[Biblestudent]

Bro. George,
Here's the way I look at this:
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

1.With Thomas, it's FAITH ("believed") after SIGHT ("seen").
2.With us, it's FAITH ("believed") without SIGHT ("not seen").

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

My Bible school instructors often call this a definition, and they have also taught me that this verse stresses the importance faith. I think the latter was "closer" to the truth. I looked at this verse when I was second year in Bible college because one of my schoolmates quit and called us all - including the faculty - "heretics" for not taking his view that this is the ABSOLUTE definition of faith. Here are some points why I do not believe that Hebrews 11:1 cannot be the only definition of faith.

1. It does NOT say faith is "hoping for things".
2. It does NOT say things is "believing things not seen".
3. What it DOES say is:
1) Faith is the SUBSTANCE -- the substance of things hoped for.
sub·stance [súbstənss]
(plural sub·stances)
noun
1. material: a kind of matter or material
2. tangible physical matter: physical reality that can be touched and felt
3. practical value: real or practical value or importance
There was nothing of substance in the document.
4. material wealth: wealth in the form of money and possessions
5. gist of meaning: the actual or essential meaning of something said or written
the substance of their argument
6. philosophy essence: the unchanging essence of something
7. philosophy something specific: something that is individual and caused
[13th century. Via French < Latin substantia "essence" (translation of Greek hupostasis) < substare, literally "stand under" < stare "to stand"]
Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
To me, it says faith SUBSTANTIATES hope. Faith gives SUBSTANCE to our hope.

2) Faith is the EVIDENCE -- the evidence of things not seen.

ev·i·dence [évvid'nss]
noun
1. sign or proof: something that gives a sign or proof of the existence or truth of something, or that helps somebody to come to a particular conclusion
There is no evidence that the disease is related to diet.
2. proof of guilt: the objects or information used to prove or suggest the guilt of somebody accused of a crime
The police have no evidence.
3. statements of witnesses: the oral or written statements of witnesses and other people involved in a trial or official inquiry
transitive verb (past and past participle ev·i·denced, present participle ev·i·denc·ing, 3rd person present singular ev·i·denc·es)
demonstrate or prove: to demonstrate or prove something (usually passive)
Their unwillingness to participate is evidenced by their failure to contact us.
Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

The Bible says "Faith is the EVIDENCE of things not seen." We have not seen God creating the world. Our EVIDENCE is FAITH.
To my simple understanding of what Hebrews 11:1 SAYS, Faith is the SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE of what we hope and what we have not seen. That's how IMPORTANT faith is. The rest of the chapter follows that line, too.

4. Hebrews 11:1 does not deny that faith is not needed after sight. Suppose, there were many who have SEEN Christ's miracles, His cross and His empty tomb. Do they still need FAITH?

5. May I also add some dispensational flavor to this. Hebrews is written to HEBREWS, who require SIGHT/sign. 2 Corinthians 5:7 is written to the CHURCH, whose promises are based on the MYSTERY not SEEN before (Eph. 3:1-5)

Back to Thomas, he said he will not believe UNLESS he sees. Does he have faith?
When he SAW Christ, he BELIEVED. Does he have faith then?