Now we begin the part that defines faith, in Greek πίστις (pistis). This may get a little technical, but I want to give you a thorough understanding of the preacher’s meaning.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it isimpossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Let’s begin with the dictionary definition of faith (and pistis): Google defines faith as 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something. 2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. The word πίστις originated in Greek mythology as a minor divinity who personified good faith, trust and reliability. Google defines it as faith, belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction or faithfulness. In New Testament usage it also takes on the Hebrew concept of obedience (if you believe God, you obey God).
The Greek word translated substance, ̒υπόστασις (hypostasis), is the same word that is used to describe the three persons of the Trinity of God in the theological writings of the first few centuries A. D. I will not do a full word study on it, but let it be enough to say the word denotes much more than the stuff from which a thing is made. In Greek philosophy, the word means the underlying reality of something. I feel that the philosophical definition, rather than the theological one, is what the translators of the King James Bible were looking at.
The Greek word translated evidence, ͗ελεγχος (elegchos), means a mathematical or scientific proof. Often it is translated conviction, yet that is too weak a word to cover its meaning. Our English word elegant derives from this word, something that is elegant is something which proves the theorem. So faith is elegant of the invisible, spiritual reality. Faith is the hypostasis of what is hoped for and the elegchos of what we can’t see.
These definitions go far beyond Google’s simple ones. In Christian practice, faith is concrete rather than abstract. Verse two introduces a long string of examples of the kind of faith Christians possess. The phrase obtained a good report is used to render the Greek word for witness in a form of past-but-ongoing tense. The word translated worlds is better rendered as ages. By faith God framed the ages by His word.
It was faith that made Abel’s sacrifice superior to Cain’s. Cain only offered the fruit of the fields by force of habit, but Abel believed God and offered the lamb in that faith. This is what made Abel to be in right standing with God, not the fact that the lamb later became the official offering to cover sin.
It was Enoch’s faith that led him to be translated into heaven in body, not some form of shamanistic rite. The proof of that is in the fact that Enoch pleased God. And that leads us to the climax of today’s segment, verse six declares faith is necessary because you can’t come to God unless you believe that He exists and rewards them that diligently seek Him. Don’t leave out the diligence. It is important because you won’t succeed at a relationship with God if you aren’t diligent.
Do you really believe in God? If so, do you seek Him diligently? According to the descriptions of the end times Saint Paul wrote in his letters to Corinth and Thessalonika, all of the believers in right standing with God are going to be translated like Enoch if they are alive at the end. Are you ready to be translated? It could happen at any minute now.
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