“Now faith is the substance [hypostasis] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Notice that the word substance is the same word used for person in Hebrews 1:3.
[Jesus] “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person [hypostasis], and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:3)
So faith relates to things not seen in the same way Jesus relates to God who is not seen. He is the express image of God. And so faith is the express image of the needs we pray for.
Faith is not what many assume it to be. It is not of human origin. It is a supernatural gift that God produces in us as evidence for what it represents. In essence, you know God saved you if He gave you faith in the matter. It is evidence of things not seen. Human faith cannot provide this assurance because it is not biblical faith. Human faith might gamble that Honest Charlie is cutting you a deal at the car lot. But it cannot save.
58.1 ὑπόστασιςa, εως f: the essential or basic nature of an entity—‘substance, nature, essence, real being.’ ὃς ὢν … χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ ‘who is … the exact representation of his real being’ or ‘… nature’ He 1:3. In some languages there is no ready lexical equivalent of ‘real being’ or ‘nature.’ Therefore, one may express this concept in He 1:3 as ‘who is … just like what he really is.’
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 584). New York: United Bible Societies.
Notice that the word substance is the same word used for person in Hebrews 1:3.
[Jesus] “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person [hypostasis], and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:3)
So faith relates to things not seen in the same way Jesus relates to God who is not seen. He is the express image of God. And so faith is the express image of the needs we pray for.
Faith is not what many assume it to be. It is not of human origin. It is a supernatural gift that God produces in us as evidence for what it represents. In essence, you know God saved you if He gave you faith in the matter. It is evidence of things not seen. Human faith cannot provide this assurance because it is not biblical faith. Human faith might gamble that Honest Charlie is cutting you a deal at the car lot. But it cannot save.
58.1 ὑπόστασιςa, εως f: the essential or basic nature of an entity—‘substance, nature, essence, real being.’ ὃς ὢν … χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ ‘who is … the exact representation of his real being’ or ‘… nature’ He 1:3. In some languages there is no ready lexical equivalent of ‘real being’ or ‘nature.’ Therefore, one may express this concept in He 1:3 as ‘who is … just like what he really is.’
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 584). New York: United Bible Societies.
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