Faith — Meaning in the Bible

Trust in God, believing what he says and relying on him. In the Bible faith is shown in action: Abraham leaves home, Hebrews 11 lists people who acted by faith.

Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition

What it means

Faith means trusting God and his promises. Abraham believed God, and Hebrews describes faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Genesis 15:6 Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 11:6

Jesus praises faith in people who come to him for help, and Paul teaches that salvation comes through faith. James insists that real faith shows itself in actions. Mark 5:34 Luke 7:9 Romans 1:16–17 James 2:17

Key passages

Genesis 15:1–6 — Abraham believes God.
Habakkuk 2:4 — "The righteous will live by his faith."
Mark 5:25–34 — "Your faith has made you well."
Romans 4:18–21 — Abraham's trust in God's promise.
Hebrews 11:1–40 — Examples of faith.
James 2:14–26 — Faith and works.

Different senses

Trust: Relying on God and his promises. Hebrews 11:8
Faithfulness: Being reliable and loyal; the same word family can mean this. Lamentations 3:22–23 Galatians 5:22
The faith: What Christians believe together. Jude 3

Original language

אֱמוּנָה e.mu.nah

Hebrew · Strong’s H530 · gloss: “faithfulness”

A Hebrew word for faithfulness, used in Habakkuk 2:4. Habakkuk 2:4 Lamentations 3:23

πίστις pistis

Greek · Strong’s G4102 · gloss: “faith”

The Greek word for faith, trust or faithfulness. Hebrews 11:1 Romans 1:17

A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

How translations differ

In Galatians 5:22 the same Greek word is translated "faith" in some versions and "faithfulness" in others. Galatians 5:22

For children

Faith means trusting God. Abraham trusted God and left his home to go where God would show him. Genesis 12:1–4 Hebrews 11:8

Abraham's Journey

Study further

Genesis 12:1–4 Abraham sets out.
Mark 5:21–43 Faith in Jesus' power.
Hebrews 11:1–16 What faith is.
James 2:14–26 Faith that acts.