Faith Chapter

Text and Content

Hebrews 11 is called the Faith Chapter because it presents, one after another, examples of the faith of Old Testament figures. Verse 1 defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). Verse 2 says that the people of old, called "the elders" in the KJV and "forerunners" (seonjindeul) in the New Korean Revised Version, "obtained a good report" by this faith. Verse 3 says that through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, and verse 6 states that "without faith it is impossible to please him."

The chapter then recounts a series of episodes, repeating the phrase "by faith." The people and events mentioned are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and his parents, the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea, the fallen walls of Jericho, and Rahab. From verse 32 onward, the writer merely names Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The chapter then briefly describes those who triumphed through faith and those who suffered and were put to death (Hebrews 11:33–38). The closing verses, 39–40, state that these people did not receive what was promised, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

Background

The author of Hebrews is not named in the text. The latter part of chapter 10 urges readers not to abandon their faith amid suffering and quotes Habakkuk 2:4, "the just shall live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38). Chapter 11 reinforces this exhortation with concrete examples. Hebrews 12:1 calls these figures "so great a cloud of witnesses" and goes on to exhort readers to "run with patience the race that is set before us."

The Greek word for "faith" is pistis, which conveys both trust and faithfulness. Hypostasis, rendered "substance" in verse 1, can be understood as reality, assurance, or guarantee. For this reason, the wording of the verse varies among Bible translations.

Significance in the Wider Canon

The practice of treating Old Testament figures as examples of faith appears elsewhere in the New Testament as well. In Romans 4 and Galatians 3, Paul presents Abraham as one who was justified by faith. James 2:21–25 presents Abraham and Rahab as people who demonstrated their faith through works. Hebrews 11 portrays faith as a life of endurance that looks toward promises not yet seen (Hebrews 11:13–16), and it presents Jesus Christ as the one who brings that faith to completion, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

Interpretation and Debated Points

• Emphasis in the concept of faith: The discussion of justification in the Pauline epistles treats faith as the means by which one is declared righteous. By contrast, some scholars observe that Hebrews places its emphasis on perseverance and hope. Many interpreters regard the two as complementary emphases.
• Flawed figures: The list includes people with evident moral failings, such as Rahab, Samson, and Jephthah. A widely held interpretation is that the chapter commends the faith shown at a particular moment rather than the person's life as a whole.
• Extrabiblical traditions: The phrase "they were sawn asunder" in verse 37 is often connected with the Jewish tradition that Isaiah the prophet was killed by being sawn in two. The reference to torture in verse 35 is often linked to the martyrdom accounts of 2 Maccabees, which Protestants regard as part of the Apocrypha and the Catholic Church regards as deuterocanonical. In neither case, however, does the text name the individuals.
• Creation debate: Verse 3 is frequently cited in discussions of creation and evolution.

In the Korean Church

Together with the Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13) and the Resurrection Chapter (1 Corinthians 15), it is among the chapters most widely known by a nickname. Verses 1 and 6 are commonly chosen for Scripture memorization. The expression mideumui seonjin ("forerunners of faith"), used of earlier generations who set an example of faith, derives from the New Korean Revised Version's wording of verse 2 and is frequently heard in sermons and prayers.