CHIASM AND THE CONCEPT
OF FAITH IN HEBREWS 11
Victor Rhee
In
his book Der Glaube im Hebraerbrief Erich Grasser
ar-
gues that in Hebrews
faith is not directed to Christ in any way.1
Grasser
believes that faith in Hebrews is seen ethically, as stead-
fastness
only, and not soteriologically.2 However, a careful exe-
gesis of Hebrews 11
shows that faith in this epistle is as Christo-
logically
oriented (i.e., it has Christ as the object of faith) as it is
in
the Pauline Epistles, even though it is not expressed in terms of
"faith
in Christ." The chiastic structure of Hebrews 11 supports
this
contention.
GENERAL DISCUSSION OF CHIASM
Many
biblical scholars have come to recognize the presence and
importance
of chiastic structures in the interpretation of certain
passages
in the Bible.3 This seems to be especially true of the Book
of
Hebrews. The term "chiasm" derives from the verb xia<zw,
which
means "to mark with two lines crossing like a x
(chi)."4
The
term xiasmo<j
denotes a "placing crosswise, diagonal ar-
Victor
(Sung Yul) Rhee is Assistant Professor of New
Testament Language and
Literature,
Talbot
1
Erich
Grasser, Der Glaube im Hebrderbrief (Marburg: Elwert, 1965), 65–66, 79,
2 Ibid., 63.
3 Some major studies
on New Testament chiasms are Nils W. Lund, Chiasmus
in
the New
Testament: A Study in the Form and Function of Chiastic Structures
(
Hendrickson,
1992); Donald R. Miesner, "Chiasmus and the
Composition and Mes-
sage
of Paul's Missionary Sermons" (S.T.D. diss., Lutheran School of Theology
at
ses, Exegesis (Hildesheirn:
Gerstenberg, 1981).
4 Henry George
Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English
Lexicon: A New Edi-
tion Revised and Augmented Throughout with Supplement, rev. and
augmented by
Henry
Stuart Jones and Roderick McKenzie, 9th ed. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1968),
1991.
328 BIBLOTHECA
SACRA / July—September 1998
rangement, especially of
the clauses of a period, so that the first
corresponds
with the fourth, and the second with the third."5 This
term
is used "in rhetoric to designate an inversion of the order of
words
or phrases which are repeated or subsequently referred to
in
the sentence.”6
A survey of the literature on chiasm
indicates, however, that
use
of the word "chiasm" is not limited to the parallelism of words
or
phrases; it is also used to refer to an inversion of ideas or con-
cepts in a broad
sense. Understanding "chiasm" in this sense,
many
scholars in recent years claim they have found chiasms in
many
parts of the Bible. For example Blomberg believes
that 2
Corinthians
1:12-7:16 is written chiastically at the conceptual
level,7
and McClister says Matthew 17:22-20:19 is chiastically
arranged.8
Moreover, some scholars suggest the
entire Book of Hebrews
was
written chiastically. For example Vanhoye,
divides the book
into
five major parts, excluding the introduction and conclusion,
as
follows:9
A. Eschatology (1:5-2:18)
B. Ecclesiology
(3:1-5:10)
C. Sacrifice (5:11-10:39)
B’. Ecclesiology
(11:1-12:13)
A. Eschatology (12:14-13:19)
In this article the term
"chiasm'' is used both macroscopically
(i.e.,
of ideas and concepts) and microscopically (i.e., of words
and
phrases) in identifying chiasms in Hebrews 11:1-40.
5
Ibid.
6
7 Craig Blomberg, "The Structure of 2 Corinthians 1–7," Criswell Theological Re-
view 4 (1989): 8–9.
8 David McClister, "Where Two or Three are Gathered
Together'": Literary
Structure
as a Key to Meaning in Matt 17:22-20:19," Journal of the Evangelical
Theological
Society
39 (1996): 550. Others who apply the term "chiasm" conceptually
include
A. Boyd Luter and Michelle V. Lee, "Philippians
as Chiasmus: Key to the
Structure,
Unity and Theme Question," New
Testament Studies 41 (1995): 89–101;
and
Ian H. Thomson, Chiasmus in the Pauline
Letters, Journal for the Study of the
New
Testament Supplement Series 111 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1995), 46–
232.
Thomson says the following passages are arranged chiastically:
Romans 5:12-
21;
Galatians 5:13–6:2; Ephesians 1:3–14; 2:11–22; and Colossians 2:6-19.
9 Albert Vanhoye, La Structure
litteraire de L'Epitre aux Hebreux (
clee de Brouwer, 1963), 59, 240-42. According to Vanhoye, the center of the entire
Book
of Hebrews is in 9:11–14 (ibid., 237). Welch also believes Hebrews is chiasti-
cally arranged.
However, he suggests that the center of the book is 8:1–2 (John W.
Welch,
"Chiasmus in the New Testament," in Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures,
Analysis,
Exegesis,
220).
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith
in Hebrews 11 329
Why were chiasms used in the Bible? Miesner suggests four
functions
of a chiastic structure: to promote memory, to elaborate
the
literary beauty, to clarify meaning, and to aid in recovering
the
original word.10 For the purpose of this study in Hebrews 11,
clarifying
meaning is the most important reason the author of
Hebrews
employed chiasm. This literary device is more than
artistry
to impress readers; it is a means toward more effectively
communicating
the message.11
Scholars generally agree that the main
idea (or the central
point)
is in the middle of a chiasm, with the other thoughts revolv-
ing around the center. The center
section is important for these
reasons:
the center is always where the turning point takes place;
there
is often a shift of thought at the center, after which the origi-
nal trend of thought is continued to
the end of the section; and in
many
instances identical ideas that occur at the center are dis-
tributed in the
extremes.12 Thus in a chiastic structure the main
emphasis
of the passage is likely to be in the center section. In
Hebrews
important words or phrases such as God, Christ, holding
fast
to one's confidence, or facts about eschatology are placed in
the
center section of many passages in the book. Detecting these
points
in the centers of chiasms helps support the view that faith in
Hebrews
is both Christologically and eschatologicaily
oriented.
HOW CHIASM WAS USED IN HEBREWS 11
TO CLARIFY THE CONCEPT OF FAITH
The
chiastic arrangement of Hebrews 11 may be illustrated as
follows.13
A.
Introduction (11:1—3)
B . Abel's example of suffering on
account of faith (11:4)
C. Enoch's example of
triumph through faith (11:5)
D. Principle of
faith: Impossible to please God without
faith (11:6)
10 Miesner, "Chiasmus and the Composition and Message of
Paul's Missionary
Sermons,"
444-49; also see Ronald E. Man, "The Value of Chiasm for New Testament
Interpretation,"
Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (April-June
1984): 148-54.
11 Man, "The
Value of Chiasm for New Testament Interpretation," 154,
12
13 To the best of
this writer's knowledge, no one has yet proposed a chiastic struc-
ture for Hebrews 11.
Vanhoye rightly points out that 11:13-16 is the
center of 11:8-
22 (Vanhoye, La Structure
littgraire de L'Epitre mix Hebreux, 189). Lane also rec-
ognizes that this
section is the center of 11:8-22 (
Word
Biblical Commentary [
finds
that 11:13-16 is the center of the entire chiasm of Hebrews 11:1-40. The author
of
Hebrews seems to have had a broader context in mind.
330
BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July-September 1998
E. Example of faith seen through Noah
(11:7)
F. Abraham's faith (11:8-10)
G. Sarah's conception
of Isaac by faith
(11:11-12)
H.
Middle section: Interim comment
(11:13-16)
G'. Abraham's
offering up of Isaac by faith
(11:17-19)
F'. Faith of Isaac, Jacob,
and Joseph (11:20-22)
E'. Examples of faith seen in the
Mosaic era
(11:23-29)
D'. Examples of faith in conquering
C'. Examples of those who triumphed
through faith (11:32-
35a)
B'. Examples of others who suffered on
account of faith (11:35b-
38)
A’.
Conclusion (11:39-40)
MIDDLE
SECTION: INTERIM COMMENT (11:13-16, "H")14
This
middle section of Hebrews 11 has troubled scholars. For ex-
ample
Moxnes states, "The insertion of the author's
own com-
ments in 11:13–16
makes it more difficult to see the structure of
the
underlying source,"15 and Michel asserts that 11:13–16 is an
editorial
insertion.16 However, this difficulty is resolved when
one
realizes that the author placed it intentionally at the center of
the
chiasm for a rhetorical purpose.17
Basis
for the center of the chiasm. Verses 13–16 are consid-
ered the center of
the chiasm in Hebrews 11 because of the author's
use
of "all these" (ou$toi pa<ntej) in verse 13. Swetnam argues that
the
phrase refers only to those individuals mentioned in verses
8–12
(viz., Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob) because Enoch is
exempted
from those who died (v. 5).18 Attridge
also says that
those
who "died in faith" (v. 13) refers primarily to the patriarchs
14 Since the main
point is usually in the center section of the chiastic structure,
it
seems appropriate to begin the exegesis of the chapter with the center point
(11:13-16).
Then each corresponding section of the proposed chiasm will be ana-
lyzed to ascertain
what aspect of faith is emphasized.
16 H. Moxnes, God and His
Promise to Abraham, Theology in Conflict, Novum
Testamentum Supplements 53
(Leiden: Brill, 1980), 178.
16 Otto Michel, Der Brief an die Hebraer
(Gottingen: Vanderhoeck & Ruprecht,
1984), 401.
17 This middle
section is also arranged chiastically, as are many of
the sections in
this
chapter. Most of the findings on chiasmus at the microscopic level are omitted
here
because of space limitations. For details see Victor (Sung Yul)
Rhee, "The
Concept
of Faith in the Overall Context of the Book of Hebrews" (Ph.D. diss.,
Theological
Seminary, 1996), 205-52.
18 James Swetnam, Jesus and
Isaac: A Study of the Epistle to the Hebrews in
Light of the Aqedah, Analecta Biblica 94 (Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1981), 91.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 331
(Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob), although he acknowledges that it
may
refer to all the exemplars of faith mentioned in verses 4–
12.19
The solutions proposed by these scholars are legitimate be-
cause
the language of sojourning and looking forward in verses
13–16
clearly parallels verses 9–10. However, it seems that "all
these"
is broad enough to include all the exemplars of faith men-
tioned, not only in
verses 4–12, but also in verses 17–38.
What evidence supports this
suggestion? First, the author's
interchangeable
use of the present tense and the aorist tense (ei]sin
in
v. 13; e]mfani<zousin and e]pizhtou?sin in v. 14; o]re<gontai and
e]paisxu<netai
in v. 16) suggests that "all these" may encompass
more
than those individuals mentioned in verses 8–12. The au-
thor seems to have
chosen the present tenses to identify the readers
with
the patriarchs. This observation opens up the possibility that
ou$toi pa<ntej should not be
limited to those in the immediate con-
text;
it may include all the heroes of faith in chapter 11.
Second, "all these" may
refer to all the faith heroes in chapter
11
because of the emphasis on God's promises in the chapter.
Verses
13–16 emphasize not death, but the promises of God. In
other
words the author's main concern in the middle section was
to
show that the Old Testament characters died while anticipating
God's
promises by faith.20 This theme is also seen in the introduc-
tion (vv. 1–3) and
the conclusion (vv. 39–40). In both passages the
emphasis
is that those whose faith was in the Lord had not yet re-
ceived His promise.
The references to "the men of old" (oi[
presbu<teroi) in the
introduction (v. 2), "all these" (ou$toi pa<ntej)
in
the center section (v. 13), and "all these" (ou$toi pa<ntej) in the
conclusion
(v. 39) refer to all the Old Testament exemplars of
faith
mentioned in this chapter.
Aspects
of faith in the center of the chiasm. at aspects of
faith
are emphasized in verses 13-16? First, it seems clear that
faith
has a future orientation. "Without having received the
promises"
(v. 13), "having seen them [God's promises] and hav-
ing welcomed them from a
distance" (v. 13) "seeking a country
[patri<da, ‘homeland’] of
their own" (v. 14) "reaching out for a
better
place" (lit. trans., v. 16), "He has prepared a city for them"
(v.
16)—all these expressions indicate that their faith had a for-
ward-looking
eschatological outlook. Second, the change from
19 Harold W. Attridge, The Epistle
to the Hebrews, Hermeneia (
Fortress,
1989), 329. Attridge also recognizes the problem of
including all the indi-
viduals in verses 4-12
because of Enoch, who did not taste physical death.
20 Paul Ellingworth, The
Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek
Text, New
International Greek Testament Commentary (
1993),
593.
332 BIBLIOTHECA
SACRA / July-September 1998
the
aorist to the present tense in verses 13 and 16—from a]pe<qanon
to
ei]sin (v. 13) and
from o]re<gontai and e]paisxu<netai to h[toi<masen
(v.
16)—indicates that faith in Hebrews also has a present aspect.
This
tension between the present and the future can also be found
in
other parts of the Book of Hebrews. For example God has
already
crowned Jesus with honor and glory (2:9); yet He is wait-
ing until His enemies will be made a
footstool for His feet (10:13).
Although
believers are entering rest at the present time (4:3), a
rest
still remains for the future (4:1, 6, 9).21
EXAMINATION
OF 11:11-12 ("G") AND 11:17-19 (G"")
Basis for the
chiasm.
These sections are in the context of the ex-
emplars of faith in the
patriarchal period. Verses 11–12 and 17–19
relate
to each other by the references to Isaac and by mention of the
offspring
(spe<rmatoj, v. 11; ]Isaa>k, v. 17) and
power (du<namin, v.
11;
dunato>j,
v. 19). Sarah's faith related to the birth of Isaac, and
Abraham's
faith to the sacrifice of Isaac.
Aspects
of faith. These parallel passages emphasize stead-
fastness
of faith while waiting for the fulfillment of God's
promises.
Verses 11–12 show Sarah's steadfastness of faith in
light
of God's promise that He would provide a son for Abraham.
The
forward-looking aspect is certainly present in this passage,
but
the emphasis is on Sarah's trust in God's ability to bring about
conception,
even when she was barren. Verses 17–19 speak of
Abraham's
steadfastness of faith, specifically when faced with
the
command to offer up his son. As in the case of Sarah, Abra-
ham's
faith was also firmly based on God's promises. Abraham's
dramatic
act of offering up his son was based on believing in
God's
promise that Isaac would be the heir of the promise.
Both sections also emphasize the
concept of resurrection from
the
dead. In section G this thought is implied in bringing back
Abraham's
physical deadness. In section G' this idea is more
explicitly
stated by the fact that God is able to raise up Isaac. The
author's
use of parabol^?
(v. 19) seems to suggest that the reference
to
raising people "from the dead" encompasses more than
bringing
Isaac back to life. Ellingworth notes that there is
no ref-
erence to the
resurrection of Abraham or Isaac in the Old. Testa-
ment or other
pre-Christian sources.22 This observation leads one
21 For a detailed discussion
of the present and the future aspects of eschatology
in
Hebrews, see C. K. Barrett, "The Eschatology of the Epistle to the
Hebrews," in
The Background
of the New Testament and Its Eschatology: Essays in Honor of
Charles Harold
Dodd,
ed. W. 11 Davies and D. Daube (
versity Press, 1954),
363-93; and George Eldon Ladd, Theology
of the New Testa-
ment (Grand Rapids: Eerdrnans,
1974), 572-77.
22 Ellingworth, The
Epistle to the Hebrews, 602.
Chasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 333
to
consider that the idea of resurrection stems from the author's
reflection
on the Old Testament passage (Gen. 22) in light of new
revelation
in the New Testament period. Thus it seems reason-
able
to assert that Abraham's receiving back Isaac pictures the be-
lievers' yet-future
resurrection.
Moreover, the author's use of
"only begotten son" (to>n mono-
gen^?, v. 17) seems to suggest that
the reference to Isaac's coming
back
to life may depict the resurrection of Christ. Thus it is quite
possible
that the author had in mind the Christological implica-
tion of faith. As
examples of faith, Sarah and Abraham illustrate
the
forward-looking aspect of Old Testament faith. In this sense
faith
in chapter 11 is eschatologically oriented. However,
one
should
keep in mind that this future-oriented faith is inevitably
related
to Christology, as will be explained later.
EXAMINATION
OF 11:8—10 ("F") AND 11:20—22 (“F’”).
Basis of the
chiasm.
In what sense can F and F’ be considered
counterparts
in the proposed chiasm? First, the chronological or-
der supports the parallelism. In
verses 8–10 the author discussed
the
forward-looking faith of Abraham. Then after a brief inter-
ruption (vv. 11-19) he
continued with the forward-looking aspect
of
faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Second, the parallelism be-
tween these two
sections is seen in the references to "Isaac" and
"Jacob"
in both sections. Verse 9 briefly mentions the names of
these
patriarchs, and verses 20–21 provide a more detailed ac-
count
of their forward-looking faith, in addition to that of Joseph
(v.
22).
Aspects
of faith. In verses 8–10, the emphasis is on Abra-
ham's
forward-looking faith based on God's promise. The ex-
pression "the city
which has foundations; whose architect and
builder
is God" (v. 10) refers to
which
the descendants of Abraham would inherit four hundred
years
later. However, the descriptions of the city seem to speak of
more
than the Promised Land. Obviously
by
God; so Abraham was looking forward to the eschatological
heavenly
city.23 Thus it may be said that Abraham's faith was
clearly
future-oriented.
In verse 20 the future aspect of faith
is indicated by Isaac
blessing
Jacob and Esau "regarding things to come." Also
Joseph's
mention of the Exodus and the instruction about his
burial
(v. 22) pertained to the future. As for Jacob, it is not imme-
diately clear whether
his blessing was eschatologically oriented.
23 Moxnes, God and His
Promise to Abraham, 181.
334
BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July—September 1998
However,
Genesis 47:29–48:22 shows that Jacob's blessing on
Ephraim
and Manasseh involved a future aspect.
Sections F and F' in the chiasm have
in common the theme of
forward-looking
eschatology. Thus it seems reasonable that
Isaac,
Jacob, and Joseph, as exemplars of faith (vv. 20–22), con-
tinued Abraham's faith
in verses 8–10. The insertion of section G
(vv.
11–12) and G' (vv. 17–19) seems to be intentional, for these
sections
develop a different aspect of Abraham and Sarah's faith,
namely,
trusting in God's promise.
EXAMPLES
OF FAITH SEEN THROUGH NOAH AND MOSES
(11:7,
"E"; AND 11:23-29, "E' ")
Basis of the
chiasm.
The forward-looking aspect of faith, sum-
marized in the center
section (vv. 13–16), continues beyond the
examples
of faith seen in the patriarchs. According to the pro-
posed
chiastic diagram, the story of Noah in verse 7 corresponds
to
that of Moses in verses 23–29. They are related by water experi-
ences. As Noah and
his family were saved from the Flood (Gen.
6:5–8:22;
1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5), so also were Moses and the people
of
Aspects
of faith in Noah's example (11:7, "E"). What aspects
of
faith are seen in Noah? First, Noah's act of building an ark in-
dicates that faith
involves obedience to God's word. Second, the
phrase
"about things not yet seen" (peri> tw?n mhde<pw blepome<nwn)
refers
to the Flood, which came about one hundred years after God
had
told Noah about it (Gen. 5:32; 7:6), and the promise that He
would
deliver him and his family from it (6:17–18). This for-
ward-looking
aspect of Noah's faith is similar to the theme in the
center
section (Heb. 11:13–16). Noah's faith is also a perfect ex-
ample
of faith described in verse 1 (i.e., "faith is the assurance of
things
hoped for, the conviction of things not seen") because "his
action
showed that he was convinced of the substantial reality of
things
still in the unseen future, still in the realm of unfulfilled
hope."24
Moreover, Noah was able to heed the voice of God and
build
the ark because "he believed that what God had said He
would
do—save his household from the flood (Gen. 6:18)—He
would
do. Despite all the appearances to the contrary Noah put his
full
trust in God."25 Noah's faith, that is, his trust in God, was
re-
lated to God's
promise, which in turn was forward-looking.
Another
issue related to the concept of faith is the meaning of
24 R. Williamson, Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews
(Leiden: Brill, 1970), 354.
The
author used the same verb (ble<pw)
in verses 1 and 7 in referring to what will
take
place in the future.
25 Ibid.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 335
the
statement, he "became an heir of the righteousness which is
according
to faith" (th?j kata> pi<stin dikaiosu<nhj e]ge<neto
klhrono<moj, Heb. 11:7).
Although the phrase seems at first glance
to
be a Pauline expression, Attridge argues that it
needs to be un-
derstood in light of the
development of common Jewish and
Christian
themes in Hebrews.26 "What Noah's story exempli-
fies," Attridge says, "is the reverent reliance upon God's
promises
and consequent faithful action that enables one—in a
quite
un-Pauline fashion—to do what is righteous."27 In most
cases
in Hebrews the word "righteousness" (dikaiosu<nh)
refers to
the
character of a person (e.g., 7:2; 12:11), or his or her righteous
deeds
(e.g., 1:9; 11:4). It is also true that the emphasis of chapter 11
as
a whole is on righteous actions carried out by faith. However,
the
use of dikaiosu<nh in verse 7
seems to have a different sense. It
is
qualified by the phrase kata> pi<stin, which
indicates "the way
or
the condition by which righteousness is actualized: it describes
a
righteousness bestowed by God according to the norm of faith.''28
In
addition, the verb gi<nomai may have a
passive meaning. Thus
the
phrase may be rendered, "he was made an heir of righteous-
ness
according to faith."29 Understanding dikaiosu<nh
in this
sense
shows that it is close to Paul's concept of justification by
faith."
Therefore, unlike Attridge's assertion, the phrase
"the
righteousness
according to faith" (th?j kata> pi<stin dikaiosu<nhj)
does
have a Pauline ring in some sense. If this is correct, then
quite
possibly the author used Noah to convey truth about Christ.
This
finding is consistent with the account of Noah in two of the
Synoptic
Gospels (Matt. 24:37–38; Luke 17:26–27). This analysis
suggests
that faith in Hebrews is as Christologically oriented
as
26 Attridge, The Epistle
to the Hebrews, 320.
27 Ibid.
1991),
340,
29 Walter Bauer,
William A. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A
Greek-English Lex-
icon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2d ed., rev.
F.
Wilbur
Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker (
1979),
158, 2.a
30 In many
instances Paul used dikaiosu<nh in reference to
"the righteousness be-
stowed
by God" (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-22; 4:3, 5, 13; 10:4, 6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:6;
Phil. 3:9). It
is
interesting to note that throughout his epistles he combines the three terms
klhrono<moj, dikaiosu<nh, and pi<stij only once, namely,
in Romans 4:13. The same
terms
are also used together only once in Hebrews, namely, 11:7. Yet Paul's use of
dikaiosu<nh is not limited
to the righteousness God bestows. As in the case of He-
brews
Paul also used the term to refer to the righteous living of believers (
6:13,
16, 18-20; 14:17; 2 Cor 6:7; 9:10; Eph. 4:24; 5:9;
Phil. 1:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; 3:16). Thus
it
may be said that Hebrews' use of dikaiosu<nh
differs little from Paul's use.
336 BIBLIOTHECA
SACRA / July-September 1998
in
the Pauline literature and the Gospels. This Christological
implication
of faith will become more evident in Moses' example
of
faith in the following section.
Aspects
of faith in Moses' example (11:23-29, "E"). This sec-
tion touches on
three subjects: the faith of Moses' parents (v. 23);
Moses'
decision to suffer for Christ (vv. 24–26), and Moses' depar-
ture from
faith
of Moses' parents. The fact that his parents were not afraid
of
the king's edict implies that they obeyed God, and their
obedience
shows their complete trust in Him.
The second section (vv. 24–26)
describes the choice Moses
made
by faith. His faith involved enduring hardship in that he
chose
to share ill treatment with the people of God. This corre-
sponds to the
steadfastness of faith the author of Hebrews empha-
sized
throughout the epistle. In this sense, faith in Hebrews is eth-
ically described.
However, this ethical aspect is not completely
detached
from Christology. The author of Hebrews stated that
Moses
regarded the abuse of Christ as greater riches than those of
Christ?
Apparently the intention was to point to similarity be-
tween Moses and
Christ. As Moses chose to endure hardship with
the
people of God rather than the fleeting pleasure of sin, so Christ
chose
to endure the cross in place of31 the joy set before Him (12:2).
As
Moses regarded the abuse of Christ greater riches than the
treasures
of
comparison
indicates that "the choice of Moses is not only a model
to
be imitated, but also the type of the choice of Christ.”32 Thus it
may
be said that for the author of Hebrews Moses' ethical aspect of
endurance
is Christologically oriented. Another element in
Moses'
example of faith is seen in 11:26. Moses refused to be
called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter because he looked to the re-
ward
God had stored up for him. In other words his faith was es-
chatologically oriented; it
involved a forward-looking aspect.
This
element of faith also corresponds to the theme of verses 13–
16,
the center section of the chapter.
The third section (vv. 27–29) further
describes Moses' faith.
Each
of these three verses points out that faith is complete trust in
and
obedience to God. Moses departed from
steadfast
as if seeing the One who is invisible (v. 27). Moses' in-
stituting the Passover
(v. 28) and the Israelites' crossing the Red
31 "In place
of renders a]nti>, which has the
idea of exchange or substitution. It can
also
mean "because" or "for the sake of." See Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, A Commen-
tary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), 523-24, n. 117.
32 Mary Rose D'Angelo, Moses in
the Letter to the Hebrews, Society of Biblical
Literature
Dissertation Series 42 (Missoula, MT: Scholars, 1979), 34.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 337
Sea
(v. 29) also show that faith involves trust in and obedience to
God.
Christologically the Passover with its sprinkling of
the
blood
is a type of the suffering Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7).
FAITH
SEEN IN THE PRINCIPLE OF PLEASING GOD
(11:6,
"D"; AND 11:30-31, "D' ")
Some
scholars say that verse 6 is the continuation of the example
of
faith by Enoch in verse 5. Attridge argues that
"the scriptural
datum
that Enoch pleased God now provides the basis for the
claim
that it was because of his faith that the patriarch was trans-
lated."33
However, verse 6 may include more than Enoch. Just as
verses
13–16 should be considered a summary of the exemplars of
faith
in chapter 11, so the principle of faith in verse 6 applies to all
the
exemplars of faith in this chapter. Particularly verse 6 corre-
lates with verses
30-31, as seen in the proposed chiastic scheme.
Principle
of faith (11:6, "D"). At least three principles of faith
may
be observed in this verse. First, one cannot possibly please
God
without faith. Second, faith involves believing in the exis-
tence of God,
indicated by the verb e@stin
("is"). Bruce asserts that
"it
is not belief in the existence of a God that is meant, but belief in
the
existence of the God who once declared His will to the fathers
through
the prophets and in these last days has spoken in His
Son."34
Third, faith entails believing that God rewards those who
seek
(e]kzhte<w, "to seek
out or search for"35) Him. It denotes "a
singular
determination to devote oneself to the service of God."36
The
idea of "reward" implies a forward-looking aspect of faith,
which
is "a matter of unwavering hope in the God who controls the
future.
It exhibits the solid faith that is the condition for receiving
recompense
by God."37 This verse points up the qualities of faith
found
throughout chapter 11, especially in verses 30–31.
Example
of faith in conquering
Why
are these verses paired with verse 6? Three observations
may
be made about faith in this passage. First, verse 30 is signif-
icant because this is
the story of the second generation of
who
acted in faith and pleased God, as opposed to the rebellious
33 Attridge, The Epistle
to the Hebrews, 318. Also see F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to
the Hebrews, New
International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1964), 290.
34
Bruce,
The Epistle to the Hebrews, 290.
35 Bauer, Arndt,
and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament
and Other Early
Christian Literature,
240.
36 Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 338.
37 Ibid., 338-39.
338 BIBLIOTHECA
SACRA / July-September 1998
first
generation. Thus in the gap between verses 29 and 30, the
author
of Hebrews implied that while the first generation was not
able
to enter God's rest because of disobedience (3:7–4:13), the sec-
ond generation did enter the rest
(i.e., the land of promise) by
faith
under Joshua's leadership. This obedience by the second
generation
was an act of faith which pleased God, and which cor-
responds
to the first principle of faith in 11:6.
Second, the author's inclusion of Rahab (v. 31) is significant
because
she, a Gentile, became a member of the covenant people of
God
by faith. Joshua 2:8–14 suggests she had the kind of faith de-
scribed
in Hebrews 11:6. She came to realize that the God of Israel
is
the true God, having been informed of the miracles performed
by
the Lord (e.g., His drying up the water of the
victory
over the Amorite kings). This corresponds to the second
principle
of faith in verse 6, which states that the one who draws
near
to God must believe in the existence of God.
Third, when Rahab
realized who the true God is, she received
the
two spies in peace and pleaded for her life and the lives of her
family
members (Josh. 2:12–14). Her act of faith indicates she be-
lieved God rewards
those who earnestly seek Him out (e]kzhte<w),
which
corresponds to the third principle of faith in Hebrews 11:6.
Rahab clearly
exhibits "a faith that was oriented toward the fu-
ture. She was
prepared to assume present peril for the sake of fu-
ture preservation”38
EXAMPLES
OF TRIUMPHS AND SUFFERINGS THROUGH FAITH
(11:4,
"B"; 11:5, "C"; 11:32-35a, "C' ' ; 11:35b-38, "B'
")
Basis for the
chiasm.
Verses 32–38 may be divided into two parts.
In
the first part (vv. 32–35a), after listing some exemplars of faith
from
the Old Testament (Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
David,
Samuel, and the prophets), the author proceeded to de-
scribe,
without specifying the names, certain victories accom-
plished by others
through faith. In the second part (11:35b–38),
however,
the author indicated a change of subject by a@lloi de> .
. .
e!teroi de> (vv. 35–36). From this point on the author was describ-
ing those who endured sufferings
through faith. Thus the two pas-
sages
(vv. 32–35a and vv. 35b–38) indicate that the same faith has
two
effects: on the one hand it manifests God's power and on the
other
hand it allows God's people to endure trials. The themes of
triumphs
and sufferings are also found in verses 4–5. Abel illus-
trates faith through
suffering, and Enoch illustrates faith through
triumph.
38 Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 379.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 339
While verses 4-5 and 32-38 are
thematically related, the
themes
of sufferings and triumphs are discussed in inverted or-
der.
Enoch's victory by faith (v. 5) corresponds to the exemplars of
faith
who experienced victory in their lives (vv. 32-35a), and
Abel's
martyrdom because of his act of righteousness by faith (v.
4)
fits well with those who endured sufferings by faith (vv. 35b-
38).
Aspects
of faith in 11:4 ("B") and 11:5 ("C"). In what sense
was
Abel righteous (v. 4)? This depends on the interpretation of
the
prepositional phrase di ] h$j ("through
which"). Grammatically
speaking,
it is possible for qusi<an
("sacrifice") to be the antecedent
of
this phrase. However, the context seems to indicate that pi<stij
("faith")
is more likely the antecedents.39 The author repeatedly
emphasized
the importance of pi<stij by using
phrases such as di ]
h$j and au]th?j (cf. di ]
h$j in v. 7 in reference to Noah). If the phrase
di ] h$j refers to pi<stij, then it may be
said that Abel's righteous-
ness
was bestowed because of his faith. The passive voice
(e]marturh<qh) further
supports this idea. Thus, as with Noah's faith
in
verse 7, the reference to righteousness by faith in verse 4 dif-
fers little from the
Pauline concept of righteousness by faith.
Abel's
martyrdom on account of his righteous offering by faith is
a
type of others who suffer for the sake of righteousness. The sig-
nificance of this point
is discussed later in connection with
verses
32-38.
Another issue related to Abel's faith
is the meaning of the ex-
pression, "through
faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." Some
writers
say this refers to Abel's call for vengeance. For example
Bruce
says the words "he still speaks" refer to "Abel's appealing to
God
for vindication until he obtains it in full in the judgment to
come.”40
Referring to Hebrews 12:24, which states
that Christ's
blood
speaks better than that of Abel, Bruce contends that the
statement
"Abel still speaks" refers to Genesis 4:10.41 However,
the
context indicates that Abel's speaking was not by his blood, but
was
by his faith. Moreover, as Lane points out, the verb lalei?n is
never
used in Hebrews of someone addressing God.42 For this
reason
it is more likely that Abel's speaking has a reference to
his
offering in Genesis 4:4. Because of the sacrifice he offered by
faith,
he is still speaking to believers through the written Word of
39 C. Spicq, L'Epitre aux Hebreux (Paris: Gabalda,
1952), 2:342; cf. Lane, Hebrews
9-13,
327.
40 Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 286.
41 Ibid. Genesis
4:10 says, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from
the
ground."
42 Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 335.
340
BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July—September 1998
God:
he is a living witness to all ages.43 Though he died, he still
speaks.
In a sense his "life from death" typifies those who will be
resurrected
through Christ in the future.
Enoch was taken to heaven because he
pleased God (Heb.
11:5).
According to the short account of Enoch's life in Genesis
5:21-24,
God took him because he walked with Him for three hun-
dred years. His walk
with God for three centuries implies that his
faith
entailed obedience to God, steadfastness, and a forward-
looking
aspect. Enoch's translation without tasting death shows
the
triumphant victory he had through faith.
Aspects
of faith in 11:32-35a ("C'") and 11:35b-38 ("B' ").
Verses
32-38 may be viewed as a chiasm, in which verses 32-35a
and
35b-38 complement each other by contrast, looking first at ex-
amples of victory
through faith and then at examples of suffer-
ings and martyrdom
through faith.44 Both sections contain the
idea
of resurrection. Verse 35a speaks of the resurrection of those
who
had victory by faith, and verse 35b speaks of the hope of resur-
rection of those who
experienced suffering and death by faith.
The subject of the resurrection
reveals that faith is directly
related
to hope, which is mentioned often in Hebrews. This hope of
resurrection
makes it evident that here faith involved an eschato-
logical,
forward-looking aspect. The chiastic structure of verses
32-38
implies that faith manifested in the outer sections (vv. 32-
34,
36-38) was based on the hope of resurrection in the center sec-
tions (v. 35). In
this sense the characteristics of faith exhibited by
the
exemplars of faith were eschatologically oriented.
INTRODUCTION
(11:1-3, "A") AND CONCLUSION (11:39-40, "A')
Basis for the
chiasm.
What clues indicate that the introduction
(vv.
1-3) and the conclusion (vv. 39-40) are chiastically
arranged?
First, the context shows that the reference to "the men of
old"
(oi[ presbu<teroi) in verse 2
corresponds to "all these" (ou$toi
pa<ntej) in verse 39
(also in v. 13). Second, the introduction and
conclusion
are related by the idea of attestation by faith
(e]marturh<qhsan, v. 2; marturhqe<ntej, v. 39). Third,
the use of the
verb
ble<pw (blepome<nwn, v. 1; probleyame<nou, v. 40) also
suggests
these
sections are parallel.
Aspects
of faith in 11:1-3 ("A"). In this introduction the au-
thor presented one
aspect of the definition of faith by using the two
terms
u[po<stasij and e@legxoj. [Upo<stasij may be
interpreted in at
43 James Moffatt, A Critical
and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the
Hebrews, International
Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: Clark, 1924), 164.
44 For a detailed
analysis of the chiasm see Rhee, "The Concept of Faith in the
Overall
Context of the Book of Hebrews," 237-38.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 341
least
three ways. First, the term may be understood in the subjec-
tive sense as either
"assurance" or "confidence." Those who hold
this
view point out that the word is used in the same way in 3:14.45
However,
the problem with this view is that this sense has never
been
found in the contemporary literature." Moreover, the exem-
plars of faith in
chapter 11 had more than a subjective hope; they
had
an objective hope toward which they were looking.
Second, u[po<stasij is understood
by some scholars as "foun-
dation." This
view takes the word in a literal sense as meaning
"standing
(sta<sij) under (u[po<)."47
Lindars argues that the En-
glish translation of
"assurance" or "confidence" is derived from
the
literal meaning of "foundation."48 He asserts that "in the pre-
sent
context faith is the foundation of a positive attitude towards
the
future, which cannot yet be experienced but has to remain a
matter
of hope."49 The word "foundation" emphasizes
"the begin-
ning which contains
within itself the certainty of completion."50
This
view sees the term in a somewhat objective sense. However,
the
problem with this view, again, is that u[po<stasij is never used
in
this sense in extrabiblical sources. Mathis, for
example, sur-
veys both
Hellenistic and Greek patristic literature, and con-
cludes that u[po<stasij does not mean
"foundation"; rather, it has
the
sense of reality.51 Moreover, translating verse 1 as "faith is
the
foundation of the things hoped for" does not seem to bring out
the
eschatological hope the author stressed throughout the chapter.
A third view, which also takes u[po<stasij in an objective
sense,
is that the word means "reality." Koster, for example,
after
surveying
the meaning of the term in Greek literature, the Septu-
agint, and other
Jewish literature, suggests that the word denotes
"reality,"
"substance," or "actualization."52 Understanding
45 Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 280; and Hughes,
A Commentary on the
Epistle to the
Hebrews,
439.
46 Attridge, The Epistle
to the Hebrews, 308.
47 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews,
439. See also Otto Betz,
"Firmness
in Faith: Hebrews 11:1 and Isaiah 28:16," in Scripture: Meaning and
Method, ed. Barry R.
Thompson (Hull: Hull University Press, 1987), 92-113. Betz
argues
for the "foundation" view by comparing Hebrews 11:1 with Isaiah
28:16.
48 Barnabas Lindars, New
Testament Theology: The Theology of the Letter to the
Hebrews (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1991), 110-11.
49 Ibid., 111.
50 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews,
439.
51 M. A. Mathis,
"Does 'Substantia' Mean 'Realisation'
or 'Foundation' in Hebr
11,1?"
Biblica 3
(1922): 79-87.
52 H. Koster, "u[po<stasij," in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
ed.
Gerhard
Friedrich and Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. Geoffrey
W. Bromiley (Grand
Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1972), 8:572-89.
342
BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July–September 1998
u[po<stasij this way in 11:1 makes good sense because
"faith lays
hold
of what is promised and therefore hoped for, as something
real
and solid, though as yet unseen."53 This objective under-
standing
of the term is also consistent with the forward-looking
aspect
of faith in chapter 11.54 Thus it seems reasonable to under-
stand
u[po<stasij in verse la as
the reality of what is hoped for, "the
reality
of the future blessings that constitute the objective content
of
hope."55 The participle e]lpizome<nwn ("hoped
for") in verse 1,
along
with u[po<stasij, points to the future second advent of
Christ.56
Thus again faith in Hebrews is seen as eschatologically
oriented.
Scholars differ on how to interpret e@legxoj. Since the word
is
used
in no other place in the New Testament, its exact meaning is
difficult
to determine. As with u[po<stasij, the meaning of e@legxoj
may
be "conviction" in a subjective sense or "proof" in an objec-
tive sense.57
Among those who take the subjective view, Bruce as-
serts that e@legxoj means
"conviction" in much the same sense as
"assurance"
in the preceding phrase."58 Moffatt,
arguing against
the
objective understanding of e@legxoj, states that
"faith is not the
e@legxoj of things
unseen in the sense of ‘proof,’ which could only
mean
that it tests, or rather attests, their reality."59 He asserts
that
the
author of Hebrews "wishes to show, not the reality of these un-
seen
ends of God–he assumes these–but the fact and force of be-
lieving in them with
absolute confidence."60
The subjective understanding of the
word as "conviction" is
possible
here; it makes sense in the context of chapter 11. All the
exemplars
of faith had assurance of the things hoped for, and
conviction
of the things they had not yet seen. However, since the
53 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews,
439.
54
The
word is used two other times in Hebrews (1:3; 3:14). In both places the objec-
tive meaning of
"reality" seems to fit the context quite well. In 1:3 Jesus is
described
as
the xarakth>r th?j u[posta<sewj au]tou?. This suggests
that u[po<stasij may be un-
derstood as
"reality." Likewise, although it is possible to interpret the word in
a
subjective
sense (i.e., confidence), an objective meaning of "reality" also
makes good
sense
in 3:14 ("if we hold fast to the beginning of the reality until the
end," author's
trans.).
55 Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 328–29.
56 James W.
Thompson, The Beginnings of Christian
Philosophy: The Epistle to
the Hebrews, Catholic
Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 13 (
Catholic
Biblical Society of
57 Bauer, Arndt,
and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament
and Other Early
Christian Literature,
249.
58 Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 279.
59 Moffatt, Hebrews, 159–60.
60 Ibid., 160.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 343
phrase
"the e@legxoj of things not
seen" describes what precedes
("faith
is the assurance [or reality] of things hoped for"), this
writer
feels that e@legxoj should also be
understood in an objective
sense
as in the case of u[po<stasij (i.e., “proof” as opposed to
"conviction").
Thompson rightly argues that because of the paral-
lelism of u[po<stasij and e@legxoj, the two must
be interpreted
alongside
each other. Thus interpreting e@legxoj as “proof”61
al-
lows
one to see that faith in chapter 11 is "an objective reality, so
objective
that it can be called a ‘proof ‘(e@legxoj) of the things which
have
been and are hoped for by all those involved."62 Adding the
phrase
paragma<twn e@legxoj
ou] blepome<nwn
establishes the inner
right
of resting on the thing hoped for (i.e., u[po<stasij). Under-
standing
e@legxoj in a subjective
sense breaks down the neces-
sary parallelism of u[po<stasij
and
e@legxoj and obscures
the in-
ner right of the u[po<stasij.63
For this reason the objective under-
standing
of e@legxoj seems to be
what the author of Hebrews had in
mind.
If the objective understanding of u[po<stasij and e@legxoj is
correct,
then the definition of faith in verse 1 may be stated in this
way:
Faith is the reality (or substance) of the things hoped for, the
proof
of the things not seen. These two terms clearly indicate that
what
the author intends to emphasize in chapter 11 is a forward-
looking
aspect of faith; with this type of faith the men of old have
been
attested by God (v. 2).
Aspects
of faith in 11:39-40 ("A, "). To appreciate how the au-
thor summarized the
forward-looking aspect of faith, several is-
sues
need to be discussed in this concluding section. The first has
to
do with the phrase they "did not receive what was promised" (ou]k
e]komi<santo th>n e]paggeli<an, v. 39).64 Some men and
women men-
tioned in chapter 11
did receive in their lifetime what God
promised
(e.g., Noah, v. 7; Abraham and Sarah, vv. 11-12; the
people
of
ever,
verse 39a states that they all (ou$toi pa<ntej)
did not receive
the
promise. In what sense did they not receive the promise? What
61 Thompson, The Beginnings of Christian Philosophy,
70.
62 James Swetnam, "Form and Content in Hebrews 7-13," Biblica 55
(1974): 334.
63 Friedrich Bilchsel " e@legxoj," in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
2
(1964): 476.
64 D'Angelo suggests that the phrase dia> th?j pi<stewj
can be related to either mar-
turhqe<ntej or e]komi<santo. She asserts
that this multiplicity of meanings is inten-
tional (Moses in the Letter to the Hebrews, 23).
However, it seems to be more natu-
ral to connect it to marturhqe<ntej because of the
word order. Moreover, a compari-
son
with verse 2 indicates that this interpretation is more plausible (i.e., the
phrase
e]n tau<t^ refers to pi<stij which is used
along with marture<w).
344
BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July-September 1998
does
the promise refer to in this verse? The middle section (vv.
13-16)
indicates they did not receive the promise of the heavenly
place
(e]pourani<ou), the city God
had prepared for them (v. 16). In
12:14-29
the author gave further insight on the heavenly city. It is
Mount
entered
this heavenly city, as indicated by the perfect tense
(proselhlu<qate, "have
come to"). In other words the promise
mentioned
in 11:39a is an eternal inheritance available through
Christ,
the Mediator of the New Covenant (9:15).65 The exemplars
of
faith saw this heavenly city, without having received the final
fulfillment,
There the exemplars of faith in the Old Testament
did
not receive the promise in the ultimate sense, as 11:39 states.
Another issue is the meaning of the
phrase ("something bet-
ter," krei?tto<n ti, v. 40).
"The krei?tton ti is our inclusion in this
people
of God for whom the telei<wsij of Christ was
destined."66
The
ultimate promise, in the sense of messianic bliss with eter-
nal life (10:36-37; cf. 6:17-18),
was not granted to the exemplars
of
faith in chapter 11.67 Their perfection awaited and depended on
the
sacrificial death of Christ. In this sense their faith was escha-
tological in that it had
a forward-looking orientation. At the same
time
the author of Hebrews connected this eschatological outlook
of
faith to Christ's sacrificial death. Thus it may be said that the
heroes
and heroines of faith in the Old Testament had a Christo-
logical
orientation.
However, the faith of those in the New
Covenant is both escha-
tologically and Christologically oriented. On the one hand be-
lievers under the New
Covenant "have come to
the
city of the living God, the heavenly
the
mediator of a new covenant" (12:22, 24). In this sense the es-
chatological fulfillment has
already taken place. On the other
hand
the ultimate eschatological fulfillment has not yet taken
place
because believers are still looking to the city that is to come
(13:14).
Thus it may be said that the faith of those under the New
Covenant
is eschatologically oriented just as was the faith of
those
in
the Old Covenant. This forward-looking aspect of faith of those
in
the New Covenant is also closely related to Christology: believ-
ers must run the race which lies
ahead of them by looking to Jesus
(12:1-3).
65 Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 392.
66 Moffatt, Hebrews,
191.
67 Ibid., 190.
Chiasm and the Concept of Faith in
Hebrews 11 345
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Analyses
of all the corresponding sections in Hebrews 11, includ-
ing the center of the chapter in
verses 13-16, support the argument
that
the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote chapter 11 chias-
tically to set forth
the importance of the eschatological nature of
faith.
For him faith involves both present and future aspects.
However,
the primary emphasis in Hebrews 11 is on the future
(i.e.,
the forward-looking aspect). This eschatological orienta-
tion of faith is
introduced in verses 1-3, restated in verses 13-16,
and
summarized in verses 39-40. In between these summary
statements,
the author cited examples of faith from the Old Tes-
tament to illustrate
this forward-looking aspect of faith. Faith in
Hebrews,
then, involves the present and the future.
Also chapter 11 reveals that the
Christological aspect of faith
is
present. True, faith in Hebrews is not expressed as "faith in
Christ."
However, this does not mean that faith in Hebrews is
merely
a de-Christologized ethical element, as Grasser
contends.
Several
points in chapter 11 suggest that this aspect of faith is im-
plied
by the author (e.g., the reference to "heir of righteousness
which
is according to faith" for Noah in v. 7; "reproach of Christ"
in
describing Moses' faith in v. 26; the institution of the Passover
in
v. 28; and others). In other words the ethical aspect of stead-
fastness
must always be interpreted in the context of Christology.
In
Hebrews Jesus is the object of faith. Moreover, the references to
"God
preparing for something better concerning us" and "their
denial
of perfection without us" (v. 40, author's trans.) clearly
point
ahead to the institution of the New Covenant based on
Christ's
sacrificial death on the cross. The futuristic outlook of
faith
(i.e., the forward-looking aspect) by the exemplars of faith
in
the Old Covenant is ultimately related to Christ in the New
Covenant.
In this sense it may be concluded that the concept of
faith
in Hebrews is both eschatologically and Christologically
oriented.
: y
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