Hello All,

In class on the 11/12/06, the following question arose:  What is the difference between faith and hope? Particularly as applied in Hebrews 11:1, which I cite from the ESV:

“Now faith [“pistis”] is the assurance of things hoped [“elpizo”] for, the conviction of things not seen.” [ESV].

The primary authoritative lexicon to define words in the New Testament is the Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature.  From this text are the following definitions:

1.  Hope (“elpis”):  1) the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment, 2) that which is the basis of fulfillment, and 3) that for which one hopes. 

2.  Faith (“pistis”):  1) that which evokes trust and faith, 2) state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, 3) that which is believed.

3.  Expected (“elpizo”): 1) to look forward to something with implication of confidence about something coming to pass, to hope 2) to look forward to something in view of the measures one takes to ensure fulfillment, to expect.

In class, I made the argument that faith, hope, and love were three separate and distinct spiritual gifts [1 Cor 13:13], which are given to every member of the body of Christ.  I still hold this view.  In short, the word for hope, “elpis,” does not appear in Hebrews 11:1 at all.  So, I think a better translation of Hebrews 11:1 is something along the lines of:

“Now faith is continuous expectation/anticipation, the certainty of the ongoing, invisible practices not being seen.”

The idea, which serves as the thesis to the entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is that faith is the idea of continuous anticipation/expectation that God is working invisibly on your behalf in real time.  In other words, faith is the belief that there are things going on right now, which you cannot see, but you choose to believe are happening with certainty.  In contrast, hope is the expectation of something to happen at some appointed time in the future, but not presently occurring.

The translation of “elpizo” as hope in Hebrews 11:1 is likely inaccurate, since the whole of Hebrews 11:1 examines faithful obedience in real time with real time consequences.  God is working real time salvation in the various examples cited: Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, etc.  So, the idea in Hebrews 11 is that the believer ought to put his/her faith in God and anticipate with certainty that God is working invisibly on his/her salvation in real time.

I don’t know if this is helpful or not, but I pray it is in terms of understanding Hebrews 11:1, as well as the rest of Hebrews 11.

In Christ, Marty