Our Undergirding

[Van]

Pistis is the transliteration of the Greek term translated in the KJV as "faith" Pistis is formed from two roots, "Piq" meaning bind, and "tis" having the same function as "er" in English. So fundamentally, the Greek term means "binder" or that which binds.

Now lets look at how the Bible defines the term contextually. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The word translated "substance" comes from the Greek hupostatis, which means "under" "stand" having nothing to do with comprehension, but rather with what undergirds what we stand for. So "faith" is what undergirds our hope for the realization of the promises of God. The next word of interest, "evidence" comes from the Greek elegchos, which means that which brings to light what is not easily seen. For example, in 2 Timothy 3:16, the AV translates it "reproof" indicating scripture is profitable because it brings to light our sins.

In summary, Faith (Pistis) refers our heart-felt conviction that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah sent from God, and this conviction binds us such that our subsequent attitudes, hopes and deeds are tied to the reality of Jesus as our Savior.

As Paul liked to say, referring to Habakkuk, the righteous person lives by faith. Do we live like someone indebted to the one who saved us, a bondservant of Christ, or like some ungrateful twit? Do we have a faith like Abraham's, and live our lives based on fully expecting the reality of God and the fulfillment of His every promise? Does our "binder" produce faithfulness or are we lacking in adhesion? Might Jesus say "Oh ye of little faith?

 

[Van]

Romans 1:17, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Here we see Paul, referring to Habakkuk 2:4. An interesting tidbit is the "by" faith. The Greek word, transliterated "ek" means out of or from and indicates origin. Thus the way a righteous man lives has its origin and comes from his faith, how he is bound by his love for Christ and his indebtedness to Christ's love because Christ removed his sin burden, by giving His life.

Paul presents this idea many times, it is central to his inspired teachings. It undergirds everything he teaches in the Pauline letters.

 

[Van]

The word transliterated as Pistis, and translated as faith in Hebrews 11:1 comes from the root word G3982. Strong's Lexicon G4102. (from the root meaning "to bind;")

What grows in the garden of faith? Love, devotion, trust, expectation, commitment!

Does our faith bind us to Christ, as to someone we owe everything to and thus we are willingly serve Him? Our answer should be Yes, but if our faith does not bind us as strongly as it should, we may be lacking in love, devotion, trust, expectant living and commitment of our Savior.

Thus faith, meaning to trust fully in Christ, contains the idea that we are bound to Christ by the strength of that faith. Hence, born again believers are bondservants of Christ, striving to become like Him, and to serve Him in the ministry of reconciliation.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 teaches that our faith undergirds our hope and trust in the promises of God, and
fuels how well we follow Christ in His paths of righteousness.

 

[percho]

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Isa 64::6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Now I have a question.

For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, 'And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

Who exactly was, "the righteous one," who by faith shall live? The one spoken of in the following?

Acts 7:52 NIV Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—

Here is to, my knowledge, the only righteous man to have lived and died.

Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time,
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Then by faith received the promise of God. For us Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hab 2:4 ESV
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.[fn]
Heb 5:7-9 YLT who in the days of his flesh both prayers and supplications unto Him who was able to save him from death -- with strong crying and tears -- having offered up, and having been heard in respect to that which he feared, through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience, and having been made perfect, he did become to all those obeying him a cause of salvation age-during, [eternal life]

Methinks Hab 2:4 is a prophecy of the faith of Christ. The righteous one who died yet after three days lives again.

 

[Van]

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Isa 64::6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Now I have a question.

For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, 'And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

Who exactly was, "the righteous one," who by faith shall live? The one spoken of in the following?

Acts 7:52 NIV Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—

Here is to, my knowledge, the only righteous man to have lived and died.

Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time,
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Then by faith received the promise of God. For us Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hab 2:4 ESV
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.[fn]
Heb 5:7-9 YLT who in the days of his flesh both prayers and supplications unto Him who was able to save him from death -- with strong crying and tears -- having offered up, and having been heard in respect to that which he feared, through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience, and having been made perfect, he did become to all those obeying him a cause of salvation age-during, [eternal life]

Methinks Hab 2:4 is a prophecy of the faith of Christ. The righteous one who died yet after three days lives again.

1) As initially conceived, as made sinners, no one is righteous. Further, if we live long enough to sin, we all have fallen short of the glory of God.

2) Romans1:17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed The phrase "from faith to faith" seems a poor translation to me. The Greek word translated "from" is "ek" and means out of, so out of faith, and the Greek word translated as "to" is "eis" and means into. so out of what we had believed and into belief in the gospel.

3) Habakkuk 2:4 "But the righteous will live by their faithfulness. Whether saved or not, if a person is striving to be righteous is the eyes of God, they faithfully strive to adhere to God' will. This is a fundamental truth presented again and again by Paul. To actually understand the concept, read Galatians 3:10-14.

4) Paul is NOT referring to Christ, but to the truth of the gospel when he cites Habakkuk 2:4. Since no one can keep the whole Law, the lost become righteous not by trying to keep the law, which would be a works salvation, but believers become righteous and gain life out of death through faith in the gospel.

5) Fundamentally I think the rest of your post misses the mark totally.