Dear Parish Faithful,
In session V of our Summer Bible Study yesterday evening, we focused on that great definition/description of faith found in Heb. 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I have deliberately modified the RSV translation. For the word "substance" above is a convincing translation of the Gk. hypostasis (it is substance in Heb. 1:3); and the word "evidence" is a convincing translation of the Gk. elenchos. Both "substance" and "evidence" indicate a more objective dimension to the sacred author's definition of faith (the words used in the KJV); though the fact that such words as "assurance" and "conviction" are used in the RSV, also indicates the wide-ranging intent of the author. It is the one great definition of faith found in the New Testament.
Be that as it may, we had a long discussion on this text, and many participants shared their own insights into the meaning and experience of "faith." I wanted to share one of those insights from the group. This one came over zoom chat from Kevin Rains:
"Faith = trust = confidence (in whom we place our confidence, and where we place our confidence, etc.) = allegiance." Kevin went on to qualify his use of "allegiance," by writing the following: "Allegiance obviously has some political overtones - as in 'I pledge allegiance ...' Yet we are reminded weekly in the Liturgy to "put not our trust in princes or sons of men"."
All in all, that is a nice progression that steadily broadens our understanding and experience of faith. Too often "faith" is reduced to some kind of vague intuition, a highly subjective feeling; and perhaps worst of all, as a form of "wishful thinking" that someone may desperately cling to when "all else fails." Of course, our faith is so very much subject to change and fluctuation. We all empathize with the desperate father in Mk. 9:24, when he cried out to the Lord: "I believe, help my unbelief!" The words translated as "I believe" (pisteúo) and "unbelief" (apistia) in this passage both stem from the Gk. word that is used for faith: pistis.
Heb. 11:1 has given us a remarkable and encouraging insight into faith that, when truly manifested in our lives, is deeply convincing and stabilizing. We begin the Nicene Creed with the words: "I believe" (pisteúo). The Creed is therefore one of many confessions of faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We have faith in the "one God, maker of heaven and earth;" we trust in God; we place our confidence in God; and we proclaim our allegiance to God, an allegiance that far transcends any such allegiance to "princes and sons of men."