Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur
Cincotti. 05/22/2022
Listen to our Bible
Study Discussion at: Another Look at Faith Podcast
Or watch the Video Zoom Session of our Study on YouTube: Another Look at Faith Video Podcast
Another Look at Faith
I Cor. 13:13, “And abide
faith, hope and love, these three…”
“abide” in this case,
means: continue without fading or being lost.
(archaic) live; dwell.
“meno” is also translated; remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure.
“Faith” is an
interesting word and an even more interesting concept.
It is only used twice in the OT. The NT is most commonly the Greek noun “pistis.
As we think of the word
in common vernacular, let us consider three
applications.
1) Faith as a
possession
We have faith. Rom. 12:3, “God has dealt to each on a
measure of faith.” This tells us that faith is a gift from God. He has “dealt”
it, or “given” or “bestowed”.
Many of the usages of
“faith” in the NT speak of, “your faith”
Mat. 9:22, “your faith
has made you well”
Mat. 15:28, “O woman,
great is your faith”
Lk. 7:50, “Your faith
has saved you.”
This would beg the
question, “faith in what, or who?” Faith alone can’t
save anyone.
We are born with a
natural dimension of faith. This, I believe teaches
us about faith and directs us toward faith in God.
I Cor, 15:46, “However,
the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and
afterward the spiritual.” Also see I Cor. 2:5
A fuller meaning is
found in the verb form, from Vine’s Expository Dictionary “pisteuo” translated “believe”. See Jn. 1:12
(signifies “to entrust, commit to”)
also, akin to “peitho”,
“to persuade” is used in the NT always of “faith in God or Christ, or things
spiritual.”
“faith,” has the
secondary meaning of “an assurance or guarantee” e.g. Acts 17:31; by raising
Christ form the dead, God has given “assurance” that the world will be judged
by Him.
I Ti. 5:12, where
“faith” means “pledge.”
Vine’s goes on to say, “faith rests in a living Person.” “The
object of Abraham’s faith was not god’s promise (that was the occasion of its
exercise); his faith rested on God Himself.”
2) Faith as a tool,
or application.
In the above gospel verses, the possessed faith accomplished
something when applied, or
put into action.
II Cor. 5:7, “For we
walk by faith, not by sight” Consider faith, in this verse as a guide, a walking stick, or a guide dog. These are tools to navigate darkness.
Gal. 2:16, “knowing that
a man is not justified by works of the law but
by faith in Jesus Christ…” Again, faith is portrayed as a tool for justification.
Heb. 11:6, “But without
faith it is impossible to please Hm, for he who
comes to God must believe…” A tool for belief.
3) Faith is an
object, as in “the Christian Faith”.
We have already said how Christ is the object of our faith,
however, in the Biblical usage of, “the faith”, we sense faith being
expressed as a community,
Rom. 1:5, “Through Him
we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among
all nations for His name…”
The gift is intended to
help us see, or catch the revelation of the giver. This gift, like any spiritual gift, can be cultivated
to grow, or left dormant and atrophy.
We grow our faith by
trusting God, taking Him at His word, believing
Him – not just believing in Him – and applying that trust to life’s changing situations and circumstances.
See Mat. 8:5-13 with emphasis on vr. 10
I would be remiss not us
esteem Heb. 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.”
—–Join us for
another Bible Study Next Week ——-
or
Join our “Victory over
the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, “Freedom in Christ” series of
Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!
at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You
can also find it on Apple podcasts
(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The
mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts,
Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com.
These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You
Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTxjSNstREpuGWuL0bF3U7w/featured
Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the
class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.
My wife, TammyLyn, also
offers Christian encouragement via her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast
Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
Leave a Reply