Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

FAITH

A central theological concept representing the correct relationship to God. Heb. ʾmn and Gk. pisteúein demand a variety of renderings besides belief, faith, and trust, especially faithfulness. They may be used for God or human beings. A continuing question involves distinguishing personal faith with which a person believes and “the faith” with an objective content, something to be believed.

Biblical theology usually roots NT faith in the OT, and some speak of a Judeo-Christian concept, even of a “fundamentally identical” OT and NT notion. Actually, Hebrew lacks a word for “faith” (ʾĕmûnâ is rare and equals “fidelity”). This, plus other factors, caused Martin Buber to distinguish two types of faith: OT/Judaic (ʾĕmûnâ), which was tribal, national, communal trust and fidelity, based on the covenant; and Christian (Gk. pístis), which was individualistic persuasion or faith, belief in something.

In the OT, along with ʾāman, terms like bāṭaḥ (“trust; be confident, secure”), qāwâ (“hope”), yāḥal and ḥāḵâ (both “wait in hope”) come into consideration. The basic idea of ʾāman is “constancy,” something that is lasting (Isa. 33:16) or someone who is reliable (8:2). More important is the hiphil heʾĕmîn, “become steadfast, acquire stability,” used of a person or of God. Applied to human beings, the term often has a negative connotation: “do not believe or rely on. . . (a person)” (Jer. 12:6; Mic. 7:5; Job 4:18) or a message (Gen. 45:26; 1 Kgs. 10:7; Isa. 53:1).

Three nouns from ʾmn appear in the OT: (1) ʾĕmeṯ, originally meaning “stability” (Isa. 38:8; NRSV “security”), comes to denote faithfulness or truth (Gk. alḗtheia), on the part of a person (Exod. 18:21; NRSV “trustworthy”) or God (Ps. 31:5[MT 6]; 146:6) and God’s word (Ps. 119:43; 142; 160). God’s works are faithful (Ps. 111:7), and the promises express faithfulness (Zech. 8:8); on this God, worshippers rely (Ps. 40:11[12], with ḥeseḏ). This reliability makes it possible for mortals to trust in God. (2) The noun ʾĕmûnâ suggests conduct that grows out of a relationship, faithfulness, especially in inner attitude and conduct on the part of an individual (Prov. 14:5; 20:6; 1 Sam. 26:23) or of God (Ps. 89:2, 5, 8, 49[3, 6, 8, 50]; Deut. 32:4; Isa. 33:6). (3) Heb. ʾāmēn was used in response to God in prayer (Neh. 8:6), or with ritual curses (Deut. 27:15, 16; Neh. 5:13).

Following God’s call to Abram and promise to make him and Sarah a great nation and a blessing (Gen. 12:1-3), the vision and word of the Lord present God’s promise about posterity (15:1-5), followed by a covenant binding God (not Abram) to the promise (vv. 7-21). As a result, Abram acknowledged God’s power to fulfill it.

In Isaiah the prophet will wait for the hidden God and hope in him during crisis times when Israel withheld faith (cf. Isa. 7:9; 30:15).

Some stress Jesus’ call to faith and recognition of it in individuals; others find in Jesus only a Cynic sage, or little that is recoverable. There is some agreement that, according to the Synoptics, Jesus taught faith in God (Mark 11:12 par.) as a basis for “prayer faith” (Mark 11:24 par.) and “mountain-moving faith” (11:23 par.; 1 Cor. 13:2). Unlike the Fourth Gospel, where miracles can produce faith (John 2:11; 4:52-54; 20:30-31), for Jesus in the Synoptics “supplicating faith” leads to miracles (Mark 9:24-27; 2:5, 12 par.; 6:5-6 par.).

A new and specifically Christian use of pístis comes in terms of acceptance of the kḗrygma or apostolic proclamation about the crucified and risen Jesus (Gal. 3:2, 5). Gk. pístis becomes a technical term for reaction to gospel preaching, an act of faith with regard to the story about Jesus coupled with the promise of future salvation (Acts 4:4, with 3:19-26; 13:48, with vv. 38-39, 46-47; Rom. 10:9-14). This future hope was part of the kerygma (1 Thess. 1:9-10). Christians are “believers” (Acts 2:44; Rom. 1:16; 3:22), “members of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

Paul inherits and exhibits much of this early Christian understanding. The personal faith that comes from hearing the word and confessing Jesus’ lordship includes “the obedience of faith” or commitment (Rom. 1:5; cf. 16:26). Hence faith relates to ethics, in close relationship to its expression toward the future as “hope” and toward others as love (1 Thess. 1:3; Rom. 12:1-2, 9-10; 13:8-10).

Paul’s contribution involved relating faith to righteousness and justification (cf. Gal. 3:6-14; Rom. 4). He connects faith with “gospel” for salvation (Rom. 1:16), “peace” and “access to God” (5:1-2), the Spirit (Gal. 3:2, 5,14), “in Christ” (Gal. 3:25-26). “Reconciliation” parallels justification by faith (Rom. 5:9-11), “redemption” (3:24-25). “Fellowship” (koinōnía) is connected with God’s being faithful (1 Cor. 1:9) and our participation in Christ (Phil. 3:9-10), and “grace” is frequently linked with “faith.” For Paul faith becomes the criterion, not “works of the law” such as circumcision and regulations involving clean and unclean, which marked Jews off from others and so precluded a universal mission.

Some Christians may be “weak in faith” (Rom. 14:1), while others can be regarded as “strong” or enabled (15:1). Faith is something that can grow (2 Cor. 10:15) or be lacking in some aspects (1 Thess. 3:10) but then become strong in its conviction (Rom. 4:20-22; 14:5). It is not static in the face of threats but dynamic, showing itself in action (1 Thess. 1:3), through love (Gal. 5:6).

Hebrews has 32 instances of Gk. pístis, mostly in ch. 11, about what people in Israel did “by faith.” God is the object of faith (6:1; cf. 11:6). Those addressed have come to faith in the gospel message (4:2-3; 6:12). Faith means “full assurance” (10:22), but there is grave danger of those addressed falling away into unbelief (3:12; cf. v. 19). In 11:3–12:2 pístis can be trust in God’s promise (11:11), accepting what God said (v. 8), or denote what motivated Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (vv. 17-18) or moved Moses (vv. 24-25) or how we understand the world’s creation (v. 3; cf. 1:2).

Luke-Acts stress coming to faith as conversion, to “hear the word, believe, and be saved” (Luke 8:12-13; Acts 10:43; 13:19; 16:31; 20:21; 24:24). In miracle stories, faith saves (Luke 7:50; 17:19). “The apostles” can ask “the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’ ” (Luke 17:5). Mary is a model of faith in the beatitude at Luke 1:45. Questions appear as to the existence of faith on the part of the disciples (Luke 8:25; 18:8). Jesus prays that Peter’s faith not fail (Luke 22:32). In Acts “the faith” becomes a term for Christianity (Acts 6:7; 13:8; cf. Luke 18:8).

Faith arises out of confrontation with Jesus’ word(s) (John 2:22; 4:41, 50; 5:24) as well as his deeds (miracles) and testimony to Jesus (1:7; 4:39; 17:20). Such encounter calls for decision, leading to faith or judgment (John 3:36; 5:24). The Johannine concept of believing also involves “keeping” or “remaining in” Jesus’ word (John 14:23; 15:20; 8:31; 15:4), with a considerable emphasis on “knowing” (17:3, 7, 21; 16:27-30; 6:69; 1 John 4:16). The Fourth Gospel also explores the relation of “seeing” and “believing,” notably in the story of Thomas (John 20:25-29; cf. 4:48).

Bibliography. A. Dulles, The Assurance of Things Hoped For: A Theology of Christian Faith (Oxford, 1994); J. D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids, 1997); W. Henn, One Faith: Biblical and Patristic Contributions Toward Understanding Unity in Faith (New York, 1995); H.-J. Hermisson and E. Lohse, Faith (Nashville, 1981); J. Reumann, Variety and Unity in New Testament Thought (Oxford, 1991); W. H. Schmidt, The Faith of the Old Testament (Philadelphia, 1983); I. G. Wallis, The Faith of Jesus Christ in Early Christian Traditions. SNTSMS 84 (Cambridge, 1995).

John Reumann

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

FAITH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)