In the Bible, Faith is defined in the opening verse of Hebrews 11.
“Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.”
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1 has the literary structure and form of a dictionary definition. A style of literature that is rare in the Biblical library, which often prefers narrative and parable. Consequently, Hebrews 11:1 is a unique text. Yet even with this level of clarity, misnomers about faith are abundant. As Paul Tillich once said, “Faith is the most misunderstood word in the religious vocabulary.”
If you leave agendas and bad hermeneutics aside, language seems to be the core reason Biblical faith is so misunderstood. As happens in translation, our modern term “Faith” doesn’t fully capture the nuances present in the Greek. Consequently, any new definition needs to harmonize with the sea of Biblical examples and explanations.
The Greek Word for Faith
The Greek word for faith is “Pistis” (πίστις). It originates from the term πείθω (peithō), meaning “to persuade” or “to be persuaded.” In English, the term can be rendered in several different ways.
- Faith
- Belief
- Trust
- Confidence
- Fidelity
- Faithfulness
- Loyalty
- Evidence
- Proof
- Assurance
- Guarantee
Many of these translations, such as confidence, belief, and faithfulness, will feel normal to astute readers. However, other terms like assurance, evidence, and guarantee may seem odd. Faith is popularly defined in light of passages like “we walk by faith and not by sight,” or “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” which don’t seem to jive with terms like “proof” or “evidence.” Nonetheless, they are still proper translations. Consequently, if we want to have an accurate understanding of Pistis, we must explore more passages about faith and see how they play with the possible translations.
Faith Begins With Knowledge
In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that hearing a message is the genesis of faith. This seems to make intuitive sense. After all, how can you believe, trust, or have confidence in something you do not know?
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,” – Romans 10:17.
So, knowledge is the starting point, but it cannot be the only requirement. I, for example, have heard people say the world is flat, but this does not mean I have faith it is. For knowledge to become Pistis, the person must conclude that the message is true.
This is why terms like “belief,” “confidence,” “assurance,” and even “proof” can be used in translation.
How Knowledge Becomes Belief
The transition from knowledge to belief usually happens through some “evidential conduit.” This can take the form of physical evidence, reason, argument, a trustworthy messenger, or even experience. The Bible itself seems to endorse several kinds of these conduits, by which we come to believe the message.
Physical Evidence
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof [Pistin (πίστιν), from Pistis] of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17:31
Past Exsperiance
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” – Hebrews 11:11
Faith Through Reason
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” -Acts 17:11
A Trustworthy Messenger
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” – 2 Timothy 1:5
So, Pistis starts with hearing a message. It then sprouts when people conclude the message is true. These beginning phases of faith are often called “intellectual assent.” However, merely accepting a message cannot be all that Pistis requires. As James points out, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe [pisteuó] that—and shudder.” – James 2:19
Faith Blooms With Action
In his reflections on faith, James makes it clear that Pistis cannot be divorced from action. He speaks about this at length in chapter 2 of his epistle:
“faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:17
“Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.” – James 2:21-23
It does not get more blunt than that.
Action is an important element of Pistis that harmonizes well with terms like “trust,” “confidence,” and “loyalty.” I may conclude that a bungee jump is safe, but this does not mean I will entrust my life to it. The same is true for the gospel. Just because I believe Jesus is God and that he rose from the dead does not mean I will place my confidence in his word. It’s possible for people, like the demons, to know the truth and reject it for something else. Likewise, it’s one thing to say “Jesus is my lord,” and quite another to follow in the footsteps of people like Polycarp and Germanicus, who remained faithful unto death.
Biblical Examples
So, faith begins with hearing a message; it sprouts when that message is deemed true and blooms when the message is trusted in and acted upon.
Just about every story of faith in the Bible seems to follow this pattern: Peter asks Jesus to command him to walk on the water, Jesus issues the order, Peter trusts in the command, and steps out of the boat. God appears to Abraham, tells him to move to a foreign land, and promises him certain things. Abraham trusts God will fulfill his promises and so goes. The Father plans to raise Jesus from the dead. Christ trusts the plan and begins the march to Golgotha.
If we think about faith in light of these examples, I think it becomes easier to understand what the Hebrew writer means when he says:
“Now Pistis is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Sources
- Strongs 4102 – pistis
- What Faith Is and What it Isn’t –wordonfire.org
