Questions From Readers
● How is Hebrews 11:1 to be understood? Does it mean that faith is the evident demonstration of unseen realities, or that faith is based on such evident demonstration of unseen realities, or is the verse to be understood in some other way?—J. L., Denmark.
The scripture here referred to reads: “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.”—Heb. 11:1.
Evidently the rendering of the Greek word elenkhos into English as “the evident demonstration” is what raises the question as to the meaning of the text. The way a Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott of a 1948 reprint renders this Greek word is: “argument of disproof or refutation, cross-examining, testing, scrutiny and also evidence for conviction.” In connection with this latter signification it refers us to Hebrews 11:1.
The New World Translation rendering is literal, not adding any words that the translator might deem necessary to complete or enlarge on the thought. Hence it is the apostle Paul himself who says that faith is the evident demonstration, or the evidence for conviction, concerning unseen realities. In other words, the evident demonstration, or evidence for conviction, is so positive or powerful that faith is said to be it.
Faith is not based on unseen realities. There has to be an evident demonstration, or evidence for conviction, concerning unseen realities in order for faith to exist. If one does not have any evidence or evident demonstration of the existence of unseen things, how can he put faith in such unseen things, the existence of which he would not be aware of? Therefore, it would be wrong to read this verse as if it said: ‘Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, though the evident demonstration of realities is not beheld.’ Why so? Because if one does not behold the evident demonstration of realities, how can he know of such realities or have the assuring conviction concerning their existence? In the Greek text the expression “though not beheld” applies to or modifies “realities.” The expression “though not beheld” does not apply to “evident demonstration.” Since the “realities” are invisible to our human eyes, we have to have an evident demonstration of them in order to have faith built up in us as to the existence of such unseen realities.
Consequently, what the writer of Hebrews 11:1 is saying is that faith is the equivalent of the “evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” The one who has faith is convinced by this evident demonstration, and for this reason he does not have to see the realities themselves. He therefore acts in harmony with the existence of those realities, although he has not yet seen them. Nevertheless, he is not acting blindly, because by his mental perception and heart appreciation he has an evident demonstration that proves to him the actuality of the real things that have not been beheld by him.