Is Faith Blind?
A great many skeptics have defined “faith” as “a belief that is not based on evidence,” and for some reason, many evangelicals accept this definition. But is this the way “faith” is used in the New Testament when Paul, Peter, or Jesus use it? Is this definition accurate in relation to the way the word was used in other works of ancient Greco-Roman literature? How do writers like Aristotle, Herodotus, Diodorus, and others who wrote in Koine Greek use the same word? Do they use it to mean “belief without evidence”? Or do they mean something entirely different. In this article we will explore these questions and clarify what is really meant by “faith.”
The Greek word we translate as “faith” is pistis (Πίστις). Let’s look at the word used in the context of Acts 17.
Acts 17:31 “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance (πίστιν) to all by raising him from the dead.””
Here, the same word translated as “faith” is translated as “assurance.” Acts 17:31 tells us that God will judge the world and He has given us the evidence of raising Jesus from the dead as He said He would to give us assurance that He will do so. So faith is a response to evidence, not a belief that is lacking evidence. In fact, one could argue that the gospels are filled with examples of people who exercise “faith” in the sense of trusting, or having confidence in Jesus and His power to heal them based on the evidence they had, such as hearing from countless witnesses of His miracles, or indeed, witnessing His healings firsthand. Their confidence that Jesus can do these things did not just appear out of thin air. I.e. the woman who touched Jesus’ garment, the centurion with the sick servant, the friends of the paralytic who lowered him through the roof for Jesus to heal.
Some believers have nothing to do with apologetics and believed based on an experience they’ve had where God has healed them (as I did as a child), or that God revealed Himself to them at some point. These may not be evidence that will convince other people of the truth of Christianity, but they are evidence none-the-less. As many apologists have pointed out, there is a difference between knowing something is true and showing something is true. Without getting knee-deep into epistemology, you can know something from subjective first hand experience, but if you were to try to convince someone else that what you have justification to believe is true, this is where external evidence will be helpful.
Aristotle wrote, “There is no stable friendship without confidence (Πίστις), and confidence only comes with time.” -Eudemian Ethics, 7.1237b
Diodorus Siculus wrote of the, “surest pledge (Πίστις) amongst the Persians.” -Library Book 16.43
Antiphon writes, “because I have faith (Πίστις) in justice.” -On the Murder of Herodes 5.93 Faith is by no means belief without evidence, and Christianity has more evidence than any worldview out there!
For excellent resources diving deeper into this issue, see the resources below.
Recommended Resources:
Videos:
Is Faith Blind? By Michael Jones
Please Stop Saying Faith Is Belief Without Evidence by Mike Winger