Hebrews 11:3

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 11:3-6

The Foundations of Faith In The Antedeluvian World (Hebrews 11:3-6 ). Faith is seen as giving us an understanding of the world as it is, and why it is as it is. Faith says it is like it is because God created it and is its invisible basis, and because God has revealed it to be so through His prophet. It also enables us to recognise that whether men die through persecution (Abel), or are translated without dying (Enoch), they share the same hope. Here the writer establishes the foundations. read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 11:1-3

Hebrews 11:1 f. The chapter opens with a definition of faith as the “ assurance” whereby we lay hold of things still in the future, and the proving”— i.e. the inward certainty which is stronger than any outward proof— of things which lie beyond the evidence of the senses. Thus faith enables us on the one hand to believe in a salvation yet to come; and on the other hand, to apprehend a higher world, of which this visible world of change is only the shadow. For Paul the object of faith is the... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Hebrews 11:3

This proves the second part of faith’s description, Hebrews 11:1, that it is the evidence of things not seen; for by it only we understand the creation, which no eye saw. It is the same Divine faith as described before, but as evidencing invisible truths, it communicates a marvellous light to the understanding, and leaves real impressions of it from the word of God, whereby it arriveth unto a most certain knowledge of what is above the power of natural reason to convey, and gives a divine... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Hebrews 11:1-3

ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH AS A PRACTICAL POWER IN LIFECRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTESTHIS chapter contains a series of illustrations, taken from the heroic ages of Hebrew history, of the nature and influence of faith in God. The writer desires to show that faith makes a motive and inspiration for daily life and conduct as sufficient and as satisfactory as distant announcements and demonstrative proofs. In impressing the temporary character of the Mosaic religious system, the writer is careful to... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - Hebrews 11:1-7

Hebrews 11:1-7 Abel, Enoch, Noah. Before the flood and the Abrahamic covenant God had a people on earth who lived by faith. Abel, the first martyr, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, and Noah, the preacher of righteousness, are the three witnesses of the period whose lives are recorded. I. Abel, the first man who had to descend into the grave, was carried through it on the arms of redeeming love. Abel, believing the word, approached God through the bitter sacrifice. Every one who believes in Jesus... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 11:3 Faith in God the Creator. I. Reason cannot ascend from nature to nature's God. The most comprehensive observation of things seen, and of which we can take cognisance, and the most minute analysis of things with the most remote and simple elements, leave the question of creation or the origin of things perfectly untouched and unapproached. The step from matter to mind, from things which appear to that which is the cause, spring, origin of all, is one which reason cannot take. God... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Hebrews 11:1-40

Hebrews, chapter 11:Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ( Hebrews 11:1 ).This is not so much a definition of faith as it is the declaration of what faith does. It is the substance of things that are hoped for. And the word substance there has been translated in the new versions the substantiating of the things that we hope for. And the evidence, that word has been translated conviction of the things not seen. I'm convicted of truths, though I may not... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Hebrews 11:1-40

Hebrews 11:1 . Now faith is the substance of things hoped for. Paul uses here the same Greek word as in Hebrews 1:3, that the Son is the express image of the Father’s hypostasis, or person. Then faith identifies itself with its object. All the ideas embraced by faith subsist in God: they are all realities, as the existence of deity is a reality. Faith is therefore the evidence of things invisible, the strong argument or demonstration. Hebrews 11:2 . By it the elders obtained a good... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 11:3The worlds were framed by the word of GodSpirit in matter:The whole order of the natural world and man’s physical being may be said to be the expression of chemical combination, and of the various forces resulting therefrom.The whole is presented to us, after scientific examination, as a most elaborate and exquisite piece of mechanism. Some would also explain man’s mental and moral life as only a higher development of this same mechanism. To prevent misunderstanding, I may state... read more

John Trapp

John Trapp Complete Commentary - Hebrews 11:3

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Ver. 3. Through faith we understand ] It is the nature of faith to believe God upon his bare word, and that against sense in things invisible, and against reason in things incredible. Sense corrects imagination, reason corrects sense, but faith corrects both. Aufer argumenta ubi fides quaeritur. Verba philosophorum excludit simplex veritas... read more

Group of Brands