Disciple's Handbook

Faith - a word study

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What is Faith?

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Faith - a word study

There are many ways to study the Bible. In this lesson I hope to give you some ideas on how to do a word study.

Why study the word faith?

If you had to name the most important concept in the Bible - the main point of the whole thing - in one word or phrase, what would you say it is?

I would have to say it is the concept of faith in God.

I don’t remember ever seeing a place in the Bible where faith in God was of secondary importance to some other concept. Rather, it is usually the central concept that everything else in the Bible hinges on. Faith is always the focus of God’s word.

  • The Bible tells us that faith is the fundamental part of salvation (John 6:47, Romans 3:28). In fact, our only hope of eternal life in heaven rests solely on our faith in Jesus (John 3:16).
  • Jesus tells us our prayers are answered when we pray with faith (Mark 11:24).
  • The Bible also says we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
  • What’s more, faith is the foundation on which we build our lives (Galatians 3:11), and our societies (Psalms 33:12, Romans 13:1-7).

So, in order to really understand the Bible well, we need to have a good grasp on the concept of faith.

My Word Study Process

  1. Look up the definition and etymology
  2. Look up the original language (Greek/Hebrew) words that were translated to English
  3. Look up synonyms and antonyms, and their definitions and etymology
  4. Look for definitions given in the Bible itself
  5. Dig into the words used in the Bible definitions
  6. Study the verses where the word is used (using a concordance)
  7. Write as you study to internalize what you are learning
  8. Apply what you have learned to the advancement of God’s kingdom

Definition

Merriam Webster: Faith

Online Etymology Dictionary: Faith

How to search for original text words

Blue Letter Bible (.org) → Search → Lexiconic Search

Hebrew

Greek

Synonyms and Antonyms

Thesuarus.com: Faith

Belief

Trust

Biblical Definition


Hebrews 11:1 (NASB20) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

BibleHub.com: Other Translations

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
  • parallel structure - indicates equal importance of different ideas
    • assurance parallels conviction
    • things hoped for parallels things not seen
  • seek to understand both phrases individually, and then together

Assurance

Assurance has three main definitions that apply to its use here, which I will paraphrase.

  • the state of being certain or confident in thought or action.
  • something that inspires confidence - such as giving evidence or encouragement
  • the action of assuring someone, such as by giving a pledge or guarantee.

So now we see that faith, since it is, in part, defined by the word assurance, contains an element of certainty, confidence, and even a sense of having a guarantee.

It is a positive, optimistic type of word. One gets the feeling that to be assured is a good thing.

Conviction

Conviction also has three main definitions.

  • the act or process of finding a person guilty of a crime especially in a court of law.
  • a strong persuasion or belief; the state of being convinced.
  • the act of convincing someone of error, or compelling the admission of truth.

Belief and guilt are both used to define conviction, which, that tells you it’s not something that you can just shrug off or change your mind about on a whim.

It’s something that stays with you, on your permanent record, or seared into your conscience.

Now let’s compare these two words based on their parallel usage in the definition of faith. The word assurance seems to carry an implication of optimism, or encouragement. Conviction, on the other hand, seems to be more serious and consequential. They are both concepts that convey a sense of permanence, as in a guarantee or a prison sentence. They seem to be presenting a fuller picture together than either of them could have drawn on their own. It seems that faith is a permanent mental state that carries both positive guarantees and negative consequences. It gives a sense of empowerment as well as responsibility; a sense of promise as well as judgement.

Hope

Hope is defined as both a noun and a verb. That is to say, it can be an idea - as in “Jesus is our only hope,” or an action - as in “I hope to see Him in heaven.”

  • (n) desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment, or someone or something on which hopes are centered.

  • (v) desiring with anticipation and expectation of obtainment or fulfillment, to expect with confidence, to trust, or to want something to happen.

That definition is a lot to pack into a four letter word, but I think hope boils down to basically a positive sense of desire, expectation, and trust.

If we look at in the context of its phrase - “the assurance of things hoped for” - it does give a positive sense of promise. And as for it’s use in defining faith, it certainly gives the word an uplifting, optimistic sentiment.

See

See is also a complex word, actually the most complex yet. It too is defined as a noun and a verb, but the noun version doesn’t apply to how it’s used in the definition of faith, so we won’t go there. Its verb form is full of it’s own complexities, though - it has 13 definitions associated with it. That being said, I’m going to narrow down the definitions I choose (paraphrasing them of course) to get to the heart of what applies to the definition of faith. There are actually three definitions of the word “see” that solidly apply to its use in defining faith. They are, one, to perceive by the eye or detect as if by sight. Two, to be aware of, imagine as a possibility, form a mental picture of, or perceive the meaning or importance of. And three, to come to know, or have the experience of. Thankfully, these definitions also have words next to them that seem to summarize the definition in a concise way, and those words are: recognize, suppose, visualize, understand, and discover. See, I told you it was the most complex word yet. :)

Now lets try to understand the word “see” more fully. On one hand you have the physical aspect of vision, as in the function of the eye, but all the other definitions refer to mental concepts like awareness, imagination, perception, and knowing. There are so many definitions related to these mental concepts (and even more that I didn’t list above) that it would clearly be missing the point to limit the definition of faith to the aspect of physical sight alone. In fact, after finding that there are so many mental aspects related to the word “see,” and the fact that all Bible translators chose it unanimously in their translations, I would go so far as to say that the aspect of physical sight is the least significant sense in which the word is used in the definition of faith.

Plus, there’s a catch with this particular piece of our analysis because the Bible uses a negative (“not”) along with the word “see.” So, we have to take our understanding of the definition of the word “see” and flip it to the opposite. So the use of “not seen” in the definition of faith implies that there are things that we do not physically see - either because they are physically absent from our field of vision, or there is no light to reflect off of them into our eyes. But, I think, more to the point of faith is that there are things that we are not aware of, do not perceive, do not imagine, and do not know.

Assurance of things hoped for

The “assurance of things hoped for” is a positive, optimistic idea that gives one a sense of receiving what is desired with certainty. If I were to sum up that phrase in a single word, I would use the word “trust.”

The conviction of things not seen

If we consider the phrase in which “see” is used - “the conviction of things not seen” - we get the sense of there being a serious and consequential aspect related to things that we do not have a mental grasp on, let alone a physical recognition of. Oh, dear reader, I think this is exactly the point that will separate the humble from the proud. Can you admit that you do not fully understand God, but that you, nonetheless, have betrayed Him in your heart and are deserving of His wrath? Or do you use your lack of knowledge about God (or lack of proof of His existence, if you will) as an excuse for your submission to your selfish desires? Faith is a requirement for salvation, and “the conviction of things not seen” tells me that ignorance is not an acceptable excuse in God’s kingdom.

Now, to be fair, conviction is also defined as belief, or being convinced. So the conviction of things not seen can easily be taken to mean belief in things that we do not have a mental grasp on, or physical awareness of. I would say that this is valid, but can also be over-emphasized. The definition of conviction, remember, is two thirds dealing with wrong-doing, and other Bible translations use words like “proof” and “evidence” in place of conviction. So, by all means, believe in the things of God that you cannot see. YES! But don’t fool yourself into thinking that ignorance equals innocence in God’s eyes.

The “conviction of things not seen” is a serious, consequential idea that gives one a sense of performing a duty, and paying the consequences for failing. In a word, I would say it points to “responsibility.”

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

For God’s part in faith He does promise good things to us, but He will also hold us responsible and accountable. This is no different than how parents generally feel towards their children, although it’s on God’s level, not merely human. As for our part in faith it would seem that we are to think and act optimistically but also responsibly. A desire pursued in foolishness is not an act of faith any more than a responsibility carried out with worry.

So, finally, let’s answer the question - what is faith? Well, it appears to me that it is a combination of trusting God and acting responsibly. We must be responsible about our desires, and we must carry out our responsibilities with trust in God. Faith is equal parts trust and responsibility.

Where Does Faith Come From?

How Are We Responsible For Our Faith? (Faith vs. Works)

Outline

  1. Definition
    1. Definition
      1. Merriam Webster: Faith
      2. Online Etymology Dictionary: Faith
    2. Bible
      1. Hebrew - ‘āman - (root) trust, be faithful
        1. ‘ăman - to believe
        2. ‘āmān - expert (in the sense of training)
        3. ‘āmēn - verily, truly, so be it
      2. Greek - pistis - (root) faith 4. pisteuō - believe 5. pistikos - trustworthy, genuine 6. pistos - faithful 7. pistoō - to make faithful, convince
      3. Hebrews 1:11(NASB) - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
        1. BibleHub.com: Other Translations
    3. Synonyms and Antonyms
      1. Thesuarus.com: Faith
      2. Belief
        1. Merriam Webster: Belief
        2. Online Etymology Dictionary: Belief
      3. Trust
        1. Merriam Webster: Trust
        2. Online Etymology Dictionary: Trust
  2. Where Does Faith Come From? 4. Romans 10:14-17 - faith comes from hearing the word of God 5. John 6:63-65 - you don’t “do” faith; faith happens to you 6. Romans 12:3 - faith is assigned from God 7. 1 Corinthians 4:7 - your faith did not come from you, you cannot boast as if it did 8. Romans 9 - why does God give faith to some but not others 9. Genesis 32:22-32; Matthew 15:21-28; Matthew 7:7-11 - Don’t give up pursuing faith. God will give it to you if you truly want it.
  3. Faith vs. Works
    1. Ephesians 2:8-10 - saved by grace; works prepared for us
    2. Mark 12:29-31 - what works were prepared for us to do
    3. Hebrews 11 - great works are done with faith
  4. How to dig deeper into the study 4. Pray for deeper revelation 5. Go to the Greek and Hebrew definitions on BlueLetterBible and study the passages from the Concordance Results section at the bottom - not just the verses, but their context also. 6. Write about what you’ve learned. Internalize it and develop a genuine understanding of it. 7. Put what you’ve learned into practice. Go out and show your love for God and your love for your neighbor through acting on what you’ve learned. Integrate it into your daily life. Being a disciple is more than knowing what the teacher knows, it is becoming like the teacher in every way.
  5. Conclusion - Having faith in God is not something you should think of as just a ticket to heaven. Faith is a responsibility as well as a gift, and the responsibility that comes with faith is one of building and nurturing loving relationships with God and with everyone around us.
  • Faith is the fundamental part of salvation (John 6:47, Romans 3:28). In fact, our only hope of eternal life in heaven rests solely on our faith in Jesus (John 3:16).
  • Jesus tells us our prayers are answered when we pray with faith (Mark 11:24).
  • The Bible also says we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
  • What’s more, faith is the foundation on which we build our lives (Galatians 3:11), and our societies (Psalms 33:12, Romans 13:1-7).

That being said, faith is a very important topic, and we should try to understand it to the best of our ability.

The first question we’re trying to answer is - what is faith? What does the word faith mean?

There are a few things to consider when looking closely at the definition of a word in the Bible.

First, how is the English word defined in our modern language?

For example, if you looked up the word love in the dictionary, what does it say.

You also want to reflect on what the word means to you - so when you read it in the Bible, what do you understand the Bible to be talking about…

Second, what original language word (Greek or Hebrew) was the English word translated from, and how else is that word used throughout the Bible?

For example, to us the word love is one word with many different meanings (love of God, love of spouse, love of family, love of friends, love of things, etc…). In Greek those nuanced meanings are broken up into different words (agápē, érōs, philía, philautía, storgē, and xenía).

Third, how did different translators translate the same word?

For example, in 1 Corinthians 13:1 the NASB translates the Greek word agape as “love,” but the KJV translates it as “charity.” This gives you a clue to the deeper meaning of the original language word since languages rarely have direct parallels to every word - especially when it comes to abstract, conceptual terms.

Fourth, what does the Bible teach us about the word?

For example, the attributes of love are described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is used as the core of the Great Commandment (Matt 22:36-40) where it says to love God and love your neighbor. Love can require sacrifice, like in John 3:16 where it says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… And love is also warned against in 1 Tim 6:10 where it says the love of money is the root of all evil.

Doing a comprehensive word study on love would likely take you through the whole Bible.

And finally, how do we apply what we have learned about the word?

That’s the point of doing the study in the first place, right; to learn how to be more like Christ through God’s word.

Needless to say, we’re not simply going to look this word up in the dictionary and say we understand it biblically. The goal of this kind of study is to internalize a full biblical understanding of the word, so that we can have a deeper understanding of God’s message when we read it in the Bible, and so that we can apply God’s word practically in our everyday lives con fide (with faith).

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