timothy 4:3; &nbsp;Titus 1:9 ). [[Sound]] doctrine becomes the basis for right teaching (&nbsp;Titus 2:1 ) and right living (&nbsp;2 Timothy 3:15 ). Paul's words to Timothy when faced with the prospect of death"I have kept the faith" (&nbsp;2 Timothy 4:7 )can be a witness to both the dynamic quality of his life in Christ and the correctness of his understanding. </p> <p> <i> The Johannine Writings </i> . The change to a specific vocabulary for speaking about faith is most evident in the Gospel and Epistles of John. The Greek verb "to believe" ( <i> pisteuein </i> [ &nbsp; 1 John 5:5 ). The Fourth Gospel's ninety-eight uses of the verb for believing contrast with only thirty uses in all of the Synoptic Gospels. All four Gospels refer to believing facts ( <i> hoti </i> clause: &nbsp;Matthew 9:28; &nbsp;Mark 11:23-24; &nbsp;Luke 1:45; &nbsp;John 6:69 ), to believing people or [[Scripture]] (dative case: &nbsp;Matthew 21:25; &nbsp;Mark 11:31; &nbsp;Luke 1:20; &nbsp;John 2:22 ), and believing without a stated object (absolute use: &nbsp;Matthew 8:13; &nbsp;Mark 5:36; &nbsp;Luke 8:12-13; &nbsp;John 1:50 ). The Gospel of John alone stresses what it means to believe into ( <i> eis </i> [Δανιστής Δανειστής]) Jesus Christ. </p> <p> From the beginning of the Gospel, where we are told that John the Baptist's witness to Jesus as the light is "so that through him all men might believe" (1:7), until the Gospel's concluding statement of purpose"That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (20:31), the gospel is presented as a call to faith. Jesus Christ, as the object of faith, is first portrayed as the Word become flesh who comes into the world to make it possible for all to become children of God by believing/receiving him (1:10-14), and finally shown to be the risen Christ who in belief is acknowledged as Lord and God (20:28-29). In between these two brackets belief or unbelief is determined by people's responses to Jesus' signs in which he reveals his glory (2:11), his power to heal (4:53; 5:9), his willingness to meet the needs of the hungry (6:12-14), the helpless (6:21,61-70), and the blind (9:38), and to raise the dead (11:25-26). To his disciples he explains how they too can "overcome the world" (16:33). Their confession of faith at the end of the discourse in the upper room affirms their willingness to let their relationship with Jesus define the essence of their life and faith (16:29-30; cf. 14:20-21; 15:1-17; 16:12-15). </p> <p> The intensity of the relational in John's description of believing in Christ may be compared to Paul's use of the term "in Christ" to define what it means to be a Christian (&nbsp;Romans 6:11,23 ). The result of this relationship is a movement from darkness to light (&nbsp;John 12:46 ), from death to life (&nbsp;John 11:25-26 ), and a love that reciprocates the love of the Father for the Son and for the world (&nbsp;John 15:9-13; &nbsp;3:16 ) as the believer is involved in active, self-giving service (&nbsp;John 13:1,12-17 ). The power for this is to be found after Jesus' resurrection in the continuing relationship between the Son and the believer through the Holy Spirit (&nbsp;John 14:15-27; &nbsp;16:5-15; &nbsp;7:37-39 ). </p> <p> The Book of Revelation, with its stress on that which is to come, sees faith almost entirely from the perspective of the end and the exalted role of the martyr as a faithful witness (2:10,13, 19; 14:12) who is compared with Jesus Christ who is also designated as faithful (1:5; 3:14; 19:11). All whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life respond to the promise of this [[Faithful]] One, "I am coming soon, " with the prayer, <i> "Marana tha." </i> </p> <p> [[Herbert]] L. Swartz </p> <p> <i> See also </i> [[Faithfulness]]; [[Health Heal]]; [[Union With Christ]] </p> <p> <i> Bibliography </i> . H. Berkhof, <i> Christian Faith </i> ; R. M. Brown, <i> Is Faith Obsolete? </i> ; G. Ebeling, <i> The Nature of Faith </i> ; R. M. Hals, <i> [[Grace]] and Faith in the Old Testament </i> ; D. B. Harbuch, <i> The Dynamics of Belief </i> ; H.-J. Hermisson and E. Lahse, <i> Faith </i> ; J. G. Machen, <i> What Is Faith? </i> </p>

<p> In the original language of the New Testament, the noun ‘faith’ and the verb ‘believe’ are different parts of the same word. Although faith involves belief, by far the most important characteristic of faith (in the biblical sense) is reliance, or trust. </p> <p> To have faith in a person or thing is to rely wholly on that person or thing, and not to rely on oneself. The [[Bible]] usually speaks of faith in relation to people’s trust in, or dependence on, God and his works. This dependence may concern aspects of physical life such as God’s provision of food, health, protection from harm and victory over enemies (&nbsp;Psalms 22:4-5; &nbsp;Psalms 37:3-4; &nbsp;Psalms 46:1-3; &nbsp;Matthew 6:30-33; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:33-35), but above all it concerns aspects of spiritual life such as God’s provision of salvation and eternal life (&nbsp;Psalms 18:2; &nbsp;Psalms 40:4; &nbsp;Psalms 71:5; &nbsp;Psalms 73:26; &nbsp;Proverbs 3:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 17:7; &nbsp;John 3:16; &nbsp;Romans 1:16; &nbsp;Romans 5:1). </p> <p> '''Saved by faith''' </p> <p> Whether in the era before Christ or after, people have been saved only through faith in the sovereign God who in his mercy and grace forgives sin; and the basis on which God forgives sin is the death of Jesus Christ (&nbsp;Romans 3:24-26; &nbsp;Romans 4:16; &nbsp;Romans 4:22-25; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 4:13; &nbsp;Galatians 3:11; see JUSTIFICATION; SACRIFICE). People can never be saved from sin, never be accepted by God, on the basis of their good works or their law-keeping. They can do nothing to deserve or win God’s favour (&nbsp;Romans 4:1-5; &nbsp;Romans 9:30-32; &nbsp;Romans 10:3-4). God saves people solely by his grace, and they receive this salvation by faith (&nbsp;Ephesians 2:8-9). </p> <p> Faith in itself does not save. It is simply the means by which the sinner accepts the salvation that God offers. God’s salvation is not a reward for faith; it is a gift that no one deserves, but any person can receive it by faith (&nbsp;Romans 3:25; &nbsp;Romans 5:15). For example, if someone out of kindness decides to give a friend a gift, the friend must accept that gift in order to own it. But the gift is given freely; it is not a reward for the friend’s act of acceptance. </p> <p> Again, faith is not something a person can boast about. There is no merit in faith. All the merit lies in the object of faith, God, who through Jesus Christ has become the [[Saviour]] of sinners (&nbsp;John 3:16; &nbsp;John 3:18; &nbsp;John 7:31; &nbsp;John 17:20; &nbsp;Acts 20:21; &nbsp;1 John 5:12-13). [[Consider]] another example. If a sailor in a sinking ship jumps into a lifeboat, that lifeboat means everything to the sailor. His faith in jumping into it, far from being an act of merit, is an admission of helplessness. The lifeboat, the object of faith, is what takes the sailor to safety. </p> <p> Faith in God is not effort, but the ceasing of effort. It is not doing, but relying on what Christ has done. It is an attitude whereby guilty sinners gives up their own efforts to win salvation, no matter how good they be, and completely trust in Christ, and in him alone, for their salvation (&nbsp;Acts 16:30-31; &nbsp;Galatians 2:16). Without such an attitude, no person can receive God’s salvation (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:6 a). </p> <p> The faith by which people receive salvation is not merely an acknowledgment of certain facts (though this is necessary, since believers must know who and what they are trusting in; &nbsp;John 2:22; &nbsp;John 3:12; &nbsp;John 6:69; &nbsp;John 8:24-25; &nbsp;Romans 10:9-10; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:6 b; &nbsp;1 John 5:20). Rather it is a belief by which believers commit themselves wholly to Christ in complete dependence. It is not just accepting certain things as true (for even God’s enemies may have that sort of belief; &nbsp;James 2:19), but trusting in a person, Jesus Christ. Some may say they have a general faith in God, but if they refuse to have specific faith in Jesus Christ, their ‘faith’ is a form of self-deception (&nbsp;John 5:24; &nbsp;John 14:6; &nbsp;1 John 2:23). </p> <p> So basic is faith to Christianity, that the New Testament uses the name ‘believers’ as another name for Christians (&nbsp;Acts 5:14; &nbsp;Romans 3:26; &nbsp;1 Timothy 4:12). Likewise it uses ‘the faith’ as another name for Christianity (&nbsp;1 Timothy 5:8; &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:10; &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:21). </p> <p> '''Living by faith''' </p> <p> Christians are not only saved by faith, they live by faith. They continue to rely on the promise and power of the unseen God rather than on what they see and experience in the visible world (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:5; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:6-7; &nbsp;Colossians 1:23; &nbsp;Colossians 2:7; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1). Their lives are lived in constant dependence on God. Christ has borne the penalty of sin on their behalf and now lives within them. Only as they trust in his power can they experience in practice the victory, peace and joy that their salvation has brought (&nbsp;Galatians 2:20; &nbsp;Galatians 5:6; &nbsp;Ephesians 1:19). The strength of the faith by which they live depends largely on the strength of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ (&nbsp;Romans 14:1; &nbsp;2 Thessalonians 1:3; &nbsp;2 Peter 1:5-8; &nbsp;2 Peter 3:18). </p> <p> A professed faith that does not produce a change for the better in a person’s behaviour is not true faith; it is not a faith that leads to salvation. Those who have genuine faith will give clear proof of it by their good conduct (&nbsp;Galatians 5:6; &nbsp;1 Timothy 5:8; &nbsp;James 2:18-26). </p> <p> Sometimes the Bible speaks of faith in the special sense of trust in God to do something unusual or supernatural (&nbsp;Matthew 9:22; &nbsp;Matthew 9:28; &nbsp;Matthew 17:19-20; &nbsp;Mark 2:5; &nbsp;Mark 9:23; &nbsp;Luke 7:9; &nbsp;Luke 8:25; &nbsp;James 5:14-15; see DISEASE; MIRACLES; PRAYER). To some Christians God gives a gift of special faith that enables them to do what otherwise they could not do (&nbsp;Romans 12:3; &nbsp;Romans 12:6; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:9; see GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT). </p>

&nbsp;Philippians 1:27&nbsp;2&nbsp;2:13 <p> Faith is the result of teaching (&nbsp;Romans 10:14-17 ). [[Knowledge]] is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith (&nbsp;John 10:38; &nbsp;1 John 2:3 ). Yet the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the understanding. [[Assent]] to the truth is of the essence of faith, and the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests is the veracity of God. </p> <p> Historical faith is the apprehension of and assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of history. </p> <p> Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common operation of the Holy Spirit. </p> <p> Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life inseparably connected with it. It cannot be better defined than in the words of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism: "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." </p> <p> The object of saving faith is the whole revealed Word of God. Faith accepts and believes it as the very truth most sure. But the special act of faith which unites to Christ has as its object the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (&nbsp;John 7:38; &nbsp;Acts 16:31 ). This is the specific act of faith by which a sinner is justified before God (&nbsp;Romans 3:22,25; &nbsp;Galatians 2:16; &nbsp;Philippians 3:9; &nbsp;John 3:16-36; &nbsp;Acts 10:43; &nbsp;16:31 ). In this act of faith the believer appropriates and rests on Christ alone as Mediator in all his offices. </p> <p> This assent to or belief in the truth received upon the divine testimony has always associated with it a deep sense of sin, a distinct view of Christ, a consenting will, and a loving heart, together with a reliance on, a trusting in, or resting in Christ. It is that state of mind in which a poor sinner, conscious of his sin, flees from his guilty self to Christ his Saviour, and rolls over the burden of all his sins on him. It consists chiefly, not in the assent given to the testimony of God in his Word, but in embracing with fiducial reliance and trust the one and only Saviour whom God reveals. This trust and reliance is of the essence of faith. By faith the believer directly and immediately appropriates Christ as his own. Faith in its direct act makes Christ ours. It is not a work which God graciously accepts instead of perfect obedience, but is only the hand by which we take hold of the person and work of our [[Redeemer]] as the only ground of our salvation. </p> <p> Saving faith is a moral act, as it proceeds from a renewed will, and a renewed will is necessary to believing assent to the truth of God (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:14; &nbsp;2 co &nbsp;4:4 ). Faith, therefore, has its seat in the moral part of our nature fully as much as in the intellectual. The mind must first be enlightened by divine teaching (&nbsp;John 6:44; &nbsp;Acts 13:48; &nbsp;2 co &nbsp;4:6; &nbsp;Ephesians 1:17,18 ) before it can discern the things of the Spirit. </p> <p> Faith is necessary to our salvation (&nbsp;Mark 16:16 ), not because there is any merit in it, but simply because it is the sinner's taking the place assigned him by God, his falling in with what God is doing. </p> <p> The warrant or ground of faith is the divine testimony, not the reasonableness of what God says, but the simple fact that he says it. Faith rests immediately on, "Thus saith the Lord." But in order to this faith the veracity, sincerity, and truth of God must be owned and appreciated, together with his unchangeableness. God's word encourages and emboldens the sinner personally to transact with Christ as God's gift, to close with him, embrace him, give himself to Christ, and take Christ as his. That word comes with power, for it is the word of God who has revealed himself in his works, and especially in the cross. God is to be believed for his word's sake, but also for his name's sake. </p> <p> Faith in Christ secures for the believer freedom from condemnation, or justification before God; a participation in the life that is in Christ, the divine life (&nbsp;John 14:19; &nbsp;Romans 6:4-10; &nbsp;Ephesians 4:15,16 , etc.); "peace with God" (&nbsp;Romans 5:1 ); and sanctification (&nbsp;Acts 26:18; &nbsp;Galatians 5:6; &nbsp;Acts 15:9 ). </p> <p> All who thus believe in Christ will certainly be saved (&nbsp;John 6:37,40; &nbsp;10:27,28; &nbsp;Romans 8:1 ). </p> <p> The faith=the gospel (&nbsp;Acts 6:7; &nbsp;Romans 1:5; &nbsp;Galatians 1:23; &nbsp;1 Timothy 3:9; &nbsp;Jude 1:3 ). </p>

<p> &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1, "the substance of things hoped for (i.e., it substantiates God's promises, the fulfillment of which we hope, it makes them present realities), the evidence (elengchos , the 'convincing proof' or 'demonstration') of things not seen." Faith accepts the truths revealed on the testimony of God (not merely on their intrinsic reasonableness), that testimony being to us given in Holy Scripture. Where sight is, there faith ceases (&nbsp;John 20:29; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:8). We are justified (i.e. counted just before God) judicially by God (&nbsp;Romans 8:33), meritoriously by Christ (&nbsp;Isaiah 53:11; &nbsp;Romans 5:19), mediately or instrumentally by faith (&nbsp;Romans 5:1), evidentially by works. Loving trust. &nbsp;James 2:14-26, "though a man say he hath faith, and have not works, can (such a) faith save him?" the emphasis is on "say," it will be a mere saying, and can no more save the soul than saying to a "naked and destitute brother, be warmed and filled" would warm and fill him. </p> <p> "Yea, a man (holding right views) may say, Thou hast faith and I have works, show (exhibit to) me (if thou canst, but it is impossible) thy (alleged) faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." Abraham believed, and was justified before God on the ground of believing (&nbsp;Genesis 15:6). Forty years afterward, when God did" tempt," i.e. put him to the test, his justification was demonstrated before the world by his offering [[Isaac]] (Genesis 22). "As the body apart from (chooris ) the spirit is dead, so faith without the works (which ought to evidence it) is dead also." We might have expected faith to answer to the spirit, works to the body. As James reverses this, he must mean by "faith" here the FORM of faith, by "works" the working reality. Living faith does not derive its life from works, as the body does from its animating spirit. </p> <p> But faith, apart from the spirit of faith, which is LOVE (whose evidence is works), is dead, as the body is dead without the spirit; thus James exactly agrees with Paul, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 13:2, "though I have all faith ... and have not charity (love), I am nothing." In its barest primary form, faith is simply crediting or accepting God's testimony (&nbsp;1 John 5:9-13). Not to credit it is to make God a "liar"! a consequence which unbelievers may well start back from. The necessary consequence of crediting God's testimony (pisteuoo Τheoo ) is believing in (pisteuoo eis ton huion , i.e. "trusting in") the Son of God; for He, and salvation in Him alone, form the grand subject of God's testimony. The Holy Spirit alone enables any man to accept God's testimony and accept Jesus Christ, as his divine Savior, and so to "have the witness in himself" (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:3). Faith is receptive of God's gratuitous gift of eternal life in Christ. </p> <p> Faith is also an obedience to God's command to believe (&nbsp;1 John 3:23); from whence it is called the "obedience of faith" (&nbsp;Romans 1:5; &nbsp;Romans 16:26; &nbsp;Acts 6:7), the highest obedience, without which works seemingly good are disobediences to God (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:6). Faith justifies not by its own merit, but by the merit of Him in whom we believe (&nbsp;Romans 4:3; &nbsp;Galatians 3:6). Faith makes the interchange, whereby our sin is imputed to Him and His righteousness is imputed to us (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:19; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:21; &nbsp;Jeremiah 23:6; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:30). "Such are we in the sight of God the Father, as is the very Son of God Himself" (Hooker) (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:1; &nbsp;Romans 3:22; &nbsp;Romans 4:6; &nbsp;Romans 10:4; &nbsp;Isaiah 42:21; &nbsp;Isaiah 45:21-24; &nbsp;Isaiah 45:25). </p>

<p> FAITH, n. L. fides, fido, to trust Gr. to persuade, to draw towards any thing, to conciliate to believe, to obey. In the Greek Lexicon of Hederic it is said, the primitive signification of the verb is to bind and draw or lead, as signifies a rope or cable. But this remark is a little incorrect. The sense of the verb, from which that of rope and binding is derived, is to strain, to draw, and thus to bind or make fast. A rope or cable is that which makes fast. Heb. </p> 1. Belief the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth. I have strong faith or no faith in the testimony of a witness, or in what a historian narrates. 2. The assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition advanced by another belief, or probable evidence of any kind. 3. In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures, of the being and perfections of God, and of the existence, character and doctrines of Christ, founded on the testimony of the sacred writers, is called historical or speculative faith a faith little distinguished from the belief of the existence and achievements of [[Alexander]] or of Cesar. 4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation. <p> Being justified by faith. &nbsp;Romans 5 . </p> <p> Without faith it is impossible to please God. &nbsp;Hebrews 11 . </p> <p> For we walk by faith, and not by sight. &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5 . </p> <p> With the heart man believeth to righteousness. &nbsp;Romans 10 . </p> <p> The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind, which is called trust or confidence, exercised towards the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior. </p> <p> Faith is an affectionate practical confidence in the testimony of God. </p> <p> Faith is an affectionate practical confidence in the testimony of God. </p> <p> Faith is a firm, cordial belief in the veracity of God, in all the declarations of his word or a full and affectionate confidence in the certainty of those things which God has declared, and because he has declared them. </p> 5. The object of belief a doctrine or system of doctrines believed a system of revealed truths received by christians. <p> They heard only, that he who persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. &nbsp;Galatians 1 . </p> 6. The promises of God, or his truth and faithfulness. <p> shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? &nbsp;Romans 3 . </p> 7. An open profession of gospel truth. <p> Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. &nbsp;Romans 1 . </p> 8. A persuasion or belief of the lawfulness of things indifferent. <p> Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. &nbsp;Romans 14 . </p> 9. [[Faithfulness]] fidelity a strict adherence to duty and fulfillment of promises. <p> Her failing, while her faith to me remains, I would conceal. </p> <p> [[Children]] in whom is no faith. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32 . </p> 10. Word or honor pledged promise given fidelity. He violated his plighted faith. <p> For you alone I broke my faith with injured Palamon. </p> 11. [[Sincerity]] honesty veracity faithfulness. We ought in good faith, to fulfill all our engagements. 12. Credibility or truth. Unusual. <p> The faith of the foregoing narrative. </p>

<p> This is the great and momentous word in Scripture, which hath given rise to endless disputes, and employed the minds of men in all ages to explain; and yet to thousands still remains as obscure as ever. But notwithstanding: all that the bewildered and erroneous mind of man may say on faith, the scriptural account of faith is the simplest and plainest thing in the world. Faith is no more than the sincere and hearty assent and consent of the mind to the belief of the being and promises of God, as especially revealed to the church in the person and redemption, work of the Lord Jesus Christ. JEHOVAH, in his threefold character of person, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, hath mercifully been pleased to reveal himself as "forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin," and giving eternal life to the church in Christ Jesus. And these blessings are all declared to be in the person, and procured to the church by the sole undertaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the glorious Head of his body the church, the fulness of him "that filleth all in all." </p> <p> The hearty, cordial, and sincere belief in these blessed truths of God is called faith, because it is giving credit to the testimony of God, and relying upon his faithfulness for the fulfilment of them. The apostle John, in his first Epistle, fifth chapter, and ninth and following verses, puts this doctrine in so clear a point of view, that, under divine teaching, if attended to, it would be impossible to mistake it. "If we receive (saith John) the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us, eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." </p> <p> No form of words could have been more happily chosen to state what is the act of faith, and to put it in a clear and full light. Immense and unspeakable blessings are promised by God. It is not the greatness of the blessings which demands our faith, but the greatness of the Being promising. Indeed, the greater the blessings are, the greater would be the difficulty of believing, unless some other warrant and authority become the foundation for belief. The bottom, therefore, of all faith is, that what we are called upon to is that cannot lie; JEHOVAH that will not lie. An [[Almighty]] Promiser that never can out-promise himself. Hence, when Moses at the bush desired a confirmation of the truth, the Lord gave him to deliver to Israel, by knowing his name, and having such assurances to make to them as might silence every doubt. "Behold," (said he,) "when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say unto me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM." That is, I AM a being self-existing, and eternal; and which, therefore, gives a being to all my promises. So that this is the sure ground of faith. Not the greatness and blessedness of the promise; but the greatness, blessedness, and faithfulness of the Promiser. And to believe in the almighty Promiser in his assurances in Christ, is faith. I only add, however, under this article, that though faith is the simplest and plainest act of the mind, yet both the possession and the exercise of it is the gift of God. "Unto you," (saith an apostle,) "it is given to believe." (&nbsp;Philippians 1:29) And hence every truly awakened and regenerated believer finds daily reason, to cry out, as the apostle did to Christ, "Lord, increase our faith!" (&nbsp;Luke 17:5) </p>

<div> '''1: πίστις ''' (Strong'S #4102 — Noun [[Feminine]] — pistis — pis'-tis ) </div> <p> primarily, "firm persuasion," a conviction based upon hearing (akin to peitho, "to persuade"), is used in the NT always of "faith in God or Christ, or things spiritual." </p> &nbsp;Romans 3:25&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 2:5&nbsp;15:14,17&nbsp;2 Corinthians 1:24&nbsp;Galatians 3:23&nbsp; Philippians 1:25&nbsp;2:17&nbsp;1 Thessalonians 3:2&nbsp;2 Thessalonians 1:3&nbsp;3:2&nbsp;Matthew 23:23&nbsp;Romans 3:3&nbsp;Galatians 5:22&nbsp; Titus 2:10&nbsp;Acts 6:7&nbsp;14:22&nbsp;Galatians 1:23&nbsp;3:25&nbsp; Galatians 3:23&nbsp;Galatians 6:10&nbsp;Philippians 1:27&nbsp;1 Thessalonians 3:10&nbsp;Jude 1:3,20&nbsp; 2 Thessalonians 3:2&nbsp;Acts 17:31&nbsp; 1 Timothy 5:12&nbsp;2 Thessalonians 2:11,12&nbsp;John 1:12&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:7&nbsp;Romans 4:17,20,21[[Assurance]][[Belief]][[Faithfulness]]Fidelity.&nbsp;Hebrews 10:23&nbsp;Acts 6:8&nbsp; Romans 3:3Unbelief.&nbsp; Romans 3:25&nbsp;Galatians 3:23&nbsp;Galatians 3:22

<p> '''Faith.''' &nbsp;Hebrews 11:7. Faith is distinguished from credulity in that it does not accept anything as true which is not based on sufficient evidence; it is contrasted with unbelief in that it accepts whatever is proposed to it when the testimony thereof is adequate. Faith may be dead, if it be merely in the understanding, admitting facts as true, but not realizing their bearing upon ourselves. Such a faith is that historical faith, which credits the narrative of our Lord's passion and death, but seeks not, through them, remission of personal guilt. The faith of devils goes farther than this; for they "believe and tremble," &nbsp;James 2:19; but they find no means of release from their apprehended doom. True "faith is the substance (or realizing) of things hoped for, the evidence (or sure persuasion) of things not seen." &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1. With such a faith "Abraham believed God; and it was counted unto him for righteousness." &nbsp;Genesis 15:6; &nbsp;Romans 4:3; &nbsp;Galatians 3:6. So those who believe in Christ, accepting his offered mercy, relying on his never-forfeited word, are for his sake regarded as God's children. Hence men are said to be "justified by faith." &nbsp;Romans 3:23-26; &nbsp;Romans 6:1. Faith, if genuine, will work by love, &nbsp;Galatians 6:6, yielding the fruits of a holy life and conversation. &nbsp;Matthew 7:20; &nbsp;James 2:26. There are various shades of meaning belonging to the word "faith" in Scripture; sometimes it means the gospel revelation. &nbsp;Acts 6:7; &nbsp;Romans 10:8. The precious gift of faith and the increase thereof should be earnestly sought in humble prayer. &nbsp;Luke 17:6; &nbsp;Philippians 1:29. </p>

<p> '''(1):''' ''' (''' n.) The belief in the facts and truth of the Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, - called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith. </p> <p> '''(2):''' ''' (''' n.) The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith. </p> <p> '''(3):''' ''' (''' n.) That which is believed on any subject, whether in science, politics, or religion; especially (Theol.), a system of religious belief of any kind; as, the Jewish or Mohammedan faith; and especially, the system of truth taught by Christ; as, the Christian faith; also, the creed or belief of a Christian society or church. </p> <p> '''(4):''' ''' (''' n.) Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony. </p> <p> '''(5):''' ''' (''' n.) Word or honor pledged; promise given; fidelity; as, he violated his faith. </p> <p> '''(6):''' ''' (''' n.) Credibility or truth. </p> <p> '''(7):''' ''' (''' interj.) By my faith; in truth; verily. </p> <p> '''(8):''' ''' (''' n.) [[Fidelity]] to one's promises, or allegiance to duty, or to a person honored and beloved; loyalty. </p> <p> '''(9):''' ''' (''' n.) The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth. </p>

<p> The stupendous Falls of [[Niagara]] have been spoken of in every part of the world; but while they are marvelous to hear of and wonderful as a spectacle, they have been very destructive to human life, when by accident any have been carried down the cataract. Some years ago, two men, a bargeman and a collier, were in a boat and found themselves unable to manage it, it being carried so swiftly down the current that they must both inevitably be born down and dashed to pieces. At last, however, one man was saved by floating a rope to him, which he grasped. The same instant that the rope came into his hand, a log floated by the other man. The thoughtless and confused bargeman, instead of seizing the rope, laid hold on the log. It was a fatal mistake, they were both in imminent peril, but the one was drawn to shore because he had a connection with the people on the land, whilst the other, clinging to the loose, floating log, was borne irresistibly along, and never heard of afterwards. Faith has a saving connection with Christ. Christ is on the shore, so to speak, holding the rope, and as we lay hold of it with the hand of our confidence, he pulls us to shore; but our good works having no connection with Christ are drifted along down to the gulf of fell despair. Grapple our virtues as tightly as we may, even with hooks of steel, they cannot avail us in the least degree; they are the disconnected log which has no holdfast on the heavenly shore. </p>

<p> '''''fāth''''' : </p> <p> 1. Etymology </p> <p> 2. Meaning: A D ivergency </p> <p> 3. Faith in the Sense of [[Creed]] </p> <p> 4. A L eading [[Passage]] Explained </p> <p> 5. Remarks </p> <p> 6. Conclusion </p> <p> In the Old Testament (the King James Version) the word occurs only twice: &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:20 ( אמוּן , <i> ''''''ēmūn''''' </i> ); &nbsp;Habakkuk 2:4 ( אמוּנה , <i> ''''''ĕmūnāh''''' </i> ). In the latter the Revised Version (British and American) places in the margin the alternative rendering, "faithfulness." In the New Testament it is of very frequent occurrence, always representing πιστις , <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> , with one exception in the King James Version (not the Revised Version (British and American)), &nbsp;Hebrews 10:23 , where it represents ἐλπίς , <i> '''''elpı́s''''' </i> , "hope." </p> 1. Etymology <p> The history of the English word is rather interesting than important; use and contexts, alike for it and its Hebrew and Greek parallels, are the surest guides to meaning. But we may note that it occurs in the form "feyth," in <i> Havelok the Dane </i> (13th century); that it is akin to <i> fides </i> and this again to the [[Sanskrit]] root <i> '''''bhidh''''' </i> , "to unite," "to bind." It is worth while to recall this primeval suggestion of the spiritual work of faith, as that which, on man's side, <i> unites him to God </i> for salvation. </p> 2. Meaning: A D ivergency <p> Studying the word "faith" in the light of use and contexts, we find a bifurcation of significance in the Bible. We may distinguish the two senses as the passive and the active; on the one side, "fidelity," "trustworthiness"; and "faith," "trust," on the other. In &nbsp;Galatians 5:22 , e.g. context makes it clear that "fidelity" is in view, as a quality congruous with the associated graces. (the Revised Version (British and American) accordingly renders <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> there by "faithfulness.") Again, &nbsp;Romans 3:3 the King James Version, "the faith of <i> God </i> ," by the nature of the case, means His fidelity to promise. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, "faith," as rendering <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> , means "reliance," "trust." To illustrate would be to quote many scores of passages. It may be enough here to call attention to the recorded use of the word by our Lord. Of about twenty passages in the Gospels where <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> occurs as coming from His lips, only one (&nbsp;Matthew 23:23 ) presents it in the apparent sense of "fidelity." All the others conspicuously demand the sense of "reliance," "trust." The same is true of the apostolic writings. In them, with rarest exceptions, the words "reliance," "trust," precisely fit the context as alternatives to "faith." </p> 3. Faith in the Sense of Creed <p> Another line of meaning is traceable in a very few passages, where <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> , "faith," appears in the sense of "creed," the truth, or body of truth, which is trusted, or which justifies trust. The most important of such places is the paragraph &nbsp;James 2:14-26 , where an apparent contradiction to some great Pauline <i> dicta </i> perplexes many readers. The riddle is solved by observing that the writer uses "faith" in the sense of creed, orthodox "belief." This is clear from &nbsp; James 2:19 , where the "faith." in question is illustrated: "Thou believest that <i> God is one </i> ." This is the credal confession of the orthodox Jew (the <i> '''''shema‛''''' </i> ; see &nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:4 ), taken as a passport to salvation. Briefly, James presses the futility of creed without life, Paul the necessity of reliance in order to receive "life and peace." </p> 4. A L eading Passage Explained <p> It is important to notice that &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1 is no exception to the rule that "faith" normally means "reliance," "trust." There "Faith is the substance (or possibly, in the light of recent inquiries into the type of Greek used by New Testament writers, "the guaranty") of things hoped for, the evidence (or "convincing proof") of things not seen." This is sometimes interpreted as if faith, in the writer's view, were, so to speak, a faculty of second sight, a mysterious intuition into the spiritual world. But the chapter amply shows that the faith illustrated, e.g. by Abraham, Moses, Rahab, was simply <i> reliance </i> upon a God known to be trustworthy. Such reliance enabled the believer to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen. In short, the phrase here, "faith is the evidence," etc., is parallel in form to our familiar saying, "Knowledge is power." </p> 5. Remarks <p> A few detached remarks may be added: ( <i> a </i> ) The history of the use of the Greek <i> '''''pistis''''' </i> is instructive. In the Septuagint it normally, if not always, bears the "passive" sense "fidelity," "good faith," while in classical Greek it not rarely bears the active sense, "trust." In the <i> '''''koinē''''' </i> , the type of Greek universally common at the Christian era, it seems to have adopted the active meaning as the ruling one <i> only just in time </i> , so to speak, to provide it for the utterance of Him whose supreme message was "reliance," and who passed that message on to His apostles. Through their lips and pens "faith," in that sense, became the supreme watchword of Christianity. See [[Justification]]; [[Union With Christ]] . </p> 6. Conclusion <p> In conclusion, without trespassing on the ground of other articles, we call the reader's attention, for his Scriptural studies, to the <i> central place of faith in Christianity </i> , and its significance. As being, in its true idea, a reliance as simple as possible upon the word, power, love, of Another, it is precisely that which, on man's side, <i> adjusts him </i> to the living and merciful presence and action of a trusted God. In its nature, not by any mere arbitrary arrangement, it is his one possible receptive attitude, that in which he brings nothing, so that he may receive all. Thus "faith" is our side of union with Christ. And thus it is our means of possessing all His benefits, pardon, justification, purification, life, peace, glory. </p> <p> As a comment on our exposition of the ruling meaning of "faith" in Scripture, we may note that this precisely corresponds to its meaning in common life, where, for once that the word means anything else, it means "reliance" a hundred times. Such correspondence between religious terms (in Scripture) and the meaning of the same words in common life, will be found to be invariable. </p>