Wesley's Explanatory Notes on Hebrews 11:1

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

The definition of faith given in this verse, and exemplified in the various instances following, undoubtedly includes justifying faith, but not directly as justifying. For faith justifies only as it refers to, and depends on, Christ. But here is no mention of him as the object of faith; and in several of the instances that follow, no notice is taken of him or his salvation, but only of temporal blessings obtained by faith. And yet they may all be considered as evidences of the power of justifying faith in Christ, and of its extensive exercise in a course of steady obedience amidst difficulties and dangers of every kind. Now faith is the subsistence of things hoped for, the evidence or conviction of things not seen - Things hoped for are not so extensive as things not seen. The former are only things future and joyful to us ; the latter are either future, past, or present, and those either good or evil, whether to us or others. The subsistence of things hoped for - Giving a kind of present subsistence to the good things which God has promised: the divine supernatural evidence exhibited to, the conviction hereby produced in, a believer of things not seen, whether past, future, or spiritual; particularly of God and the things of God. Hebrews 11:2

Read Hebrews 11:1 →Read the full chapter →John Gill's Exposition →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →

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