Dear Apothecus,
I was reading your comments, and found them quite interesting.
Apothecus writes:
supposed knowledge of something makes faith in that thing useless.
I’m not sure what you mean; are you saying: ‘having faith in something does not change weather or not it is real, true, actual, or factual.’
If so, I agree with you.
I also agree that people (religious and non-religious) misuse and twist what others say (even unintentionally). So, it is always a good idea to find out what is meant by what is said before accepting or rejecting it.
Now, as I see it, (and I could be wrong) the verse mentioned (
Hebrews 11:1) is speaking of trusting in what we can deduce from what we can perceive (with our senses) to reveal things we cannot perceive (with our senses.)
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, [a] the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. (
Hebrews 11:1 AMP)
a. Hebrews 11:1 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament.
Example:
We cannot detect (using our senses) propane gas; however, we can deduce its existence from how it reacts to certain things in our environment. Therefore we have ‘faith’ (we trust) that it actually exists.
Now, used as it is in Hebrews 11 ‘Faith’ is referring to trusting in God even though He has not done everything He said He would do yet.
This chapter is not just talking about believing that God exists but that He will do, and has the power to do, the things He said He would do.
Example:
If the father of a three year old child tells his son that if he eats his lunch dad will let him have a bowl of ice cream. The child must trust (have ‘faith’) that his father is going to honor that agreement.
Unlike the ‘blind faith’ that many people seem to think the Bible says we must have to be acceptable to God; each of us is required, by God, to
test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast (
1 Thessalonians 5:21 AMP)
So, just as we have tests for propane gas, we have test for whether or not what we believe about the Bible is true or faults; we also have test to see if what the Bible says is true or not.
Hope to hear from you soon,
JRTjr
™ Version 4.2
