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I have to admit that the topic of Faith and Faithfulness has been challenging. Is faith the same as belief? Or is it faithfulness? There are texts that seem to be compelling arguments in favor of both perspectives. I find the Old Testament usage of emunah to be a persuasive argument in favor of faith as faithfulness. And yet, both pistis and emunah are closely related to words that are clearly used in contexts where belief or trust are the most reasonable interpretations. I also can not ignore some places in the New Testament where pistis is used in a sense that suggests belief.
I am reminded of the theory of light— is it a wave or a particle? Both! Perhaps, faith is both belief and behavior. Maybe, belief and behavior are inseparable. When Jesus said, "the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth"— pneumati kai aletheia. (John 4:23), can we understand it to mean in thought and deed? Is there Biblical support for this perspective? This post will look at these two words— spirit and truth— to see if they are used to mean belief and behavior— thought and deed. We will look at the word spirit first.
Gen. 45:26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.
Gen. 45:27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived (ἀνεζωπύρησεν τὸ πνεῦμα / וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם).
Notice that in Genesis 45:26-27, Jacob's "heart stood still." He does not believe his sons. The text is describing a mental state. In verse 27, Jacob's spirit (pneuma / ru'ach) revived. The obvious meaning of this text is that his mental state changed. Verse 28 makes this clear; where before he did not believe, afterwards, he did.
Gen. 45:28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”Was Jacob's changed state of thought merely a mental abstraction, or was there a change in reality— a truth— that accompanied it? Did he, indeed, go down to Egypt? Do we not say indeed, meaning "in truth?" Indeed was originally "in deed"— demonstrating that belief and behavior are linked in our expressions. Is it even possible to separate them?
Following are some more Old Testament texts where the Greek word pneuma (spirit) is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew ru'ach. In these texts, pneuma and ru'ach are used in a sense of mind or mental state or thought. Notice the parallelism in many of these texts.
Josh. 2:11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage (πνεῦμα / רוּחַ) in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
Judg. 8:3 God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger (τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν / רוּחָם) toward him subsided when he said that.
2 Chr. 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα / אֶת־רוּחַ) of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Psa. 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit (τῷ πνεύματι / רוּחַ).
Psa. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit (καὶ πνεῦμα / וְרוּחַ) within me.
Psa. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (πνεῦμα / רוּחַ), A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
Psa. 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit (τὸ πνεῦμά μου / רוּחִי) makes diligent search.
Psa. 78:8 And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς / רוּחוֹ) was not faithful to God.
Psa. 143:4 Therefore my spirit (τὸ πνεῦμά μου / רוּחִי) is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.
Hos. 4:12 My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit (πνεύματι / רוּחַ) of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God.
Hab. 1:11 Then his mind (τὸ πνεῦμα / רוּחַ) changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”
Is. 26:9 With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit (τὸ πνεῦμά μου / רוּחִי) within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Is. 29:24 These also who erred in spirit (τῷ πνεύματι / רוּחַ) will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.”
Is. 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit (πνεύματος / רוּחַ) of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
Is. 65:14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit (πνεύματος / רוּחַ).
Dan. 2:3 And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit (μου τὸ πνεῦμα / רוּחִי) is anxious to know the dream.”
The Greek word pneuma (spirit) is also sometimes used in the New Testament in a sense of mind or thought.
Matt. 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit (πνεύματι), For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt. 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit (πνεῦμα) indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 2:8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit (πνεύματι) that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
Mark 8:12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit (πνεύματι), and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
Luke 9:55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit (πνεύματός) you are of.
John 11:33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit (πνεύματι) and was troubled.
John 13:21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit (πνεύματι), and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit (πνεῦμα) was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
Acts 18:25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit (πνεύματι), he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Eph. 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit (πνεύματι) of your mind,
Next we will look at some texts that use the word aletheia (truth). Notice how the sense of truth in these texts is indeed— in reality, with behavior. This first set of texts are all from the Old Testament where the Septuagint uses aletheia to translate emunah (faithfulness or faith).
2 Chr. 19:9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the LORD, faithfully (εν αληθεια – en aletheia / בֶּאֱמוּנָה – be-emunah) and with a loyal heart:
Psa. 12:1 Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful (αι αληθειαι – ai aletheiai / אֱמוּנִים – emunim) disappear from among the sons of men.
Psa. 31:23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful (αληθειας – aletheias / אֱמוּנִים – emunim), And fully repays the proud person.
Psa. 36:5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness (και η αληθεια σου – kai e aletheia sou / אֱמוּנָתְךָ – emunatkha) reaches to the clouds.
Psa. 40:10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness (την αληθειαν σου – ten aletheian sou / אֱמוּנָתְךָ – emunatkha) and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.
Psa. 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness (την αληθειαν σου – ten aletheian sou / אֱמוּנָתְךָ – emunatkha) to all generations.
Psa. 89:2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness (η αληθεια σου – e aletheia sou / אֱמוּנָתְךָ – emunatkha) You shall establish in the very heavens.”
Psa. 89:5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness (την αληθειαν σου – ten aletheian sou / אֱמוּנָתְךָ – emuntatkha) also in the assembly of the saints.
Psa. 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness (και η αληθεια σου – kai e aletheia sou / וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ – ve-emunatkha) also surrounds You.
Psa. 89:24 “But My faithfulness (και η αληθεια μου – kai e aletheia mou / וֶאֶמוּנָתִי – ve-emunati) and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
Psa. 89:33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness (και η αληθεια μου – kai e aletheia mou / וֶאֶמוּנָתִי – ve-emunati) to fail.
Psa. 92:2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness (και την αληθειαν σου – kai ten aletheian sou / וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ – ve-emunatkha) every night,
Psa. 98:3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness (και της αληθειας αυτου – kai tes aletheias autou / וֶאֱמוּנָתוֹ – ve-emunato) to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa. 119:75 I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness (και αληθεια – kai aletheia / וֶאֱמוּנָה – ve-emunah) You have afflicted me.
Psa. 119:86 All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!
Psa. 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.
Psa. 119:138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful.
Psa. 143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness.
Is. 11:5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
Jer. 23:28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD.
By the way, the Hebrew word emet (truth) is from the same root as emunah (faith/faithfulness). The following texts are from the Old Testament where the Septuagint uses aletheia to translate emet. Many of these texts have some kind of action (behavior or deed) associated with truth— to act or serve or walk (in Hebrew also go).
Judg. 9:16 “Now therefore, if you have acted in truth (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ / בֶּאֱמֶת) and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves—
1 Sam. 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ / בֶּאֱמֶת) with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
2 Sam. 2:6 And now may the LORD show kindness and truth (καὶ ἀλήθειαν / וֶאֱמֶת) to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
1Kings 2:4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, “If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ / בֶּאֱמֶת) with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
1Kings 3:6 And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ / בֶּאֱמֶת), in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Notice the parallelism in the following two texts— truth and deeds are being brought together as synonyms.
John 3:21 But he who does the truth (ἀλήθειαν – aletheian) comes to the light, that his deeds (ἔργα – erga) may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed (ἔργῳ – ergo) and in truth (ἀληθείᾳ – aletheia).
There are other texts that link the abstract— word (logos)— and the concrete— deed (ergon).
Luke 24:19 And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
Rom. 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—
2Cor. 10:11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.
Col. 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Given the insight from these other texts, can we paraphrase John 4:23 this way? Does it add to our understanding of faith/faithfulness?
But a time is coming— in fact it is here— when the real worshippers will worship the Father in thought and deed, for the Father is seeking such to worship him.
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