How Does the New Testament Define Faith:
Now that we've taken a brief look at the Hebrew and Greek words contained in
these early Bible manuscripts...let's look at how the Bible itself defines the
concept of faith.
The Book of Hebrews:
We will first begin with the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. The
inspired writer of Hebrews tells us a significant amount about faith...and gives
specific examples of men and women of faith.
The book was written to the Jews, also referred to as the Israelites or the children of
Israel...or the Hebrews (Hebrew is the native language of the Jews).
Hearing vs. Faith & Obedience:
The writer of Hebrews first introduces the word "faith" by giving an example of
the Jews. Unfortunately in this first example given by the writer of
Hebrews, it was when they were disobedient. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, being led by God
and Moses, they provoked God by their unbelief and disobedience:
 "For
who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came
out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years?
Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And
to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were
disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." Hebrews 3:16-19 (NAS)
The writer of Hebrews then speaks of faith comparing the Israelites
in the wilderness... to the Christians at that time:
"Therefore,
let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you
should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news
preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them,
because it was not united by faith in those who heard." Hebrews 4:1-2
Question:
Hebrews 4:1-2 says that the word of God did not profit those whom Moses led
out of Egypt. The Israelites "sinned"...they were
"disobedient"...they were not able to enter the promised land because of this
"unbelief" (Hebrews 3:16-19). According to Hebrews 4:1-2 above, why did
this good news of the promised land not profit the Israelites?
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Who
were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all
those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with
whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with
those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?
18 And to whom did God swear that they
would never enter his rest if not to those who
disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were
not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (NIV)
For
who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all
who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17
Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not
with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the
wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear
that they would not enter His rest, but to those who
did not obey? 19 So we see that they
could not enter in because of unbelief. (NKJ)
For
who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all
they that came out of Egypt by Moses? 17
And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it
not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the
wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that
they should not enter into his rest, but to them
that were disobedient? 19 And we see that
they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.
(ASV)
For
some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not
all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not
with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in
the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he
that they should not enter into his rest, but to
them that believed not? 19 So we see that
they could not enter in because of unbelief. (KJV)