Page 84 - Hebrews- Student Textbook

B. Also notice these are not initial professions of faith, but lives of faith under the Old covenant. The
faithful end is the evidence of a true beginning. Believers start in faith, continue in faith, and die in
faith. The author of Hebrews evaluates the believer's life from its faithful conclusion as well as its
faith beginning.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

"faith" Here Uttly gives an interesting observation, “This is not a theological definition of faith, but a
picture of the practical outworking of it. The term is used twenty four times in this chapter. From the
OT the primary idea is "faithfulness" or "trustworthy." This is the opposite of apostasy. The Greek
term for "faith" (pistis) is translated by three English terms: "faith," "belief," and "trust." Faith is a
human response to God's faithfulness and His promise. We trust His trustworthiness, not our own.
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His character is the key.”
NASB, NRSV "assurance of things hoped for"
NKJV "substance of things hoped for"
TEV "to be sure of the things we hope for"
NJB "guarantee the blessings that we hope for"

This Greek term for "assurance" (hupostasis) basically means "to place under" or "to stand under"
thereby giving the underlying basis or foundation of something. It, therefore, had a wide variety of
meanings in the ancient world. It was especially common in Greek philosophical writings to denote the
clear manifestation of something. It was that which was real and true versus the unrealized.
1. in Heb. 1:3 it refers to essence
2. in Heb. 3:14 it refers to the reality of the believers' confession/profession
3. in Heb. 11:1 it refers to the promises of the gospel lived out in the present, but not
consummated until the future

This term has been found in the Egyptian papyri meaning "a title deed" (cf. NJB). In this sense it reflects
Paul's usage of the Spirit as an "earnest" (cf. 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:4).

The Greek terms used in the LXX suggest it regularly translates tōhelet (The Cambridge History of the
Bible, p. 9), which denoted "an attitude of patient and confident waiting for something, a state of
confident expectation" (i.e., hope). Remember the New Testament authors were Hebrew thinkers
writing in the Koine Greek and using the translation traditions of the Septuagint.

Some have seen the clearest meanings in this context reflected in the OT quote in 10:38 (Hab. 2:2-4).
Chapter 11 is a list of examples of those who did not "shrink back." This text is the opposite of what the
first readers were in danger of doing.

"conviction" This word occurs only here in the New Testament. It refers to "proof by test." The two
phrases in v. 1 are parallel (both PRESENT PASSIVE PARTICIPLES); therefore, "assurance" and "conviction" are
tied closely together and out of them the faithful live their lives.

58 Uttly (11:1)
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