Chapter 6.1

Introduction to Biblical Faith

The Multiple Meanings of Faith

Overall Objective

To better understand the various and rather complex perspectives on the concept of faith from philosophy, life, and the Bible.

Table of Topics

A) The Complexity of Faith

B) Philosophical Faith: Confusing revelation with faith

C) Practical Faith: Adequate certainty based on human knowledge

C.1) General Definition of Faith: Beliefs based on indirect knowledge

C.2) Practical Faith: The most common kind even in the Christian life

D) Doctrinal Faith

E) Biblical Faith

Extras & Endnotes

Table 6.1: The Types of Biblical Faith

Primary Points

• The concept of faith is more complex than is often thought.
• Stott: “One wonders if there is any Christian quality more misunderstood than faith.”
• Thiselton: “It would be a mistake to define pistis, faith, apart from a given context in which this term functions.”
• Philosophers erroneously complicate a discussion of faith because they often use it to mean a source of our beliefs, i.e. divine revelation. On the contrary, faith is the belief.
• Faith is a result of reasoning, rather than its epistemological rival.
• Faith is a trusting acceptance based on indirect evidence.
• Most of all our beliefs that are exercised on a daily basis are through faith.
• Practical faith is based on general human knowledge and is to be distinguished from biblical faith. biblical faith depends on a divine revelation. On the other hand, practical faith merely depends on our best human knowledge.
• By saying that practical faith is not biblical faith does not mean the former is not in the Bible. On the contrary, we see many even important decisions being made in Scripture based on human research rather than divine revelation.
• There is a difference in certainty between practical and biblical faith because of the certainty of their sources.
• Mega mysticism is the belief that God is granting specific divine revelation for many of our decisions through “signs,” impulses, or impressions demean the God-ordained place of practical faith in our lives and the use of the reason God gave us.
• Biblical faith is: a commitment to a correct understanding of a divine revelation, based on divine evidence, producing divine pleasure.
• It is important to distinguish between various applications of faith in Scripture, including saving, false, empowering, and miracle faiths.
• Biblical faith is the human side of divine revelation and the reason that it is such an important topic of Christian epistemology and why epistemology in general is important to Christian theology.

A) The Complexity of Faith

The topic of faith is obviously a very important one in Christian theology. In the NT alone, the words “faith” and “believe” occur almost 500 times. ^[1] However, the concept of faith is somewhat more complicated than is often assumed. Accordingly, Christian philosopher C. S. Evans remarks, “There is probably no word in the English language that is more complex and is used in more different senses than the word ‘faith’.” ^[2] However, this is true in the Bible itself. NT scholar Anthony Thiselton writes:

It would be a mistake to define pistis, faith, apart from a given context in which this term functions. Elsewhere I have described it as “a polymorphous concept” (like sarx, flesh, and alētheia, truth) since any attempt at an abstract definition encounters contexts which will not match some single meaning or “essence” of the term. ^[3]

The concept seems to be one that is often misunderstood today, even in the Church, which is, “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10 KJV). John Stott is right when he says, “One wonders if there is any Christian quality more misunderstood than faith.” ^[4] Along the same lines, Christian philosopher J. P. Moreland writes:

Faith has a public relations problem. It has a hollow ring to it, and it’s associated with a lot of really bad, harmful ideas. It no longer carries the rich and deep connotation one finds in the Bible, and very few people know what it really means. ^[5]

This is nothing new, however, as even over a hundred years ago, the great Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) wrote:

In salvation nearly everything depends upon faith; hence a correct conception of faith is essential. It has always been the aim of error to poison faith’s being, and thus to destroy weak souls, as well as the Church itself. It is therefore the urgent duty of ministers to instruct the churches concerning faith’s being and nature; by correct definitions to detect prevailing error, and thus to restore the joy of a clear and well-founded consciousness of faith. For years the people have listened to the poorest and vaguest theories of faith. Every minister has had his own theory and definition, or worse, no definition at all. ^[6]

Over four hundred years ago John Calvin (1509-1564), while addressing a particular false teaching in his day, wrote:

But the whole error of these men lies in that, although the meanings of “faith” are diverse they do not observe the diversity of the thing signified therein, but dispute as if the meaning of the word were everywhere the same [in the Scriptures]. . . . We must understand that the meaning of the word “faith” is ambiguous. ^[7]

Accordingly, Calvin wrote fifty pages in his Institutes specifically aimed at distinguishing between “formed and unformed faith,” “implicit and explicit faith,” and “false,” and “common,” faith.

Likewise, the editor for Jonathan Edwards’ (1703-1758) “notebook” written specifically on the topic of faith remarks:

In this notebook we see a laborious, intricate struggle for definition that takes up nearly half the [149] entries. From entry to entry, Edwards slightly modifies the definition of faith, adding and subtracting words and phrases, then exploring the implications of the changes. ^[8]

Admittedly, the great Edwards had a knack for making the simple, complex, but in this case, we would suggest that Edwards’ “struggle” was due to the real complexity of faith itself.

In addition, as one reads Christian theology, particularly in the area of epistemology, it becomes evident that faith is used in several different ways by different authors, adding to the complexity of the issue as well. However, even a careful study of the use of faith in the Scriptures reveals a good deal of complexity there too.

We hope to untangle some of that intricacy in the next chapters so that such a vital doctrine as faith can be seen in all its wonder and glory. We begin by discussing several different ways faith is used in philosophy and the Scriptures, which will go a long way in understanding this concept better.

B) Philosophical Faith: Confusing revelation with faith

One of the most confusing things about philosophy and Christian philosophy in general, is the way in which “faith” is used. Normally, even in Scripture, the word “faith” is used synonymously with believing. ^[9]

For example, if we believe someone, we “have faith in them.” However, in philosophy, “faith” is often used as a synonym for divine revelation, as if it is a source for beliefs, rather than a result of belief. For example, many philosophers will label all beliefs that we gain from the Bible as faith, and ones that come as a result of scientific research as reason or knowledge. This then leads to the common practice of pitting faith and reasoning against each other as two competing means by which we receive revelation and gain convictions.

It is true that at times in Scripture “the faith” is used to refer to the divine revelation of the Christian faith, something which we discuss below as doctrinal faith. But this is relatively rare compared to the use of faith as being synonymous with belief. Accordingly, we will distinguish doctrinal faith below, but use the word “faith” in its more normal sense.

Therefore, instead of using the word “faith” to describe a means by which we obtain data, we will consistently use it to describe the result of data, as a conviction or belief itself. Scientific research results in beliefs of faith, for example, if the research is simply read, instead of done in person. Likewise, gaining convictions from any source of information, including divine revelation, requires reason. ^[10]

Therefore, faith is a result of reasoning, rather than its epistemological rival. Faith therefore is not the antithesis of reason as is often suggested, nor an alternate way in which we gain convictions. Rather, what Christian philosophers actually mean to compare to natural human research is supernatural revelation, both of which are means through which beliefs or faith can be obtained. One will find that if you insert “natural human research” in place of “reason” and insert “supernatural revelation” in place of “faith” in many philosophical discussions of these issues, that the philosopher will make a lot more sense.

C) Practical Faith: Adequate certainty based on human knowledge

C.1) General Definition of Faith: Beliefs based on indirect knowledge

It may be helpful first to grasp a general definition of faith. At its most basic level, faith is belief, conviction, and/or trust. This is demonstrated in even the most well known biblical definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1 which reads: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Therefore, faith is not just a Christian thing, but every human has a certain amount of faith or conviction about virtually everything in their life. So in general, faith is simply synonymous with belief. What sets faith apart from other beliefs is the way in which we obtain it.

For example, some beliefs (like touching a hot stove) come to us directly, where as most others are obtained indirectly through information provided by someone else. In philosophy, these two types of beliefs have been labeled respectively direct knowledge and faith. Beliefs that are direct knowledge are those obtained through our physical senses or personal experience. Those beliefs gained through the testimony of others are examples of faith.

The absence of direct knowledge in faith is expressed in such biblical statements as “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7) or “faith is being . . . certain of what we do not see” (Heb 11:1). This is why all belief in God is faith because “No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18). ^[11]

Faith in a general sense, then, is a trusting acceptance based on indirect knowledge. It is a belief based on evidence just like any other, but the evidence does not come from our physical senses or personal experience, but rather, through the written, or otherwise communicated word of another person. Accordingly, Charles Hodge (1797-1878) explains:

Faith, in the widest sense of the word, is assent to the truth, or the persuasion of the mind that a thing is true. . . . But in the strict and special sense of the word, faith means a belief in things not seen which is based on testimony.^[12]

This brings up the philosophical topic of testimony which we have discussed fully elsewhere. ^[13] For example, the reason most of us believe there is a Great Wall in China, or the large pyramids in Egypt, is not because we have seen them, but have somehow heard or read of them. Therefore, we believe in them by faith.

C.2) Practical Faith: The most common kind even in the Christian life

It becomes obvious then that the whole human race functions with a great deal of dependence on faith. Many, if not most of our beliefs and decisions are obtained this way and are therefore in the category of faith. C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) writes:

All of our historical beliefs, most of our geographical beliefs, many of our beliefs about matters that concern us in daily life, are accepted on the authority of other human beings, whether we are Christians, Atheists, Scientists, or Men-in-the-Street. ^[14]

As the Roman Catholic theologian Avery Dulles (1918-2008) put it in his recent study of faith:

In this [practical] sense faith is an ingredient in virtually all human knowledge and activity. Whenever I read the newspapers, speak about history or science, and in fact whenever I get on a train, eat a meal, or perform many other ordinary actions, I am implicitly making acts of human or natural-that is to say, non-theological-faith. In so doing I may be following a spontaneous instinct, an acquired habit, or a free, voluntary decision. I may be said to be exercising faith in my senses, in my memory, in the reliability of a machine, or in the competence and integrity of other persons. ^[15]

This then is what we would refer to as a general, practical faith.

It is important to distinguish between practical faith and biblical faith. As we will discuss further in this book, biblical faith depends on a divine revelation. On the other hand, practical faith merely depends on our best human knowledge. In other words, our belief that there is a Great Wall in China is not a biblical faith because God did not tell us so, but rather, through human research we gained facts by which we base such a belief on.

By saying that practical faith is not biblical faith does not mean the former is not in the Bible. On the contrary, we see many even important decisions being made in Scripture based on human research rather than divine revelation. Elsewhere in Knowing Our God where we discuss the importance of human reason for decision making, we noted several of these. ^[16] Accordingly, we wrote:

[T]he Apostle Paul is repeatedly described as making decisions based on human reason, not divine revelation. Accordingly, we read that, “Paul did not think it wise to take” Mark on a second missionary journey because he had deserted them previously (Acts 15:38). He may have been wrong and Barnabas, who did take Mark, may have been right. Regardless, there is no record of either of them receiving divine revelation regarding this decision, and even such Apostles were left with making such a decision based on what they thought was “wise.”

The Apostle implies decision making based on reasoning, not a divine revelation when he says, “So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens” (1 Thess 3:1), “I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus” (Phil 2:25), and “If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me” (1 Cor 16:4). ^[17]

These are all instances of practical faith in the life of the Apostle. He could have been wrong about any of these decisions and the texts suggest he was not certain about any of them, all because God had not granted Him a specific divine revelation concerning them. Contrast this with the biblical faith he exercised when he went to Jerusalem as described in the following:

Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the Gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. (Gal 2:1-2)

This decision was not made with the ordinary practical faith that both the Apostles and we must live by most of the time. Rather, the Apostle had a specific, miraculous divine revelation that he was responding to, making it what we refer to as biblical faith.

Accordingly, there is a difference in certainty between practical and biblical faith because of the certainty of their sources. When God grants a divine revelation we can be absolutely certain of it. However, because practical faith is based on the best human information we have at the time, it is often less than absolutely certain.

Accordingly, we have written elsewhere:

While some areas of truth are capable of absolute certainty, many things in life are not, and instead, are only capable of adequate certainty. In other words, if we were God, we would have an immediate and absolutely certain knowledge of everything. For us, however, many of our conclusions are at best interpretations, made by beings of limited intelligence, on the basis of a limited selection of evidence, which in turn is interpreted in the light of an unknown number of hypotheses, most of which we have never personally examined. Such is being human instead of divine. ^[18]

Perhaps the most important application of distinguishing practical faith from biblical faith is to recognize the important place the former plays in our lives. Even the most critical decisions are made with practical faith because we do not have specific divine revelation for an absolutely certain biblical faith. As discussed elsewhere, these decisions include who to marry, ^[19] whether to go into ministry and where, ^[20] whether a man is guilty of a crime deserving the death penalty, ^[21] and what God is saying in a particular verse of Scripture. ^[22] God does not normally grant specific divine revelation for any of these, and we are left to gathering as many facts as possible (i.e. human research) and making the best decision we know with our reason in practical faith with adequate certainty. ^[23]

The common mistake today is to assume like mega mysticism that God is granting specific divine revelation for many of our decisions through “signs,” impulses, or impressions. ^[24] In the process they imply that such decisions are a matter of biblical faith, and they demean the God-ordained place of practical faith in our lives and the use of the reason God gave us.

Pastoral Practices

• Do you rely on extrabiblical “revelations” to discern God’s will in a matter? Do you assume that God has a specific will in matters beyond what He has communicated in Scripture? This is the popular, but, we believe, unbiblical and potentially dangerous perspective of mega mysticism and we must be careful to understand it, weed it out of our own lives, and teach others a biblical view of divine guidance. See Book 14.

D) Doctrinal Faith

Often, the Scriptures use the phrase “the faith” to generally refer to the set of Christian beliefs and doctrines which we are to believe and be united around. Doctrinal faith is what other biblical faiths are based on, because they are based on a divine revelation.

As noted above, we will demonstrate in the following chapters that the Apostle Paul uses the concept of faith in various ways, particularly in his epistle to the Ephesians. While in 2:8 he speaks of a saving faith that is a gift from God and which saves, in 6:16 he exhorts Christians to exercise an empowering faith that is a work on their part in order to protect themselves from the lies of the devil.

Paul uses faith in yet a third way in Ephesians when he writes: “There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– one Lord, one faith, one baptism. . .” (Eph 4:4-5). Most commentators agree that the Apostle is using “faith” here in a doctrinal, objective way, “referring to the substance of one’s faith, their common body of belief.” ^[25] The Apostle would seem to repeat this use in Ephesians 4:13 when he says that gifted men in the church are to build up the people of God, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.”

This use of “the faith” in Scripture may refer more generally to the Gospel or Christianity. This seems to be the case when the King says of the Endtimes that, “Many will turn away from the faith [i.e. the Gospel, Christianity] and will betray and hate each other” (Matt 24:10). Likewise, it would seem that specifically the Gospel is in mind when the Apostle says, “I was appointed a herald and an Apostle . . . and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles” (1 Tim 2:7; cf. Acts 6:7; Gal 1:23). These references suggest that the center of “the faith” is the Gospel.

However, “the faith” seems to also at times refer to doctrines beyond the Gospel. For example, the Apostle requires of a deacon that, “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Tim 3:9). Surely it was expected of such mature men that they “keep hold” of more than just the saving truths, but also the ones that were to dictate Christian belief and conduct. Similarly, he tells Timothy, “The things [i.e. “the faith”] you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2). We suggest that “the faith” could legitimately be inserted here and it involves more than just the Gospel.

It would seem that “the faith” definitely does not refer to the Gospel when the Apostle writes, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some [Christians] will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim 4:1). The context clearly indicates that the Apostle has real Christians in mind. ^[26] However, he is not saying they are abandoning the Gospel truths of “the faith,” and therefore somehow losing saving faith. Rather, the people are losing empowering faith in the Christian doctrines concerning the freedom “to marry” and to eat “certain foods” (cf. v. 3). While such heresy would not cost them their salvation, it would certainly stunt their spiritual maturity, much like the “weak in [empowering] faith” Paul mentions in Romans 14 who lacked empowering faith in some of the same doctrines.

Obviously, the truths contained in “the faith” often include the Gospel, but the verses above suggest that at times the contents of “the faith” go beyond the truths specific to the Gospel.

It is again doctrinal faith that the Apostle is referring to in 1 Tim 4:6 when he tells Timothy, “If you point these things [doctrinal truths] out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” Here the concept of faith is again being used in an objective way, rather than a subjective way, and refers to “Christianity itself and the sum of its message.” ^[27]

Likewise, the Apostle uses the concept of faith in this way when he exhorts the Colossians: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught” (Col 2:6-7). This doctrinal faith and the beliefs it contains were to protect these Christians against “fine-sounding arguments” (2:4) and “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (2:8).

It is also for the purpose of protection from false teachers that we read in Jude: “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3), a classic description of doctrinal faith.

Pastoral Practices

• One of the reasons that Knowing Our God is being written is to help Pastors know what “the faith” is and to protect it. This is, in fact, a requirement to even be one of God’s Pastors. The Apostle wrote Titus that Pastors: “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message (“the faith”) as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine (“the faith”) and refute those who oppose it” (Tit 1:9). We hope to help you fulfill that God-given responsibility.

E) Biblical Faith: A commitment based on divine revelation

While it is true that faith is something vital to all humans in general, the concept has particular value for the Christian. Accordingly, Cardinal Dulles comments: “The word ‘faith’ might be described as the Christian word. More than any other religion, Christianity deserves to be called a faith.” ^[28] The Greek word for faith used in the NT is pistis, which is always used for, “faith in God or Christ, or things spiritual,” ^[29] and never in a context of mere practical faith. So while people use the word “faith” in a variety of ways, the Scriptures uniquely and always use it to apply to our relationship with God.

Biblical faith is: a commitment of reason to a correct understanding of a divine revelation, based on divine evidence, producing divine pleasure. There are several elements here that we will discuss further in subsequent chapters.

In sections I-III (chapters 6.2-6.16) we will address the various applications and kinds of biblical faith. The word “faith” is used to refer to several different aspects of this concept in Scripture. If these differences are not recognized, great and harmful error can occur. For example, “faith” is obviously used to refer to the saving kind which results in eternal life. But it also refers to the false kind of those who “believe for a while” (Matt 13:13), but are never saved. Even though the same word is used, the “faith” being described is two very different things. In this case, a confusion between saving faith and false faith can result in the false doctrine that someone can be saved, and then lose their salvation.

Likewise, “faith” is used to refer to an act of belief toward God’s promises and commands that regenerated Christians are able and therefore responsible for, and which is fundamental to empowering the Christian life. However, the Scriptures also speak of a miracle faith which requires a supernatural doubt-free confidence that the miracle commanded will occur, no matter how unlikely. This faith is purely a gift from God and is as miraculous as the gift itself. Unfortunately, modern “faith healers” confuse empowering faith which all Christians are capable of and responsible for, with miracle faith which is solely dependent on God.

Accordingly, they erroneously blame Christians for their dismal record of “miracles” because they think humans ultimately decide when a miracle occurs by exercising a faith they are capable of. This harmful error is corrected by recognizing the difference between empowering faith and miracle faith.

Finally, it is critical to distinguish between saving and empowering faith as well. As noted, “faith” is often used in Scripture as an act of belief that regenerated Christians have the ability to exercise, is a “good” meritorious work, and rewarded by God. What if we view saving faith in the same way? We annihilate the central doctrine of salvation by God’s grace and works alone. Which is why saving faith, like miracle faith, is described in Scripture as a sovereign gift of God, not a human work (cf. Eph 2:8-9; Phil 1:29; Rom. 4:16; John 6:44; Acts 3:16; 16:14; 18:27; 1 Pet 1:21; Heb 12:2).

Admittedly, these distinctions regarding the various aspects of “faith” are not always clear in Scripture and strict categories cannot be dogmatically applied. Nonetheless, it is important to understand the differences between false faith, saving faith, empowering faith, miracle faith, visionary faith, and doctrinal faith if we are to properly interpret and apply Scripture to the Christian life. Table 6.1 at the end of this chapter illustrates the various kinds of biblical faith.

In section I (chapters 6.2-6.6) we discuss saving faith and argue that it is the gift & work of God alone experienced by humans in the process of salvation. We believe as well that any other view endangers the historical Christian doctrine of salvation by grace because others make faith a work of humans. In addition, we discuss the critical and often misunderstood distinction between saving faith and the false faith that only superficially looks like saving faith.

In section II (chapters 6.7-6.9) we cover three other distinct aspects of faith including empowering, miracle, and gift. In particular we demonstrate that while empowering faith is the natural ability and responsibility of a born again Christian, and therefore meritorious, the doubt-free requirement of miracle faith is far beyond human ability and must be given by God through a revelation that is just as miraculous as the miracle itself. In this respect, miracle faith is much like saving faith and gives biblical precedent for a faith that is the gift, work, and choice of God, and not our work or choice.

In section III (chapters 6.10-6.16) we have a particularly large section on visionary faith which we define as humans plans to accomplish God’s commands. Beyond saving faith this is the aspect of faith that is most often thought of and is critical especially to leaders. There are a lot of elements involved in visionary faith which we cover here.

In section IV (chapters 6.17-6.21) we discuss the two fundamental ingredients in biblical faith: revelation and evidence, both processed and based on human reason. Not only does biblical faith depend on a divine revelation, but on a truthful understanding of that revelation. Otherwise it is an erroneous faith in something that God never intended for us to have faith in. For example, many people have a faith in false doctrines, based on misinterpretations of Scripture. This is not biblical faith, nor does it please God. Biblical faith is a commitment to a correct understanding of a divine revelation.

This argues against that popular view that faith and reason are opposed to one another. In fact, the Bible demonstrates that all God-pleasing faith is based on reason. Subsequently, we expose the error of common views of faith and reason such as fideism, inclusivism, and the “faith movement.”

God has never, and never will, expect anyone to believe anything without adequate evidence. This is how He created us. Therefore, God Himself will always provide the needed evidence for whatever He wants us to have faith in. God-pleasing faith is not a foolish “leap of faith” based on a feeling, but rather is grounded on facts. Accordingly, our faith will never be stronger than the facts we believe support it. Therefore, biblical faith is a commitment of reason to a correct understanding of a divine revelation, based on divine evidence.

Accordingly, biblical faith is the human side of divine revelation and the reason that it is such an important topic of Christian epistemology and why epistemology in general is important to Christian theology.

In section V (chapters 6.22-6.24) we discuss other important elements of biblical faith. In chapter 6.22 we discuss the commitment of biblical faith and the subsequent results including love and obedience. In addition, the harmful but popular perspective of easy believism is discussed.

In chapter 6.23 we demonstrate the varying levels of certainty involved in biblical faith always possesses absolute certainty.

Finally, in chapter 6.24 we discuss the goal of biblical faith which is to please and glorify God. Our choice to properly respond to the divine revelation and evidence He has given puts a smile on our Father’s face. He is pleased with our whole-hearted commitment, not a doubtful one. He is pleased with our diligence to properly understand what He is wanting us to commit to, not a skewed, human-centered, self-serving twisting of what He has said. He is pleased to give us all the evidence we need to make such a commitment, knowing that in the end, we must make a choice to trust Him or something or someone else. Biblical faith then is: a commitment of reason to a correct understanding of a divine revelation, based on divine evidence, producing divine pleasure.

Extras & Endnotes

Table 6.1: The Types of Biblical Faith

	Object	Result	Source	Endurance	Unique Qualities	Scriptures
Saving	The Gospel of Christ as Savior & Lord	Salvation & super-natural virtue	Purely God	Persevering but ceasing with Christ’s return. (cf. 2 Cor 4:18; 5:7; Rom 8:24-5; Heb 11:1)	Supernatural through regeneration & demon-strated by supernatural deeds.	Gal 3:22-26; Rom 3:22, 25; 5:1-2; 9:30-32; Eph 2:8; 3:12
False	Lies	Deception & damnation	satan	Present until either salvation or apostasy occurs.	Not saving because it does not sincerely trust Christ, does not produce virtue, or last.	Matt 7:15-27; 13:20-22; Acts 8:13, 21-23; Heb 6:4-11
Empowering	The commands doctrines, & promises of God	Sanctifi-cation & rewards	The Christian	Intermittent	The natural ability of all regenerated humans and therefore meritorious.	Matt 6:30-31; Gal 2:20; Eph 6:16; 1 Thess 3:2; 5:8; 2 Thess 1:3; 1 Tim 4:12; 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22; 3:10;
Miracle	Divine promise/ revelation of a miracle	Receiving or working a miracle	Purely God	Intermittent	Supernatural divine gift, absolutely doubt-free against evidence & human nature.	Matt 17:20; 1 Cor 13:2
Gift	Spiritual gifts	Enabling spiritual gifts	God but enhanced with experience	Intermittent	Tied specifically to the operation of spiritual gifts.	Rom 12:3-8; 2 Tim 1:6; 1 Tim 4:14
Visionary	Specific desires based on biblical commands	Human plans to accomplish God’s commands	Personal passions to serve God	Intermittent	Object goes beyond specific state- Ments of Scripture but designed to fulfill them.	2 Thess 1:11-12; Nehemiah
Doctrinal	The doctrines of Scripture	Provides the doctrines that we are to have saving & empowering faith in.	Purely God	Eternal	Referred to as “the faith” in Scripture.	Matt 24:10; Acts 6:7; Gal 1:23; Eph 4:5; Col 2:7; 1 Tim 2:7; 3:9; 4:1, 6; 2 Tim 2:2

Gauging Your Grasp

1. What is a general definition of faith?
2. Describe the common and confusing conception of “faith and reason” in many philosophical contexts.
3. Why are most of our beliefs examples of faith?
4. What are the differences between what we refer to as practical faith and biblical faith? Why is the former less certain than the latter?
5. How do we define biblical faith? What questions or thoughts do you initially have about each of the elements in our definition? Do you agree or disagree with them?
6. Why do we suggest it is important to distinguish between different aspects and applications of faith in Scripture? Do you agree or disagree?
7. What does doctrinal faith refer to? Where is it used in Scripture?

Recommended Reading

• The rest of Book 6 Biblical Faith for further discussion on what biblical faith requires and how this doctrine has been perverted into all kinds of harmful errors in the Church.
• The Assurance of Things Hoped For by Avery Dulles, (Oxford University Press, 1994). A helpful and rather succinct book on the complex subject of faith.

Publications & Particulars

1. NIV Nave’s Topical Bible, John R. Kohlenberger ed., (Zondervan, 1992), 272. ↑

2. C. S. Evans, Faith Beyond Reason (Edinburgh University Press, 1998), 1. ↑

3. Anthony Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NIGTC) (Eerdmans, 2000), 223. For further discussion on the various uses of “faith” in Scripture, Dr. Thiselton refers to his book, The Two Horizons (Paternoster, 2005), 407-415. ↑

4. John Stott, Your Mind Matters (InterVarsity, 1973), 33. ↑

5. J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler, In Search of a Confident Faith (Intervarsity, 2008), 9. ↑

6. Abraham Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit, trans. by Henri De Vries, (Eerdmans, 1946), 378. ↑

7. John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, online at http://www.ccel.org, III.ii.9, 13. ↑

8. S. H. Lee, ed. Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 21 (Yale University Press, 2003), 414. ↑

9. Dulles points out that, “In recent English-speaking theology it has become common to distinguish sharply between faith and belief, to the disadvantage of the latter.” He also spends some time refuting the need or accuracy of this distinction. (cf. 194-5)

   For example, the Baptist theology Professors Bruce Demarest and Gordon Lewis write:

   Faith is not a synonym for belief. We believe in propositional truth; we have faith in or trust the glorified person of Christ. . . . The object of belief is propositions; the object of faith is a person. (Integrative Theology, 3 Vols. [Zondervan, 1987], III:101-2).

   What seems to be missed in such a definition is that “propositional truth” is the only mental contact with the Christ we have faith in and so a differentiation of these two things seems rather pointless. In addition, anyone obviously has the freedom to come up with their own definitions of “faith” for their own purposes, but the above seems to unnecessarily complicate an already complicated concept. ↑

10. For more on this relationship of human information and divine revelation see sections 2.3.C-D and 2.5.E. ↑

11. For further discussion of the direct or indirect nature of knowledge see section 2.3.C.2. ↑

12. Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Edward N. Gross ed., abridged version, (Presbyterians & Reformed Publishing, 1992), 440. ↑

13. For a fuller discussion of the important concept of human testimony see section 2.5.D.1-2. ↑

14. C. S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian (Touchstone, 1977, 1996), 133. ↑

15. Avery Dulles, The Assurance of Things Hoped For (Oxford University Press, 1994), 185. ↑

16. For further discussion of biblical examples of decision making based on human reason rather than divine revelation see section 4.4.A. ↑

17. Quoted from section 4.4.A. ↑

18. Quoted from section 2.6.C. ↑

19. For discussion regarding marriage decisions see section 7.15.D.1. ↑

20. For discussion regarding ministry decisions see section 7.15.D.2. ↑

21. For discussion of how a courtroom illustrates practical faith and the value God places on human reason see section 2.6.C. ↑

22. For further discussion of the importance God places on human reason and a practical faith regarding such important issues as what does God’s word say see sections 2.6.C; 3.1.C, chapter 3.3, ↑

23. For further discussion of the God-ordained place of decisions made with reason in practical faith with what we call adequate certainty see section 2.6.C. ↑

24. Mega mysticism is essentially the belief that God is granting a multitude of amoral, extrabiblical revelation today to enable us to make specific decisions. For further discussion of a biblical view of divine guidance see Book 14. ↑

25. Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians (Eerdmans, 1999), 283. ↑

26. Our suggestion that 1 Timothy 4:1 involves real Christians is supported in verse 3 when the Apostle describes those in danger of the deception that he warns about as “those who know and believe the truth.” Additionally, it is because Christians are in danger that he exhorts Timothy to “point these things out to the brothers” in v. 6. ↑

27. George W. Knight III, The Pastoral Epistles (Eerdmans, 1992), 194. ↑

28. Dulles, 3. ↑

29. W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, (Thomas Nelson, 1996), 222. ↑