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| | '''Defining faith''' is an issue of translation of the [[Bible]] and fully understanding [[Christianity]]. [[Faith]] is a concept central to Christianity and yet a precise definition can be a bit elusive. "Faith" is used 296 times in the [[New Testament]] ([[ESV]] translation), most often in the [[Letter to the Romans]] (40) and a close second in the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] (38). | | '''Defining faith''' is an issue of translation of the [[Bible]] and fully understanding [[Christianity]]. [[Faith]] is a concept central to Christianity and yet a precise definition can be a bit elusive. "Faith" is used 296 times in the [[New Testament]] ([[ESV]] translation), most often in the [[Letter to the Romans]] (40) and a close second in the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] (38). |
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| − | Different translations of {{bibleref|Hebrews|11|1}} articulate the definition there in varying ways: | + | Different translations of {{bibleref|Hebrews|11|1}} articulate the definition there in varying ways:<ref>The full Greek is [https://www.abarim-publications.com/Interlinear-New-Testament/Hebrews/Hebrews-11-parsed.html here].</ref> |
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| | *Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ([[ESV]]) | | *Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ([[ESV]]) |
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| | Rather than the imprecise "things" or "what" for what is merely in implied in the Greek, the implication there should be translated as "good", as in "good hoped for," or simply "hoped-for good." | | Rather than the imprecise "things" or "what" for what is merely in implied in the Greek, the implication there should be translated as "good", as in "good hoped for," or simply "hoped-for good." |
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| | + | The enigma is [the] assurance ὑπόστασις (hypostasis), sometimes translated as assurance. "Confident achievement" is a modern rendition of that concept. |
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| | + | == Combining the clauses == |
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| | + | The original Greek does not have punctuation, and often the better translation is in a different order from the wording in Greek. Such is the case here in order to precisely capture the full power of the definition: |
| | + | <blockquote>Realizing the infinite, faith is confident achievement of hoped-for good.</blockquote> |
| | == References == | | == References == |
| | {{reflist}} | | {{reflist}} |
| | [[category:Bible]] | | [[category:Bible]] |
| | [[category:Christianity]] | | [[category:Christianity]] |