College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Hebrews 11:1-3
PART THREE
THE NATURE, DEVELOPMENT AND DUTIES OF FAITH. Hebrews 11:1 to Hebrews 13:25
I.
The nature of faith. Hebrews 11:1-3
Text
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:2 For therein the elders had witness borne to them, Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the Word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.
Paraphrase
Hebrews 11:1 Now the faith of the just who shall live, is the firm persuasion of the reality of the blessings hoped for in consequence of God's promise, and the evidence of the matters of fact not seen, which revelation informs us have happened, or are yet to happen in the world.
Hebrews 11:2 And for this faith the ancients, namely Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the rest were borne witness to by God, as justified and accepted persons.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith in the divine revelations, we understand that the worlds were produced by the command of God from nothing; so that the things which are seen, the things which compose this visible world, were not made of things which then did exist, but without any pre-existent matter to form them of.
Comment
Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen
Faith in the original languages:
a.
The Greek is pistisin its forms means steady, faithful.
b.
In the Hebrew several words are used, also with the idea of stability, steadiness.
The world of men lives by faith in all realms.
a.
An auto is driven by faith, or else we would stay off the highway. We have a faith in the machine, faith in self, faith in others.
b.
We travel by train, bus, airplane, and ship, by faith in these respects: in pilot, navigator, engineer and on the signal system.
c.
We marry on faith. Faith is important for true love.
d.
History is accepted by faith.
Some of the questions about faith:
a.
The importance of faith. How important is it?
1.
Hebrews 11:6: Without faith it is impossible to please God.
2.
Abraham's life illustrates it to be a basis of friendship with God.
b.
What is faith?
1.
Hebrews 11:1 defines it.
2.
Belief that God exists.
3.
Belief in Christ.
4.
Belief in the unseen or the spiritual.
5.
The substantiating of things hoped for.
c.
How do we get faith?
1.
Romans 10:17: It comes by hearing.
Illustrations of it: Pentecost; Phillipian Jailor; Ethiopian eunuch.
2.
John 7:17: It comes by doing.
a)
Two things about God:He exists and, He is a rewarder. Christ is the Son of God. John 20:31.
b)
Hebrews 11:1: Things hoped for.
d.
How is this faith stated?
Matthew 16:16: Thou art the Christ.
e.
What part does the Bible have in faith?
John 20:31: These are written.
f.
Does faith alone save us?
James 2:24: Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.
g.
What is the end of your faith?
1 Peter 1:9: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1.
We have a new body every seven years, but it slowly wears out.
2.
Through it all the real person endures.
h.
What is the end of one who does not believe?
1.
John 8:24: If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.
2.
Revelation 21:8: But for the fearful and unbelieving, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
3.
Mark 16:16: he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
is assurance
King James Versionevidence.
Alternategiving substance, essence, confidence.
GreekHyportasia, title deedsRimmer.
Other appearances of the word hypostasis:
a.
Hebrews 1:3: The very image of His substance.
b.
Hebrews 3:14: If we hold fast the beginning of your confidence. Faith is the substantiating or giving substance of these things hoped for. Faith precedes prayer. Prayer is not working at God's reluctance, but taking hold of His willingness.
of things hoped for
He is only defining; he does not give the things hoped for, but we see them in this eleventh Chapter what faith was to others.
a.
To Abraham, a new city.
b.
To Daniel: Mouths of lions to be stopped.
Our faith becomes hope when it expects, anticipates.
a conviction
Also translated test, evidence. It is full persuasion wrought in the mind. Noah could have conviction without ever looking at the sky if he had faith.
Some Christians are so pessimistic and faithless that they blow out their candles to see how dark it is. Too many are like Peter, who was afraid and began to sink. Matthew 14:30.
Faith is
Forsaking
All
I
Take
Him.
of things not seen
This is spiritual.
a.
God, Christ, divine power, heaven are not seen, but by faith we believe in Their existence.
b.
Reward, reunion are unseen, but are nonetheless real to the person.
c.
Faith therefore becomes a power in our lives when it launches us out beyond the physical.
things are nonetheless real in other realms.
a.
Wind is unseen, yet we believe it exists.
b.
Force of gravity exists.
c.
Tracks of an unseen person convince us of his existence, so does God's handiwork convince us of His existence. Illustration. Hebrews 11:2-3.
For therein
He now illustrates what faith has accomplished. In their faith they were conquerors.
the elders
Elders ordinarily refers to those in authority. Milligan says here it refers to all the heroes of the faith.
had witness born to them
Approved of God, by His blessings perhaps.
a.
Enoch had witness born to him that he had been well pleasing. Hebrews 11:4.
b.
Abel had witness born to him that he had been well pleasing. Disapproval of God by His curses was manifested.
a.
Cain was sent out.
b.
God turned the Israelites free to wander for forty years. Note the King James Version: Obtained a good report.
a.
This is misleading if you think of it in the light that an elder is to be of good report.
b.
Their report was not good to those of the outside, for note in Hebrews 11:25-28 they were tortured, etc.
c.
It was an approval on the divine side.
by faith we understand
Things that seem impossible are understood when faith takes hold, Faith puts meaning in life.
a.
Atheists are always chronic complainers.
b.
The atheists build no hospitals, orphanages, or charitable organizations, but condemn the faith of those who do.
c.
If this is a mechanistic world, then it is meaningless; but we see too much of God to believe in atheism.
that the worlds have been framed
Worldsthe literal meaning is from the Greek aieves, ages, May mean the world that is seenthe physical world, universe.
The same word is rendered world in Hebrews 11:30 and in 1 Corinthians 10:11, Here he affirms what Moses has stated.
a.
Look at the theories suggested by men who have no faith.
b.
The Java man, missing link theories, are promoted by those missing faith.
Ages began with creation:
a.
Ephesians 1:4: Before the foundation of the world.
b.
2 Timothy 1:9: Before times eternal.
c.
Titus 1:2: Before time eternal.
Framed is translated by others in such language as this: Compacted, adjusted, produced, formed; and Calvin says, Fitted or joined together.
by the Word of God
Genesis says that God spoke things into existence with the words, Let there be. The Word takes on new meaning when we come to the New Testament:
a.
John 1:1 says Christ was the Word.
b.
Hebrews 1:2: By Whom also He made the worlds.
c.
Hebrews 11:3: Framed by the Word.
so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear
Calvin says, as that they become the visible of things not visible, or not apparent.
Heathens, infidels, atheists have their ideas, but all are more difficult to believe than Genesis. Genesis uses the word bara, to create, generally understood to mean to make something out of nothing.
a.
The use of the word in other places does not bear this out, however.
b.
God did not make them out of material which we see.
Study Questions
2066.
In the original language, what idea does the word faith convey?
2067.
Are shrinking and shirking compatible?
2068.
Is faith limited only to religion?
2069.
If you had no faith in men, what would be eliminated in your life?
Could you eat a loaf of bread?
Could you travel by bus, airplane?
Could you be treated by a physician?
Could you accept any history?
Could you believe in Washington, Lincoln?
2070.
What is Paul's definition of faith?
2071.
What part of the definition includes belief in God?
2072.
What would be included in things hoped for?
2073.
How is Abraham an illustration of faith?
2074.
Is faith more valuable than knowledge?
2075.
How do we get faith? Cf. Romans 10:17.
2076.
Give an illustration of the method.
2077.
Can you name one who received faith otherwise?
2078.
What objects are required in faith?
2079.
What two things are we to believe about God?
2080.
What are we to believe about Christ?
2081.
How is faith stated?
2082.
Dare we ask men to confess more?
2083.
Do we require unwritten confessionals, while condemning written ones?
2084.
What part does the Bible have in faith? Cf. John 20:30-31.
2085.
Is faith alone sufficient? Cf. James 2:24.
2086.
What is the end of our faith? 1 Peter 1:9.
2087.
What is the end of the disbeliever? Cf. John 8:24; Revelation 21:8; Mark 16:16.
2088.
What does he mean that faith is assurance?
2089.
Which is the better translationevidence or assurance?
2090.
What other words may be used?
2091.
What things might be included in the things hoped for?
2092.
Tell what the following people hoped for: Abraham, Daniel, David.
2093.
Does this not sound like hope rather than faith?
2094.
Could you have hope without faith?
2095.
What is meant by the word conviction?
2096.
What evidence did Noah have that it would rain?
2097.
What evidence do you have of your faith in God? Christ?
2098.
Is it things yet to be seen or not seen?
2099.
Is it something seen by the eye of faith?
2100.
What are the things not seen?
2101.
How do you know unseen things exist?
2102.
Are the unseen things less real?
2103.
How do you know there is gravity, wind, electricity?
2104.
The elders would refer to whom?
2105.
Witness borne to them could be differently expressed. How?
2106.
How did Enoch have witness borne? Abel?
2107.
What does he mean by saying, by faith we understand?
2108.
Can faith understand?
2109.
Does infidelity render purpose and meaning to life?
2110.
What does the word world mean?
2111.
What does the word framed mean?
2112.
How does this compare with the theory of evolution?
2113.
What brought everything into existence according to the Word of God?
2114.
What method was used?
2115.
Identify the word used in verse three.
2116.
What is included in the expression, what is seen?
2117.
Does this help to solve what the world is in the first part of the verse?
2118.
Does he mean that the present things are not remolded old things?
2119.
Does this fit the pre-creation theory?
2120.
Could the expression had become waste and void taught by pre-creation theorists have any substantiation here?