Let’s dive into Hebrews chapter 11. Now, if you look back at the end of chapter 10, the author has just finished a powerful call to perseverance. They’ve spent time explaining why the new covenant in Jesus is so much more significant than the old system of animal sacrifices. And the big takeaway there was a push to not ‘shrink back,’ but to ‘have faith’.
So, right at the start of chapter 11, we get this formal definition—which is a classic move in a scholarly discourse—where faith is defined as ‘confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’.
But I want us to look closer at the original Greek words used here, because they’re fascinating:
- First, we have confidence, or hypostasis, which literally means ‘a giving of substance to’.
- Then, there’s assurance, or elenchos, meaning ‘a proving of’.
What this tells us is that faith isn’t just a feeling; it’s an active way of life. It’s a response to what we know to be true. It isn’t blind belief, gullibility, or just wishful thinking. If you study the figures we’re about to see in this chapter, you’ll notice they all had solid reasons to trust God. Their faith wasn’t about naively accepting fairy tales; it was acting in full confidence that God would keep His word, based on their actual experiences with Him.
Think about it this way: much of the future we hope for remains unfulfilled and unseen. Yet, people of faith keep moving forward because they’ve experienced God’s faithfulness. This kind of trust—the kind that actually produces obedience—is what leads to God’s blessing and approval.
The author is going to trace this lifestyle through a ‘Hall of Fame’ of Jewish heroes, all leading up to the ultimate Hero of faith, Jesus. As we look back on their examples, it should give us a deep confidence. We need to remember that God ‘creates’ out of things we cannot see—both physically and spiritually. Just because we don’t understand how He’s going to act, it doesn’t mean He won’t. Even if we don’t see every promise come to fruition in our own lifetime, we can walk forward knowing He is faithful.”
By: Naomi Chandler