“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)
The verse above would be the answer to the question: “What is faith?”
Even so, I have never fully understood this verse, and have wanted to understand exactly what ‘faith’ is. I went to the dictionary to help in my study.
The Google dictionary defines substance as:
- a particular kind of matter with uniform properties.
- e.g. “a steel tube coated with a waxy substance.”
- synonyms: material, matter, stuff.
- “an organic substance.”
- The real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence.
- e.g. “proteins compose much of the actual substance of the body.”
- synonyms: solidity, body, density, mass, weight, shape, structure.
- “ghostly figures with no substance.”
The Google dictionary defines evidence as:
- The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
- e.g. “the study finds little evidence of overt discrimination.”
- synonyms: proof, confirmation, verification, substantiation, corroboration, affirmation, attestation.
- “they found evidence of his plotting.”
- Be or show evidence of:
- e.g. “that it has been populated from prehistoric times is evidenced by the remains of Neolithic buildings.”
- synonyms: indicate, show, reveal, display, exhibit, manifest, testify to, confirm, prove, substantiate, endorse, bear out.
- “the rise of racism is evidenced here.”
Substance and evidence are tangible. Substance and evidence are real and can be touched or felt and seen. Both are proof of something.
Hope is completely different and the Google dictionary defines hope as:
- A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
- e.g. “he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information.” synonyms: aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, goal, plan, design.
- Archaic: a feeling of trust.
- Want something to happen or be the case:
- e.g. ‘he’s hoping for an offer of compensation.’
- synonyms: expect, anticipate, be hopeful of, pin one’s hope on, want, wish for, long for, dream of.
- “he’s hoping for a medal”
Hope is an emotion.
For me, this brings on some new questions:
- How can an emotion or desire be substantiated?
- How can you prove, with evidence, what is ‘not seen’?
I needed to find an example that would make sense as I tried to figure this out and understand the verse in Hebrews.
I thought about my academic career:
As a child, I knew I would have to go to school as my parents told me I would. I had no idea what school was, what I would learn nor did I even consider why it was important. In Grade 1, I had no idea that one day it would be essential for me to complete it, to gain a GED (matriculation) and that I would need it in order to further my education to go to college/university.
In this case, my parents had the foreknowledge, the hope and desire for me to have a good education. They understood that it would be the foundation of my future. Because they did not yet know in which direction my secondary schooling would go, their plan was to get me through the 1st step of the process: my GED (matriculation).
For me, there was no ‘hope’. I was too young to understand the urgency that my parents had as to my getting a ‘good’ education. They determined which school to send me to. They got me the clothing and the tools that I needed for school and off I went.
School was and is tangible. The only emotion I had was nervous excitement and thinking myself very ‘big’ to be going to school. Everything about my school was real. The books, the stationery, the chalkboards.
After I graduated from High School, I now had to decide what I wanted in life and where I thought I needed to further my education. My parent’s original hope now turned into my own hopes and dreams that I needed to fulfill. I decided to pursue Music and went on to study at university. Again, everything about my schooling was real and tangible.
Now I am done with my different ‘trainings’ and ‘study’ and all I have to show for it is a piece of paper stipulating that I did it, and what date I completed it on with an official seal proving it’s authenticity. All of that for a piece of paper!
I saw the verse in a new light:
“Now faith is the substance (my schooling, books, notes etc.) of things hoped for (GED, Music degree), the evidence (my framed degree and diploma) of things not seen (the years I spent at school).” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)
I now understood the process as a believer:
“Now faith is the substance (the Bible, the Word of God, prayer – tangible) of things hoped for (my home in glory, my full salvation), the evidence (Jesus being a historical fact; miracles that cannot be explained which I have witnessed) of things not seen (Jesus still alive and with me; still performing miracles; the Holy Spirit and His workings).” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)