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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Here is a fascinating example of the vast difference in meaning between a
Hebrew word for faith in the Old Testament in Deut. 32:20, Strong’s
Concordance # 529 "aymoon" meaning "faithful, true, trustworthy", and
the Greek New Testament word for faith, "Pistis" Strong’s Concordance
#4102, which can mean “persuasion”, “conviction” or reliance upon
someone or something. If I tell you to fall backwards, and I will catch
you, then, if you believe me, and trust me, and have faith in me, then you
will fall in a relaxed manner, and not try to catch yourself, because you
are relying upon me to catch you.

If we look at Deut. 32:19-22 we will see that it is the first occurrence of
the word “faith” in the Old testament, as well as the first mention of
“sheol” (hell), and also mentions fire. But there is no connection between
the fire and the hell. And the mention of faith is in the NEGATIVE, that the
people are NOT faithful.

Jehovah saw it, and abhorred them,
Because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
20And he said, I will hide my face from them,
I will see what their end shall be:
For they are a very perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faithfulness.
21They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God;
They have provoked me to anger with their vanities:
And I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
22For a fire is kindled in mine anger,
And burneth unto the lowest Sheol,
And devoureth the earth with its increase,
And setteth on fire the foundations of the mountains.

The Hebrew "aymoon" really means trustworthiness or faithfulness with
regard to some promise or contractual agreement (testament). This word
appears only twice in all of the Old Testament. The first appearance is in
Deuteronomy 32:20, and again in Habakkuk, in the famous verse which
Martin Luther of the 16th century Reformation bases his doctrine of
salvation by faith alone (sola fides).

Martin Luther, who started the Protestant Reformation, based his entire
theology of Salvation by Faith Alone (Sola Fides) on the second and final
appearance of the word “aymoon” in Habakkuk Ch.3 “For the just man
shall be saved by faith”. If faith were really so important, one would
expect more mention of Faith in the Old Testament. There are 29 verses
in the Gospels with the word “faith”. The Epistles have an astounding 214
verses with the Greek word “Pistis”. The Hebrew word for “faith”,
“aymoon” does not mean the same as the New Testament Greek word for
Faith, “Pistis”. The most famous Christian definition of Pistis-Faith is in
Paul's Epistle Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen." We see an enormous difference between
the Hebrew aymoon (trustworthiness in contractual agreements) and pistis
as trusting or believing in the unseen. The modern day Christian concept
of Faith seems to be something that slowly evolved from ancient times
and was hammered into its present shape and meaning as a rhetorical
device by St. Paul in the Epistles. There is still, in the Epistles, in the
Epistle of St. James, a glaring conflict between faith and works which
annoyed Martin Luther. James wrote, “Show my your faith without works,
and I will show you my faith through my works” and “faith without works
(deeds) is dead.”

Even as late as the 7th century, St. Maximos writes, "Do not say that you
are the temple of the Lord, writes Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 7:4); nor should you
say that faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ can save you, for this is
impossible unless you also acquire love for Him through your works. As
for faith by itself, 'the devils also believe, and tremble' (Jas. 2:19) St.
Maximos the Confessor, First Century of Love, Philokalia, text 39 circa
626 AD. Obviously the faith which the demons and devils display is not
sufficient to save them.

If I promise to give you a sum of money at some future date, and you
trust me and have faith in my word and character, then you will believe
that when that date arrives, I shall give you that exact sum of money.
But, your trust, faith and belief has nothing to do with the existence of
something invisible or unseen or unknown. You know that I exist. You
know the money exists, you know the date will arrive. You know that I
promised you perhaps because I put my promise in writing. Actually you
believe me and trust me precisely because I am faithful (aymoon) to my
promise. Furthermore, your faith and belief involves nothing supernatural
or miraculous.

We may also count as a 3rd mention of faith, the verse which says,
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”
(Romans 4:3, quoting from Gen. 15:6). Here, Abraham’s faith or believe
in the unseen fulfillment of God’s promise is counted in ADDITION to
Abraham’s righteous works, and not in PLACE of works.

Martin Luther was looking at Romans 1:17
"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is
written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.""

Which is Paul quoting from Habakkuk 2:4

"Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the
righteous will live by his faith."

If we examine the Greek Septuagint translation of Habakkuk, Ch. 2 verse
4, we find a difference from the King James translation from the Hebrew
Masoretic text:

Septuagint Habakkuk 2:4 If he should draw back, my soul has no
pleasure in him: but the just shall live by MY faith. But the arrogant man
and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything.

KJV from Masoretic Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by HIS faith.

The Septuagint passage is speaking of the necessity of WORKS, of
following through on what is to be done, and not drawing back. And he
who follows through shall live because of God’s faithfulness to God’s
covenant or agreement, that if a man DOES certain works, then God will
cause him to thrive. Yet, the Septuagint word for faith is our old friend
“pistis” from the New Testament.

The KJV speaks of the righteous man’s faith, not God’s faithfulness.

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