Difference between revisions of "Faith"

<p> Our English word “faith” comes from the Latin <i> fides </i> , as developed through the Old French words <i> fei </i> and <i> feid </i> . In Middle English (1150-1475) “faith” replaced a word that eventually evolved into “belief.” “Faith” came to mean “loyalty to a person to whom one is bound by promise or duty.” Faith was fidelity. “Belief” came to be distinguished from faith as an intellectual process having to do with the acceptance of a proposition. The verb form of “faith” dropped out of English usage toward the end of the sixteenth century. </p> <p> Old Testament Expressions The word “faith” occurs in the Old Testament only twice in the KJV, eighteen times in the RSV, and sixteen times in the NIV. This discrepancy becomes even more interesting when we note that the RSV and the NIV agree on only five of these verses of Scripture (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:51; &nbsp;Judges 9:16 ,Judges 9:16,&nbsp;9:19; &nbsp;Isaiah 26:2; &nbsp;Habakkuk 2:4 ), and the KJV concurs with them only on the translation of &nbsp;Habakkuk 2:4 . These differences revolve around problems with the translation of two Hebrew roots, <i> ma'al </i> and <i> aman </i> . </p> <p> The first of these roots, <i> ma'al </i> , is a negative term that means “to be deceitful, treacherous, or unfaithful.” The RSV, NAS, and the NIV translate this word with the phrase “broke faith” (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:51; &nbsp;Joshua 22:16 ) or with “acted unfaithfully” (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:51; &nbsp;Joshua 7:1 ). The KJV translates this root in those same verses with the word “trespass.” While the Hebrew uses no single noun for “faith” in these verses, the translators have in each case rendered the sense of the Hebrew. </p> <p> The second root, <i> aman </i> , is more difficult to translate because its meaning changes as it passes through the various Hebrew verb forms. There are seven such forms, but this root occurs in only three of them. In the first and most basic verb form the root means to support or nourish and is used of a parent's care for a child. In the second verb-form one encounters a range of meanings having to do with being secure. </p> <p> Only the third verb form was rendered with the Greek word for faith in the New Testament and in the Septuagint, an early Greek version of the Old Testament originating in Alexandria. <i> [[Aman]] </i> expresses the idea of stability and steadfastness in this form and is translated as standing firm (&nbsp; Job 39:24 , RSV; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:9 NIV), or “to trust” (a person) or “to believe” (a statement). One stands firm in one's convictions. In relationships, one trusts persons and believes their testimony or promises. Thus, we find no Hebrew noun for “faith” in the Old Testament, only verbs that have been translated with “faith” because of New Testament influence. </p> <p> If we do not find the noun “faith” in the Old Testament, we surely find the concept named with other words. In the Old Testament faith is described as the “fear of God” (&nbsp;Genesis 20:11; &nbsp;Psalm 111:10; &nbsp;Ecclesiastes 12:13; &nbsp;Malachi 4:2 ), and in terms of trust (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:20; &nbsp;Psalm 4:5 , &nbsp;Isaiah 26:4 ), and obedience (&nbsp;Exodus 19:5; &nbsp;1 Samuel 15:22 , &nbsp;Jeremiah 7:23 ). Faith is a New Testament concept that encompasses and enriches these Old Testament concepts. The English versions of the Old Testament have translated a pair of Hebrew verbs using the noun “faith.” They do so in order to express the understanding of God's relation to humanity that has grown out of the New Testament. </p> <p> Because the Old Testament does not have a word equivalent to the English noun, “faith,” does not mean the idea of faith is unimportant for the Old Testament. &nbsp;Habakkuk 2:4 was properly taken by Paul as the center of Old Testament religion. God prepared the way for His people in mercy and grace, then called them to obedience. To accept the responsibilities of God's covenant was to trust His word that He alone was God and to commit one's life to His promises for the present and future. That is faith. </p> <p> New Testament Expressions The Greek noun, <i> pistis </i> (faith), is related to the verb <i> pisteuo </i> (I have faith, trust, believe). The noun and verb are found virtually everywhere in the New Testament, with the notable exception that the noun is absent altogether from John's Gospel and occurs only once in 1John. The verb form does not occur in Philemon, 2Peter, 2,3John, or Revelation. </p> <p> Classical Greek used <i> pistis </i> and <i> piseuo </i> to mean “trust” or “confidence.” In this period belief in the existence of the gods of the Greek pantheon would be expressed with the verb <i> nomizo </i> (to think, believe, hold, consider). In the Hellenistic period, however, both the noun and verb moved from secular to religious usage. The noun came to mean piety, and the verb took on the meaning “to believe”—a usage derived from debates with atheism in which faith required the overcoming of objections. </p> <p> In the New Testament “faith” is used in a number of ways, but primarily with the meaning “trust” or “confidence” in God. This basic meaning is particularly evident in the Synoptic Gospels. &nbsp;Mark 1:15 introduces and summarizes the Gospel with Jesus' charge to his hearers to “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (The word usually translated “believe” in this verse is the verb form of “faith” for which there is no English equivalent. The call is repeated as “Have faith in God,” using the noun form, in &nbsp; Mark 11:22 .) Thus, Jesus called His hearers to place their confidence in God. It is common in the Synoptics for Jesus to say after healing someone, “thy faith hath made thee whole” (&nbsp;Matthew 9:22; &nbsp;Mark 5:34; &nbsp;Luke 7:50; &nbsp;Luke 8:48 .) One's confidence in or allegiance to God makes one whole. John expressed a similar understanding of faith in &nbsp;Luke 6:29 and &nbsp; Luke 14:1 where people are called to have faith in the Christ. The difference between John and the Synoptics is a grammatical one; John used only the verb and never the noun for faith. </p> <p> Outside the Gospels faith is related to the keynote concepts of the Christian message: the state of salvation (&nbsp;Ephesians 2:8-9 ), sanctification (&nbsp;Acts 26:18 ), purification (&nbsp;Acts 15:9 ), justification or imputed righteousness (&nbsp;Romans 4:5; &nbsp;Romans 5:1; &nbsp;Galatians 3:24 ), adoption as children of God (&nbsp;Galatians 3:26 ). Each of these comes by faith. As in the Gospels, faith is an attitude toward and relationship with God mediated by Christ Jesus. It is surrender to God's gift of righteousness in Christ rather than seeking to achieve righteousness alone. </p> <p> Faith is also called a fruit of the Holy Spirit (&nbsp;Galatians 5:22 )—something God creates in a person. In another place “faith” is used quite differently as a gift of the Holy Spirit that is given to some but not to others (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:8-9 ). Apparently such special gifts of faith refer to the ability to do great acts for God, what Jesus called moving mountains (&nbsp;Matthew 17:20; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 13:2 ). </p> <p> The New Testament sometimes uses “faith” to designate [[Christianity]] itself or that which Christians believe (&nbsp;Acts 6:7; &nbsp;Ephesians 4:5; &nbsp;Colossians 1:23; Tim. &nbsp;Colossians 1:19; &nbsp;Jude 1:3 ). In this usage it is clear that an element of what we call belief is essential to the personal relationship we are calling “faith.” Here it would be well to note &nbsp;Hebrews 11:6 also—”But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is” In this verse also the word translated “believe” is the Greek verb form of “faith.” Context here dictates that we understand it in the sense of intellectual acceptance of a proposition, “belief.” To have a right relation with God, it is necessary to “believe” that God is, that God has revealed Himself in Christ, and to accept God accepts you. </p> <p> If faith is the religion itself, it is so in more than an intellectual way. Faith is also the living out of the religion; it is Christianity in action. This is the meaning of “We walk by faith, not by sight” (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:7 ). “Walking” represents the totality of one's way of life. Paul wrote that “faith,” both in the sense of Christian piety and of the trust and confidence one puts in God, determines action in life. Faith changes the standards and priorities of life. Similarly, using the imagery of a soldier's armor, Paul said that faith is a shield against sin and evil in our lives (&nbsp;Ephesians 6:16; &nbsp;1 Thessalonians 5:8 ). </p> <p> If Christianity itself may be called “the faith,” then it is a small step to the New Testament usage of the participle of the verb form of faith to designate Christians. This form is often translated “believers” (it occurs most often in the plural) or “those who believe” (&nbsp;Acts 4:32; &nbsp;Romans 1:16 ). If we continue our distinction between faith and belief, we would prefer the translation “those who have faith” or the ungrammatical “those who faith.” </p> <p> The nearest the New Testament comes to presenting a definition of “faith” <i> per se </i> is in &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1 . Here faith is called “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (RSV). Thus, Hebrews closely ties faith very to Christian hope. The personal conviction of faith encourages the Christian to continue hoping for the fulfillment of the promises of God, but it is not the substance (as in the KJV) of these “things hoped for” in any normal sense of “substance.” The “things hoped for” have a reality greater than anyone's hoping for them. Faith is then meant as a sort of foretaste of the hoped for things. </p> <p> Faith as the Way to Salvation. The concept of faith is primarily that of a personal relationship with God that determines the priorities of one's life. This relationship is one of love that is built on trust and dependence. We receive it by trusting the saving work of Jesus. Faith is the basic Christian experience, the decision for Christ Jesus. It is the acceptance of Christ's lordship (i.e., His God-given, absolute authority). In this sense faith is doubly a break from the past: it is one's removal from sin, and it is one's removal from all other religious allegiances (&nbsp;1 Thessalonians 1:9 ). As a break from the past, faith is the beginning of relation to God and not an end. It is, especially in Paul's letters, the inauguration of incorporation “in Christ,” in which one continues to grow and develop. </p> <p> If faith is primarily a relationship into which one enters through acceptance of Jesus' authority, it also includes a certain amount of “belief.” As a derived use, then, “faith” may also denote the content of what is believed. In this sense faith is the conviction that God acted in the history of </p> <p> Israel and “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:19 ). In theological usage “the faith” may refer to many more doctrines and dogmas that have been developed since New Testament times, but in the New Testament “that which must be believed” was more limited as &nbsp;Romans 10:9-10 may demonstrate. Conclusion Faith is what we believe, it is Christianity itself, but primarily it is the relationship we have with God through what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection. </p> <p> [[William]] L. Self </p>

<p> Is that assent which we give to a proposition advanced by another, the truth of which we do not immediately perceive from our own reason and experience; or it is a judgment or assent of the mind, the motive whereof is not any intrinsic evidence, but the authority or testimony of some other who reveals or relates it. The Greek word, translated faith, comes from the verb, to persuade; the nature of faith being a persuasion and assent of the mind, arising from testimony or evidence. </p> <p> 1. Divine faith, is that founded on the authority of God, or it is that assent which we give to what is revealed by God. The objects of this, therefore, are matters of revelation. &nbsp;1 John 5:9 . </p> <p> 2. Human faith, is that whereby we believe what is told us by men. The objects hereof are matters of human testimony or evidence. </p> <p> 3. [[Historical]] faith, is that whereby we assent to the truths of revelation as a kind of certain and infallible record, &nbsp;James 2:17 , or to any fact recorded in history. </p> <p> 4. The faith of miracles, is the persuasion a person has of his being able, by the divine power, to effect a miracle on another, &nbsp;Matthew 17:20 . &nbsp;1 Corinthians 13:2 . or another on himself, &nbsp;Acts 14:9 . This obtained chiefly in the time of Christ and his apostles. </p> <p> 5. A temporary faith, is an assent to evangelical truths, as both interesting and desirable, but not farther than they are accompanied with temporal advantages; and which is lost when such advantages diminish or are removed, &nbsp;Matthew 11:24 . &nbsp;Luke 8:13 . </p> <p> 6. Faith in respect to futurity, is a moral principle, implying such a conviction of the reality and importance of a future state, as is sufficient to regulate the temper and conduct. </p> <p> 7. Faith in Christ, or saving faith is that principle wrought in the heart by the Divine Spirit, whereby we are persuaded that Christ is the Messiah; and possess such a desire and expectation of the blessings he has promised in his Gospel, as engages the mind to fix its dependence on him, and subject itself to him in all the ways of holy obedience, and relying solely on his grace for everlasting life. </p> <p> These are the ideas which are generally annexed to the definition of saving faith; but, accurately speaking, faith is an act of the understanding, giving credit to the testimony of the Gospel; and desire, expectation, confidence, &c. are rather the effects of it, than faith itself, though inseparably connected with it. Much has been said as to the order or place in which faith stands in the Christian system, some placing it before, others after repentance. Perhaps the following remarks on the subject may be considered as consistent with truth and Scripture: </p> <p> 1. [[Regeneration]] is the work of God enlightening the mind, and changing the heart, and in order of time precedes faith.— </p> <p> 2. Faith is the consequence of regeneration, and implies the perception of an object. It discerns the evil of sin, the holiness of God, gives credence to the testimony of God in his word, and seems to precede repentance, since we cannot repent of that of which we have no clear perception, or no concern about.— </p> <p> 3. [[Repentance]] is an after-thought, or sorrowing for sin, the evil nature of which faith perceives, and which immediately follows faith.— </p> <p> 4. [[Conversion]] is a turning from sin, which faith sees, and repentance sorrows for, and seems to follow, and to be the end of all the rest. </p> <p> As to the properties or adjuncts of faith, we may observe, </p> <p> 1. That it is the first and principal grace: it stands first in order, and takes the precedence of other graces, &nbsp;Mark 16:16 . &nbsp;Hebrews 11:6 .— </p> <p> 2. It is every way precious and valuable, &nbsp;1 Peter 2:1 .— </p> <p> 3. It is called in Scripture, one faith; for though there are several sorts of faith, there is but one special or saving faith, &nbsp;Ephesians 4:5 </p> <p> 4. It is also denominated common faith; common to all the regenerate, &nbsp;Titus 1:4 .— </p> <p> 5. It is true, real, and unfeigned, &nbsp;Acts 8:37 . &nbsp;Romans 10:10 .— </p> <p> 6. It cannot be finally lost as to the grace of it, &nbsp;Philippians 1:6 . &nbsp;Luke 22:32 .— </p> <p> 7. It is progressive, &nbsp;Luke 17:5 . &nbsp;2 Thessalonians 1:3 .— </p> <p> 8. It appropriates and realizes, or, as the apostle says, is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, &nbsp;Hebrews 11:1 . </p> <p> The evidence or effects of faith, are, </p> <p> 1. Love to Christ, &nbsp;1 Peter 1:8 . &nbsp;Galatians 5:6 .— </p> <p> 2. Confidence, &nbsp;Ephesians 3:1-21 </p> <p> 3. Joy, &nbsp;Romans 5:11 . &nbsp;Philippians 1:25 .— </p> <p> 4. Prayer, &nbsp;Hebrews 4:16 .— </p> <p> 5. Attention to his ordinances, and profit by them, &nbsp;Hebrews 4:2 .— </p> <p> 6. [[Zeal]] in the promotion of his glory, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 15:58 . &nbsp;Galatians 6:9 .— </p> <p> 7. [[Holiness]] of heart and life, &nbsp;Matthew 7:20 . &nbsp;1 John 2:3 . &nbsp;Acts 15:9 . &nbsp;James 2:18; &nbsp;James 2:20; &nbsp;James 2:22 . </p> <p> See articles [[Assurance]] and JUSTIFICATION, IN THIS WORK; and Polhill on [[Precious]] Faith; Lambert's Sermons, ser. 13. 14, &c.; Scott's Nature and Warrant of Faith; Romaine's Life, Walk, and [[Triumph]] of Faith; Rotherham's Ess. on Faith; Dove's [[Letters]] on Faith; A. Hall. on the Faith and [[Influence]] of the Gospel; Goodwin's Works, vol. 4: </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> 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 4:17,20,21Assurance[[Belief]]FaithfulnessFidelity.&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> '''''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>