Hebrews 11:1: faith is the substance of things hoped for

c. 1120–1140 · Bernard of Clairvaux, Some Letters of Saint Bernard (selection of 66) 60.4.9

I am satisfied, I confess, with his definition of faith, even though this man stealthily accuses it. Faith, he says, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. xi. 1). The substance, he says, of things hoped for, not a phantasy of empty conjectures. You hear, that it is a substance; and therefore it is not allowed you in our faith, to suppose or oppose at your pleasure, nor to wander hither and thither amongst empty opinions, through devious errors.

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 4, a. 1, co.

Accordingly the relation of the act of faith to its end which is the object of the will, is indicated by the words: "Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for." For we are wont to call by the name of substance, the first beginning of a thing, especially when the whole subsequent thing is virtually contained in the first beginning; for instance, we might say that the first self-evident principles are the substance of science, because, to wit, these principles are in us the first beginnings of science, the whole of which is itself contained in them virtually. In this way then faith is said to be the "substance of things to be hoped for," for the reason that in us the first beginning of things to be hoped for is brought about by the assent of faith, which contains virtually all things to be hoped for. Because we hope to be made happy through seeing the unveiled truth to which our faith cleaves, as was made evident when we were speaking of happiness (FS, Q[3], A[8]; FS, Q[4], A[3]).

1605–1610 · Johann Arndt, True Christianity 1.5

For wherever there is true faith, there Christ is verily present with all his righteousness, holiness, and remission of sin; with all his merits, justification, grace, adoption, and inheritance of eternal life. This is the new birth and the new creature, springing from faith in Christ. Hence, the apostle calls faith a substance (Heb. 11:1); understanding by it, a sure, solid, and unshaken confidence in “things hoped for,” and a lively conviction of “things not seen.” For the consolation conveyed by a vital faith is so powerful, as to convince the heart of the divine truth by inward experience, and by the tasting of the heavenly goodness in the soul, and of the peace of God, that passes all understanding; yea, it is so mighty as to enable its possessors to die with a joyful heart. In this consist that strength of the spirit, that might of the inner man, that vigor of faith, that holy boldness; this is that confidence toward God, that exceeding and abounding assurance, which are so copiously set forth by the holy apostles.

1646–1690 · John Owen, Sermons of John Owen life.2

The apostle tells us, that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Heb. xi. 1. 1. “Of things hoped for.” It looks forward to the promises, and so gives the substance of them in present possession, confirming our minds and hearts, that they may have a subsistence, as it were, within us, though not actually made out unto us.

c. 1714 · William Tong, Commentary on Hebrews 11.1-3

It is the substance of things hoped for. Faith and hope go together; and the same things that are the object of our hope are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion and expectation that God will perform all that he has promised to us in Christ; and this persuasion is so strong that it gives the soul a kind of possession and present fruition of those things, gives them a subsistence in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them: so that believers in the exercise of faith are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Christ dwells in the soul by faith, and the soul is filled with the fullness of God, as far as his present measure will admit; he experiences a substantial reality in the objects of faith.

c. 1714 · John Evans, Commentary on Romans 8.17-25

Faith respects the promise, hope the thing promised. Faith is the evidence, hope the expectation, of things not seen. Faith is the mother of hope.

1784–1785 · John Newton, Messiah: Expository Discourses on the Scripture Passages Contained in Handel's Oratorio, Volume I (Sermons I-XXV) 9

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Such was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations of the faithful unchangeable God as already accomplished, though the actual performance respected a period, as yet, future and distant.

1820 · John Tillotson, Works, Volume 9 218

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for;” so we render the word ὑπόστασις: but it might be much better rendered, both according to the frequent use of it in the Septuagint, and in the New Testament, “a confidence of things hoped for;” that is, a confident expectation of things hoped for, or a firm persuasion that our hopes will not be frustrated. And as this is more agreeable to the scope and design of the apostle, so likewise to the common acceptation of this word in the New Testament, for which I will appeal to two places: (2 Cor. ix. 4.) “that we be not put to shame in this confidence of boasting,” ἐν τῆ ὑποστάσει ταύτη. The other text is in this Epistle, (chap. iii. 14.) “That we hold fast the beginning of our confidence,” τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴς ὑποστάσεως, which is of the very same sense with παῤῥησία, at the sixth verse. “If we hold fast the confidence,” παῤῥησίαν, “and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. And the evidence of things not seen,” ἔλεγχος, “the conviction,” as being convinced, or persuaded of the truth of those things, for which we have no ocular or sensible demonstration.

1834 · Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible: Hebrews 11.1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for - On the general nature of faith, see the notes on Mar 16:16. The margin here is, "ground or confidence." There is scarcely any verse of the New Testament more important than this, for it states what is the nature of all true faith, and is the only definition of it which is attempted in the Scriptures. Eternal life depends on the existence and exercise of faith Mar 16:16, and hence, the importance of an accurate understanding of its nature. The word rendered "substance" - ὑπόστασις hupostasis - occurs in the New Testament only in the following places. In 2Co 9:4; 2Co 11:17; Heb 3:14, where it is rendered "confident" and "confidence;" and in Heb 1:3, where it is rendered "person," and in the passage before us; compare the notes on Heb 1:3. Prof. Stuart renders it here "confidence;" Chrysostom, "Faith gives reality or substance to things hoped for."

1834 · Jonathan Edwards, Notes on the Bible heb-rev

Heb. xi. 1. “Faith is the evidence of things not seen:” that is, it is their being evident. This verse is as much as if he had said, Faith is the being present of things that are to come, and the being clearly seen of things that are not seen. The substance of things hoped for, might have been translated the subsistence, that is, their now subsisting.

1860–1863 · Adolf Wuttke, Christian Ethics, vol. 2: Pure Ethics Chapter II. God as the Ground and Prototype of the Moral Life and as the Author of the Law, I. The Revelation of the Divine Will to Man, (b) The Inner Revelations and the Conscience, Section LXXVIII. The Inner Revelation and the Conscience. (Concl'd)

“Faith is the substance (the sure confidence) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” [Heb. xi, 1]; it is not a confidence of that which falls within the immediate scope of experience, but of that which lies beyond it, not of that which already exists in realization but of that which is yet, in virtue of faith, to be realized into fact, though indeed it already exists in germ. The really complete life-communion with God, the full appropriating of the divine, is at first only an object of hope,—can be really brought about only through faith; and faith lays hold, in full confidence of success, upon the divine as lovingly revealing itself to it. Faith stands, therefore, not by the side of knowledge, as if not including this within itself, nor yet below it, as if it were but a lower degree thereof, and would cease with the increase of knowledge, but in fact above it, inasmuch as it is a loving knowing, a lovingly-willed and lovingly-willing knowing of God, so that consequently it includes within itself both feeling and willing as essential constituent elements. Believing leads to knowing, but also precedes actual knowing, and hence is not conditioned thereon.

1871 · A. R. Fausset, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on Hebrews 11.1

Hugo de St. Victor distinguished faith from hope. By faith alone we are sure of eternal things that they ARE: but by hope we are confident that WE SHALL HAVE them. All hope presupposes faith (Ro 8:25).

1889 · Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Sermons, Volume 35 (1889) 2084

When you have them in the grip of faith you have the substance of things hoped for. Faith finds in the promise of God the reality of what she looks for—the promise of God is as good as the performance itself. God's Words—whether of doctrine, of practice, of comfort—are solid metal to the man of God who knows how to put them in the purse of personal faith.

1909 · Handley C. G. Moule, Messages from the Epistle to the Hebrews 8

I presume to think that the margin is preferable as a representation of the first clause in the Greek, and the text as a representation of the second. So I would render (with the one further variation, in view of the Greek, that I dispense with the definite article): "Now faith is a giving of substance to things hoped for, a demonstration of things not seen." And we may paraphrase this rendering somewhat thus: "Faith is that by which the hoped-for becomes to us as if visible and tangible, and by which the unseen is taken and treated as proven in its verity."

1265–1273 · Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, q. 4, a. 1, co.

The relationship of the act of faith to the object of the intellect, considered as the object of faith, is indicated by the words, "evidence of things that appear not," where "evidence" is taken for the result of evidence. For evidence induces the intellect to adhere to a truth, wherefore the firm adhesion of the intellect to the non-apparent truth of faith is called "evidence" here. Hence another reading has "conviction," because to wit, the intellect of the believer is convinced by Divine authority, so as to assent to what it sees not. Accordingly if anyone would reduce the foregoing words to the form of a definition, he may say that "faith is a habit of the mind, whereby eternal life is begun in us, making the intellect assent to what is non-apparent." In this way faith is distinguished from all other things pertaining to the intellect. For when we describe it as "evidence," we distinguish it from opinion, suspicion, and doubt, which do not make the intellect adhere to anything firmly; when we go on to say, "of things that appear not," we distinguish it from science and understanding, the object of which is something apparent; and when we say that it is "the substance of things to be hoped for," we distinguish the virtue of faith from faith commonly so called, which has no reference to the beatitude we hope for. Whatever other definitions are given of faith, are explanations of this one given by the Apostle. For when Augustine says (Tract. xl in Joan.: QQ. Evang. ii, qu. 39) that "faith is a virtue whereby we believe what we do not see," and when Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv, 11) that "faith is an assent without research," and when others say that "faith is that certainty of the mind about absent things which surpasses opinion but falls short of science," these all amount to the same as the Apostle's words: "Evidence of things that appear not"; and when Dionysius says (Div. Nom. vii) that "faith is the solid foundation of the believer, establishing him in the truth, and showing forth the truth in him," comes to the same as "substance of things to be hoped for."

1677 · John Owen, The Reason of Faith 3

Many of them confirmed their testimony with their sufferings, being not only witnesses but martyrs, in the peculiar church notion of that word, grounded on the Scripture, Acts xxii. 20; Rev. ii. 13, xvii. 6. So far were they from any worldly advantage by the profession they made and the testimony they gave, as that in the confirmation of them they willingly and cheerfully underwent whatever is evil, dreadful, or destructive to human nature, in all its temporary concerns. It is, therefore, unquestionable that they had the highest assurance of the truth in these things which the mind of man is capable of. The management of this argument is the principal design of the apostle in the whole 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews; for, having declared the nature of faith in general, namely, that it is the “substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen,” verse 1, — that is, such an assent unto and confidence of invisible things, things capable of no demonstration from sense or reason, as respects divine revelation only, whereinto alone it is resolved, — for our encouragement thereunto and establishment therein, he produceth a long catalogue of those who did, suffered, and obtained great things thereby.

1679 · Thomas Manton, Works, vol. III A Practical Exposition Upon the Firty-third Chapter of Isaiah, The Second Verse

Exercise faith; that is, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1; that is, not seen by natural sense or reason. It is ὄφθαλμος τῆς ψυχῆς,—the eye, the discovering part of the soul. As reason is to a natural man, so is faith to a godly man. It carrieth a man within the veil: what cannot be made out to sense and reason is made out to faith. Ideo credo quia est impossibile, therefore I believe, because it is impossible. Though, in your own thoughts, you would fain have things otherwise, yet, if there be revelation to the contrary, believe it; as that there is happiness in sufferings,—that the reproach of Christ is better than all the treasures of the world, that there is life in death. Faith seeth that easy and plain which is the greatest contradiction to reason and sense. See what a riddle St Paul telleth you by faith: 2 Cor. vi. 9, 10, ‘As unknown, yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.’ Faith maketh us see that in a thing which reason would tell us were the greatest absurdity and inconsistency in the world to believe; as that Abraham should see Christ before he was extant. The Jews were ready to stone Christ for saying so: ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Faith captivates reason to scripture, and maketh a man close with the revelation against his own conceits and prejudices.

1707 · Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book 1: Collected from the Holy Scriptures 120

Faith is the brightest evidence Of things beyond our sight, Breaks thro' the clouds of flesh and sense, And dwells in heavenly light.

c. 1714 · William Tong, Commentary on Hebrews 11.1-3

It is the evidence of things not seen. Faith demonstrates to the eye of the mind the reality of those things that cannot be discerned by the eye of the body. Faith is the firm assent of the soul to the divine revelation and every part of it, and sets to its seal that God is true. It is a full approbation of all that God has revealed as holy, just, and good; it helps the soul to make application of all to itself with suitable affections and endeavours; and so it is designed to serve the believer instead of sight, and to be to the soul all that the senses are to the body. That faith is but opinion or fancy which does not realize invisible things to the soul, and excite the soul to act agreeably to the nature and importance of them.

c. 1714 · Zech. Merrill, Commentary on 1 Peter 1.6-9

The faith of a Christian is properly conversant about things revealed, but not seen. Sense converses with things sensible and present; reason is a higher guide, which by sure deductions can infer the operation of causes, and the certainty of events; but faith ascends further still, and assures us of abundance of particulars that sense and reason could never have found out, upon the credit of revelation; it is the evidence of things not seen.

1834 · Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible: Hebrews 11.1

The idea of "evidence" which goes to demonstrate the thing under consideration, or which is adapted to produce "conviction" in the mind, seems to be the elementary idea in the word. So when a proposition is demonstrated; when a man is arraigned and evidence is furnished of his guilt, or when he establishes his innocence; or when one by argument refutes his adversaries, the idea of "convincing argument" enters into the use of the word in each case. This, I think, is clearly the meaning of the word here. "Faith in the divine declarations answers all the purposes of a convincing argument, or is itself a convincing argument to the mind, of the real existence of those things which are not seen."

1872 · John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions 110

But the wise and gracious Governor of the worlds, both visible and invisible, has prepared a remedy for this defect. He hath appointed faith to supply the defect of sense; to take us up where sense sets us down, and help us over the great gulf. Its office begins where that of sense ends. Sense is an evidence of things that are seen; of the visible, the material world, and the several parts of it. Faith, on the other hand, is the “evidence of things not seen;” of the invisible world; of all those invisible things which are revealed in the oracles of God. But indeed they reveal nothing, they are a mere dead letter, if they are “not mixed with faith in those that hear them.” 5. In particular, faith is an evidence to me of the existence of that unseen thing, my own soul. Without this I should be in utter uncertainty concerning it.

1872 · Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Part III, chapters XV-XX; Part IV, Eschatology) 3.16.2

The next definition is of a different kind. It is founded on the nature of its object. Faith is said to be the persuasion of the truth of things not seen. This is a very old and familiar definition. “Quid est fides,” asks Augustine, “nisi credere quod non vides.” And Lombard says, “Fides est virtus qua creduntur quæ non videntur.” Hence faith is said to be swallowed up in vision; and the one is contrasted with the other; as when the Apostle says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” And in Hebrews, eleventh chapter, all the objects of faith under the aspect in which it is considered in that chapter, are included under the categories of τὰ ἐλπιζόμενα and τὰ οὐ βλεπόμενα, “things hoped for, and things not seen.” The latter includes the former. “We hope,” says the Apostle, “for that we see not.”

1888 · Thomas Charles Edwards, The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews Chapter X. Faith an Assurance and a Proof

The Apostle’s language is a seeming contradiction. Proof is usually supposed to dispense with faith and compel us to accept the inference drawn. He intentionally describes faith as occupying in reference to spiritual realities the place of demonstration. Faith in the unseen is itself a proof that the unseen world exists.

1908 · Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Spurgeon's Sermons, Volume 54 (1908) 3120

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Though the "things" are only "hoped for" and "not seen" at present, the eye of faith can see them and the hand of faith can grasp them! Faith is more mighty than any of our senses, or than all our senses combined!

1669 · William Penn, No Cross, No Crown Chapter VI

But some may say, What is this faith that is so necessary to worship, and gives it such acceptance with God and returns that benefit to men? I say, It is a holy resignation to God, and confidence in him, testified by a religious obedience to his holy requirings, which gives sure evidence to the soul of the things not yet seen, and a general sense and taste of the substance of those things that are hoped for; that is, the glory which is to be revealed hereafter. As this faith is the gift of God, so it purifies the hearts of those that receive it.

1823 · Robert South, Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Volume 5 17

Where upon, in Hebrews xi. 1, faith is, both with great elegance and significance, styled the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. That is, when we really believe the certain event of any good, though it be indeed future, yet it has as strong an influence to move the soul, as if it were actually present; and though it be indeed invisible, yet it does as really affect a man’s desires, as if it were placed before his eyes. So that those heroical conquests obtained by the saints over the Devil and the world, and there so fully described by the apostle, are all attributed to the strength of their faith in the promises; as, that they had seen the promises afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, in the thirteenth verse. And particularly that glorious triumph that Moses made over the proffer of all the grandeur of a court and kingdom, is solely ascribed to the mighty efficacy of the same faith, as the only thing that could enable him to have respect to the recompence of reward, in the twenty-sixth verse, and even to see him who was invisible, in the twenty-seventh verse.

1830 · Philaret of Moscow, The Longer Catechism of the Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church intro.6

What is faith? According to the definition of St. Paul, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. xi. 1); that is, a trust in the unseen as though it were seen, in that which is hoped and waited for as if it were present.

1838 · John Henry Newman, Lectures on the Doctrine of Justification Lecture 11. The Nature of Justifying Faith

Religious faith is "the substance," or the realizing of what as yet is not here, but only "hoped for;" it is the making present what is future. Again: it is "the evidence" of what is not seen, that is, the ground or medium of proof, on or through which the unseen is accepted as really existing. In the way of nature, we ascertain the things around and before us, by sight; and things which are to be, by reason; but faith is our informant about things present which we do not see, and things future which we cannot forecast. And as sight contemplates form and colour, and reason the processes of argument, so faith rests on the divine word as the token and criterion of truth. And as the mind trusts to sense and reason, by a natural instinct, which it freely uses prior to experience, so in a parallel way, a moral instinct, independent of experience, is its impelling and assuring principle in assenting to revelation as divine. By faith then is meant the mind's perception or apprehension of heavenly things, arising from an instinctive trust in the divinity or truth of the external word, informing it concerning them.

1872 · Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Part III, chapters XV-XX; Part IV, Eschatology) 3.16.2

The Apostle declares, Hebrews xi. 1, faith to be an ὑπόστασις and ἐλεγχος, than which no stronger terms could be selected to express assured conviction. The power, also, which the Bible attributes to faith as the controlling principle of life, as overcoming the world, subduing kingdoms, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching the violence of fire, turning to flight the armies of the aliens, is proof enough that it is no weak persuasion of the truth. That definition, therefore, which makes the characteristic of faith to be a measure of confidence greater than opinion, but less than knowledge, cannot be deemed satisfactory. A second definition of faith, founded on its nature, is that which makes it “a voluntary conviction or persuasion of the truth.” This is a very old view of the matter. According to Theodoret, πίστις ἐστὶν ἑκούσιος τῆς ψυχῆς συγκατάθειτις, i.e., “a voluntary assent of the mind.” And Thomas Aquinas says, “Credere est actus intellectus assentientis veritati divinæ ex imperio voluntatis a Deo motæ per gratiam.”

1911 · James Denney, The Death of Christ 4

Although faith is not defined in the epistle directly by relation to Christ, it is nevertheless faith which saves (10:22, 38 f., 13:7), and the well-known description or definition in the eleventh chapter can easily be applied in the Christian religion. Faith is there said to be the assurance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen (11:1). It is to the invisible world what sight is to the visible; it is the means of realizing it, so that its powers and motives enter into the life of men, and enable them after patient endurance and fulfillment of God’s will to inherit the promises.

1949 · Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology 4.8

The knowledge of faith should not be regarded as less certain than other knowledge. Our Heidelberg Catechism assures us that true faith is among other things also "a certain (sure, incontestable) knowledge." This is in harmony with Heb. 11:1, which speaks of it as "the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen" It makes future and unseen things subjectively real and certain for the believer. The knowledge of faith is mediated for, and imparted to, us by the testimony of God in His Word, and is accepted by us as certain and reliable on the basis of the veracity of God. The certainty of this knowledge has its warrant in God Himself, and consequently nothing can be more certain.