Faith Supports

On 10/10/10 I came up with this language equation. . .
Faith > Truth > Substance

In trying to understand what faith is I researched what it was and what it was not. I had grown up in my Christian faith being taught that faith was,in Hebrews 11:1, not just an imaginary hope in an unreal object - but faith is a substance - a reality. It is evidence of things not seen.

What does that mean, however? How can a belief be evidence? We know of others who have believed with all their heart that something will come to past only to realize that belief was not based on concrete evidence. I think is one of the main question people ask about faith. Is what I have faith in true? If some people's faith is not based on concrete evidence, what is this Biblical kind of belief that is evidence? Hard Evidence.

In studying the passage above, Hebrews 11, we find that the author metaphorizes faith by calling it substance. It's not like a substance, the author calls it substance. Because the author uses this literary term, we as readers are suppose to ask the question . . . How can faith be a substance?

Although Clement of Alexandria (150-215?) claims that Hebrews was originally written in Hebrew, all copies that we have are in Greek.(1) The word substance in the Greek that the Bible uses is similar to our English, and we can break it up in its roots: sub/stance: that which sub or under that which stands.

Faith then is the part we can see what is above, but underneath that visible faith is a truth that may not be so visible to all. However underneath, that invisible truth is the true substance of reality. Just because it is not always visible, does not mean it is not present. The underlying truth of faith is the substance of what we do not see - This is the support or object of our faith.

As for the Hebrew Old Testament, the words faith and truth are very similar in meaning. The Hebrew word for faith is sometimes translated "aman". The word for truth is often emunah. In studying these words, I learned these words have common meanings in that they both include the concept of structure. Both faith and truth have within them the concepts that they are the support that gives structure to the world around them, much like the supporting beams hold the weight of a home.

Discovering this I realized that I had an equation for faith that I listed above:

Faith > Truth > Substance

If the substance of our underlying faith is not valid or true, then our faith is not Biblical faith. The faith the Bible talks about is sustained or made valid by the fact that the belief's underlying principles are true. Faith that is built up by untruth is bound to fall at some point, but faith that is supported by truth and substance is a firm foundation that we can base our lives on.

(1)http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/ntintro/Heb.htm