Faith
Not mere agreement but trust: the hand that reaches out to receive what God gives
Faith is the trusting assent to God and his revelation by which a person receives salvation. The New Testament, especially Paul and Hebrews 11, presents it as confident reliance on God's promises, and Augustine deepened reflection on it. Christians broadly agree on faith's centrality, though they differ over how faith relates to human works in salvation, a question taken up under justification. Faith itself, as trust in God, is held in common.
How it traveled
- HebrewsRome · 67explains
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- MarkRome · 68explains
- MatthewAntioch · 80explains
- ActsRome · 84explains
- LukeRome · 84explains
- JohnEphesus · 100explains
- 1 JohnEphesus · 100explains
- The Church History of EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Predestination of the SaintsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Spirit and the LetterHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of InfantsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758redefines
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Misrepresentations Corrected and Truth Vindicated, in Reply to the Rev. Solomon WilliamsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Five Sermons. On Different OccasionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Fifteen Sermons. On Various SubjectsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Narrative of Surprising ConversionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Mere Christianity · C. S. Lewis
Letters and Papers from Prison · Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Courage to Be · Paul Tillich
Introduction to Christianity · Pope Benedict XVI
On Heaven and Earth · Pope Francis
Illustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I · Pope John Paul I
Crossing the Threshold of Hope · Pope St. John Paul II
Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations · Aphrahat
The “Demonstrations” of Aphrahat. Demonstration I.—Of Faith. 1. I have received thy letter, my beloved, and when I read it, it greatly gladdened me that thou hast turned thy thoughts to these invest
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Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations · Aphrahat
15. This is wonderful, my beloved, and a great prodigy that Moses did in the Red Sea, when the waters were divided by faith, and stood up on high like mountains or like mighty cliffs. They were checke
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
13. But since a great part of mankind imagine a righteousness compounded of faith and works let us here show that there is so wide a difference between justification by faith and by works, that the es
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
OF FAITH. THE DEFINITION OF IT. ITS PECULIAR PROPERTIES. This chapter consists of three principal parts.—I. A brief explanation of certain matters pertaining to the doctrine of Faith, sec. 1-14. Firs
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
31. The word of God the prop and root of faith. The word attests the divine goodness and mercy. In what sense faith has respect to the power of God. Various passages of Isaiah, inviting the godly to b
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The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril · Cyril of Jerusalem
Lecture V. Of Faith. Hebrews xi. 1, 2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. 1. How great a dignity the Lord
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XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
But inasmuch as a sinner, in his first justification, is for ever justified and freed from all obligations to eternal punishment; it hence of necessity follows, that future faith and repentance are be
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A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 51.—Faith the Ground of All Righteousness. The righteousness of the law is proposed in these terms,—that whosoever shall do it shall live in it; and the purpose is, that when each has discove
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
7. When he objects that the power of justifying exists not in faith, considered in itself, but only as receiving Christ, I willingly admit it. For did faith justify of itself, or (as it is expressed)
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
16. Scripture, when it treats of justification by faith, leads us in a very different direction. Turning away our view from our own works, it bids us look only to the mercy of God and the perfection o
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
4. Paul, moreover, adds, that the promise itself would be rendered null and void. For if its fulfillment depends on our merits when pray, will we be able to come the length of meriting the favor of Go
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
19. The whole, then, comes to this: As soon as the minutest particle of faith is instilled into our minds, we begin to behold the face of God placid, serene, and propitious; far off, indeed, but still
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
29. Free promise we make the foundation of faith, because in it faith properly consists. For though it holds that God is always true, whether in ordering or forbidding, promising or threatening; thoug
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Faith. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Dietrich BonhoefferLetters and Papers from Prison(1951)View on Amazon→
- C. S. LewisMere Christianity(1952)View on Amazon→
- Paul TillichThe Courage to Be(1952)View on Amazon→
- Pope Benedict XVIIntroduction to Christianity(1968)View on Amazon→
- Pope John Paul IIllustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I(1976)View on Amazon→
- Pope St. John Paul IICrossing the Threshold of Hope(1994)View on Amazon→
- Pope FrancisOn Heaven and Earth(2010)View on Amazon→