The Essence of Faith - Pt. 3

 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3 ESV).

 

Before we leave these verses, we should understand more exactly what faith is. Fortunately, the writer gives us two important words to define this kind of faith. He writes: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (v. 1). There is more here than meets the eye at first. "The assurance of things hoped for" is a phrase which describes faith as the confident belief in things we hope for, even if we cannot see them; essentially meaning that faith gives us a certainty about things we are looking forward to, despite not having physical evidence yet.

 

The word for "assurance" in the first definition ("the assurance of things hoped for") and the word for "conviction" in the second definition ("the conviction of things not seen"), are unusual words and very difficult to translate into English. We will look at the first today and the latter tomorrow.

 

“Assurance” is derived from the Greek preposition ὑπό (hupo, meaning "under") and the verb ἵστημι (histēmi, meaning "to stand"). The Hebrew equivalent often associated with "hupostasis" is תּוֹכֶן (tochen), which can mean "substance" or "essence." In the New Testament, "hupostasis" is used to convey the idea of a foundational reality or essence. It can refer to the underlying substance or actual being of something, as opposed to mere appearance. In a more abstract sense, it is used to denote confidence or assurance, particularly in the context of faith. In ancient Greek philosophy, "hupostasis" was used to describe the essential nature or underlying reality of a thing, distinguishing it from its attributes or appearances. In the context of the New Testament, this term takes on a theological significance, particularly in discussions about the nature of faith and the reality of spiritual truths.

 

This is not merely academic. Just ask yourself this question: do you have faith? How do you know you have faith? What is faith, so that you can know you have it? What hangs on whether you have faith or not? You can see that this question is immensely practical and relevant to your life. It is truly knowing. We can trust this knowledge for life itself!