Belief

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

In its general and natural sense, denotes a persuasion or an assent of the mind to the truth of any proposition. In this sense belief has no relation to any particular kind of means or arguments, but may be produced by any means whatever: thus we are said to believe our senses, to believe our reason, to believe a witness. Belief, in its more restrained sense, denotes that kind of assent which is grounded only on the authority or testimony of some person. In this sense belief stands opposed to knowledge and science. We do not say that we believe snow is white, but we know it to be so. But when a thing is propounded to us, of which we ourselves have no knowledge, but which appears to us to be true from the testimony given to it by another, this is what we call belief.

See FAITH.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Perhaps, nothing is more simple than the act of believing; and yet, perhaps, nothing which hath created more mistakes and misapprehensions. In common life, we all perfectly understand what it is to believe one another: it is only in relation to our belief in God, that we find it difficult. If the servant of some kind and generous master was promised by him a favour, which he knew his master could perform, he would think it a base impeachment of his master's character for any one to call the promise in question. But when the same kind of reasoning is brought forward concerning God, we overlook the impeachment of the Lord's veracity, in doubting the assurance of what God hath promised. Now, to apply this to the case in point. God hath promised to the church eternal life; and this life is in his Son. To believe this on the simple word and authority of God, this is to give God the credit of God; and in doing this, we do in fact no more than the servant, as before stated, does to his kind master. The greatness of the promise, and the undeservedness of our hearts; these things have nothing to do in the business. It is the greatness, and honour, and credit of the Promiser, which becomes the only consideration with faith. And to take God at his word, and to trust in his promise as God; this is the whole sum and substance of believing. So that the simple act of faith, after all, is the simplest thing upon earth; for it is only believing "the record which God hath given of his Son." (1 John 5:10)

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BELIEF . Older Eng. (akin to lief and love ) for the Lat.-French ‘faith,’ which displaced it in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] everywhere except in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 . RV [Note: Revised Version.] follows AV [Note: Authorized Version.] except in Romans 10:16 f., where it restores ‘belief,’ after Tindale, in continuity with ‘believe.’ ‘Unbelief held its ground as the antonym ( Matthew 13:58 , etc., Romans 3:3 etc.). In modern Eng., ‘faith’ signifies ethical, ‘belief’ intellectual, credence: ‘faith,’ trust in a person; ‘belief,’ recognition of a fact or truth beyond the sphere of sensible observation or demonstrative proof. See Faith.

G. G. Findlay.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

See Faith.

King James Dictionary

BELIE'F, n.

1. A persuasion of the truth, or an assent of mind to the truth of a declaration, proposition or alleged fact, on the ground of evidence, distinct from personal knowledge as the belief of the gospel belief of a witness. Belief may also by founded on internal impressions, or arguments and reasons furnished by our own minds as the belief of our senses a train of reasoning may result in belief. Belief is opposed to knowledge and science. 2. In theology, faith, or a firm persuasion of the truths of religion.

No man can attain to belief by the bare contemplation of heaven and earth.

3. Religion the body of tenets held by the professors of faith.

In the heat of persecution, to which christian belief was subject, upon its first promulgation.

4. In some cases, the word is used for persuasion or opinion, when the evidence is not so clear as to leave no doubt but the shades of strength in opinion can hardly be defined, or exemplified. Hence the use of qualifying words as a firm, full or strong belief. 5. The thing believed the object of belief.

Superstitious prophecies are the belief of fools.

6. A creed a form or summary of articles of faith. In this sense, we generally use Creed.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bē̇ -lēf ´. See Faith .

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

A word of various application, but properly definable as that which lies at the heart of a man or a nation's convictions, or is the heart and soul of all their thoughts and actions, "the thing a man does practically lay to heart, and know for certain concerning his vital relations to this mysterious universe, and his duty and destiny there."