[George]

Originally Posted by Biblestudent

I think John 20:29 gives us the two definitions of faith:

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.

Is "believe" (verb) the same as "faith" (noun)? I have encountered people here (actually my classmates in Bible school) who seems to over divide the word to the extent of saying that "believe" is not "faith". My answer was of course they are different parts of speech. One can not say:
"Thomas faith in Christ", but
"Thomas believes in Christ";
nor can a person say, "
Thomas has no believe", but:
"Thomas has no faith".

So, if believe and faith mean the same, except that one is a verb and the other is a noun, then according to Jesus Christ:
Thomas believed (verb) because he has seen (verb); or Thomas had faith (noun) after he had sight, or
Thomas had belief (synonym of faith) after he had vision (synonym of sight).

Aloha brother Sammy,

A word of caution: I would be very careful in a debate or discussion over Scripture in advancing your point using a "grammatical" argument. No. 1 - because there are no examples of such a "method" in the Holy Scriptures themselves; and No. 2 - because these are points made "academically" with the "intellect" (the mind) and not with the heart. {See my Post #1 Rejection of God's Words = EVIL - under "Bible Studies" - this Forum; or my study on "the heart of the matter" on my web page.}

In America we have far too much "intellectual" Christianity (grounded in Academia and based on the "mind"); and far too little Biblical Christianity (grounded on the Scriptures, and based on the heart).

Please remember that we believe with our heart NOT our mind:
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We are to hide God's word in our heart NOT our mind:
Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

We are to diligently "keep" our "heart" NOT our mind:
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

All of the "issues of life" proceed from out of our "heart" NOT our mind:

Matthew 12:34 . . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

The Bible testimony is clear: All of mankind has a "heart problem". We are all born with a deceitful and wicked "heart":

Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?


By now you might be asking what's the point? the point is while we are born with a deceitful "heart" we have to work on, or "mold" the "mind" in order to "corrupt" it (and that's where the wrong kind of "schooling" or "education" comes in). For nearly 2,000 years, apostasy in God's churches has "always" been introduced and promoted by the academic "elites", the "intellectual class" (without one exception!).

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. [1Timothy 6:5; 2 Timothy 3:8]

IF the following quote is true:

"So, if believe and faith mean the same, except that one is a verb and the other is a noun,"

How do you deal with this verse?

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Can you substitute "believe" for "faith"? I think not. Unless we are to believe that our "belief" is a gift from God. We are saved through "faith", and "it" {"faith"} is God's "gift" to us because we "heard" the word of God and "believed" in our hearts (the Gospel of the Grace of God) and He "gifted" us with "faith" - His "faith" NOT ours. It's our "belief" - it's His "faith". I cannot see how they can possibly be "the same".

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

We obtained like precious "faith" (God's precious "gift" to us) by "believing" in our "hearts", after we heard the Gospel of the Grace of God.

I know that there also plenty of verses that talk about our "faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the preceding verses tell us where our "faith" came from - it's a "gift" from God {the Lord Jesus Christ "earned it - it was His "faith" that persevered - it's His to give} - it's ours - but it came from God because we believed!

Respectfully submitted,
Your brother in Christ,
George