(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Faith
- And faith is the assurance of what’s hoped for; the convincing evidence of matters not seen,
- for by this the elders were commended.
- By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by the spoken word of God, so what is seen hasn’t been made from the things which are visible.
- By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous by God testifying of his gifts, and through it he still speaks though having died.
- By faith Enoch was transferred up (to not see death) and he wasn’t found because God transferred him.1quotation/allusion to Genesis 5:24 For before the transference, he is *reported to have pleased God.
- (But without faith, it’s impossible to please God. For it’s necessary for the man approaching God to believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of the men diligently seeking Him.)
- By faith Noah – having been reverently fearful after having been divinely instructed about things not yet seen – prepared an ark for his household’s salvation, by which he condemned the world and became an heir in accordance with the righteousness of faith.
- By faith, Abraham obeyed after being called to depart into a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he departed not knowing where he would go.
- By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land of the promise like it belonged to another, having lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise.
- For he was awaiting the city having foundations whose architect and builder is God.
- By faith, even [barren] Sarah herself received strength for conception of seed, even despite the season of old age, since she considered the One who promised faithful.
- And therefore, from one man (even him *regarded as near dead) were born descendants like the stars of heaven in multitude, and as countless as the sand by the shore of the sea.2quotation/allusion to Genesis 22:17
- All these men died in faith, not having received the promises, but only having seen and having welcomed them from afar, and having confessed that they are foreigners and wanderers on the land.
- For the men saying such things declare that they seek a homeland.
- And indeed, if they were remembering that place from which they left, they always had the opportunity to return.
- But now, they yearn for a better homeland; that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
- By faith Abraham *offered up Isaac while being tested. The man who welcomed the promises was even offering up his only genuine heir,
- he to whom it was said: “Your seed will be called through Isaac“3quotation/allusion to Genesis 21:12
- Having reasoned that God was even able to raise him from the dead, from which he also received him back in a figurative sense.4“figurative sense” is literally “parable”.
- By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning what was coming.
- By faith while dying, Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped while leaning on the top of his staff.
- By faith while dying, Joseph made mention concerning the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
- By faith, Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after having been born, because they saw that the infant was beautiful and didn’t fear the decree of the king.
- By faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter after having become grown,
- having chosen to endure adversity with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin,
- having esteemed the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking away from everything else5“he was looking away from everything else” is one word in Greek. It means to fix the gaze so intently on one thing that you look away from (don’t pay attention to) anything else. towards the reward.
- By faith he departed Egypt; not having feared the wrath of the king, for he persevered like a man seeing the invisible One.
- By faith he has kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so the one destroying the firstborn might not touch them.
- By faith they crossed through the Red Sea as through dry land, after which the Egyptians were swallowed up when they made an attempt.
- By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been encircled for seven days.
- By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with the men who rebelled, having received the spies with peace.
- And what more might I say? For the time will fail me while describing about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and both David and Samuel, and also the prophets.
- Who through faith conquered kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, closed the mouths of lions,
- quenched the power of fire, escaped the sword’s point, were empowered from weakness, became mighty in war, and made foreign armies flee.
- Women received back their dead by resurrection and others were tortured, not having awaited release so they might obtain a better resurrection.
- And others received a trial of mockings and floggings, and still others of chains and imprisonment.
- They were stoned, [tried,] sawn in two, slain by the sword in slaughter; they went about in sheepskins, in goat skins, being in need, being afflicted, being tormented –
- men of whom the world wasn’t worthy – wandering in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and holes in the earth.
- And though having been commended through their faith, all these men didn’t receive the promise.
- God planned something better concerning us, so they wouldn’t be perfected without us.
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