The Profession of Our Faith

The Profession of Our Faith - Hebrews 10:23

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our FAITH without wavering

In support of the KJV reading of elpis as being translated as FAITH, the following should be considered.

Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon 1968 on page 537 lists one of the meanings of elpis as "Reason to expect or Believe". The same is true of Kittle's massive work which shows that elpis shades over into being synonymous with Faith. "Hope as expectation of good is closely linked with trust. This hope is thus trust." "It consists rather in general confidence in God's protection and help." page 522.

The verb form of this noun is elpizo and even the NASB and NIV have at times translated this word as to Trust. The KJB translates this verb as to Trust 18 times as well as to hope. If you trust something or someone, you believe them. It is really "gnat straining" to suggest that we are talking about the noun here and not the verb, when the very verb from which this noun comes is also translated as "to trust" in all the modern Bibles as well. In fact, Liddell and Scott's Abridged Lexicon Seventeenth Edition 1887 on page 217 lists the meanings of this verb elpizo as: "to hope, expect, think, BELIEVE."

The King James Bible is not the only one to translate this word as FAITH in Hebrews 10:23. In 1755 John Wesley made his own New Testament translation, and he changed thousands of words from the King James readings, but in Hebrews 10:23 Mr. Wesley went with "the profession of our faith". The Spanish Reina Valera of 1909, and the Spanish Versión Antigua both also translated this passage in the same way as the KJB. "la professión de nuestra FE (faith). So does the more recent Spanish Valera Neuvo Testamento of 1858.

John Wesley's 1755 translation according to StudyLight.com

http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=Hebrews+10%3A23§ion=0&translation=wes&oq=&sr=1

"Let us hold fast the profession of our FAITH without wavering, for he is faithful that hath promised"

The Spanish Reina Valera Antigua of 1602 - Hebreos 10:23 - bible.gospelcom.net/passa...version=6;

Hebreos 10:23 "Mantengamos firme la profesión de nuestra FE sin fluctuar; que fiel es el que prometió". This site also says: "The Reina-Valera Antigua was first translated and published in 1569 by Casiodoro de Reina, after twelve years of intensive work, and later put out in 1602 in revised form by Cipriano de Valera, who gave more than twenty years of his life to its revision and improvement."

Adam Clarke's commentary is interesting in that, though he disagrees with the reading "the profession of our FAITH", yet he acknowledges that this is the reading in "one of the Barberini MSS. and two others", but perhaps more significantly, when he actually expounds upon the meaning of the verse, he himself uses the word "faith" three times, and "hope" not at all.

Adam Clarke comments(CAPS are mine) "The word omologia, from omou, together, and logos, a word, implies that general consent that was among Christians on all the important articles of their FAITH and practice; particularly their acknowledgment of THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, and of Jesus Christ, as the only victim for sin, and the only Saviour from it. If the word washed above refer to Christian baptism in the case of adults, then THE PROFESSION is that which the baptized then made OF THEIR FAITH in the Gospel; and of their determination to live and die in that FAITH."

Other English versions that have translated this word as Faith in Hebrews 10:23 are Webster's 1833 translation. Webster knew some 15 different languages including Hebrew and Greek, and he made his own translation of the Bible in 1833. He changed the wording of the KJB in many places, but he left the word Faith here in Hebrews 10:23.

In addition to this, we also have the more modern translations of the KJV 21st Century and the Third Millenium Bible and both of these also have elpis as Faith in Hebrews 10:23. J.P. Green's Modern KJV 1998 and the King James 2000 translations also read "the profession of our FAITH". In 1842 a group of Baptists decided to update the KJB and they still kept the translation as it stands in the 1611 King James Bible.

Several Bible commentators agree with the reading as found in the KJB. Matthew Henry, who often made textual corrections to the KJB, when commenting on this passage made no attempt to "correct" the KJB but rather said this verse means: "the duty itself - to hold fast the profession of our faith, to embrace all the truths and ways of the gospel, to get fast hold on them, and to keep that hold against all temptation and opposition."

Jamison, Faucett and Brown, who likewise often correct the KJB, say the word is elpis or hope but remark "our hope, which is indeed Faith exercised as to the future inheritance."

Another who frequently corrected the KJB was John Gill. In his commentary on Hebrews 10:23 he makes no comment correcting the reading of the KJB's "the profession of our Faith" but rather defines faith here as being "faith - either in the grace or doctrine of faith, or in the profession of both."

I think it is a bit hypocritical of those who criticize the KJB for rendering this word as Faith here in Hebrews 10, yet all other times as Hope. The new versions likewise do many similar things in their translations. For example, the word Faith itself. The Greek word for faith is pistis and most of the time the NASB and NIV translate this word as Faith. Yet both translate this same word as Pledge only one time (I Timothy 5:12) and only one time as Proof (Acts 17:31). Wouldn't they also be wrong then for departing from the usual sense of the word and translating it this way?

We can easily see that Proof, and Pledge and Faith are not at all the same things in English, yet words have different shades of meaning depending upon the context.

In Summary, we see that the evidence for the KJB being correct, or at the very least, not in error for translating elpis as Faith in Hebrews 10:23 are # 1 - the Lexicons of Liddell and Scott, and that of Kittle; # 2 - other translations both foreign and in English of the Spanish Reina Valera of 1602, and 1858, Wesley's and Webster's translations, the KJV 21, Green's MKJV, the King James 2000, and the Third Millenium Bible, and # 3 - many commentaries make no attempt to change the reading of the King James Bible but rather expound it accurately just as it stands with the reading: "the profession of our Faith".

The context as well shows that Faith is the better choice here than Hope. The context is the once for all sacrifice of our Lord, the remission of our sins and no more offering to be made for sins.

In holding fast the profession (what we speak and affirm) of our faith, is it more accurate to say "I hope I am forgiven", or "I believe (have faith) that I am forgiven"? I believe God guided the KJB translators in giving the proper sense of this word "elpis" as being contextually equivalent to "faith, or what we trust in and confess before others.

Notes from one of the the King James Bible Translators

Here is an excerpt from the King’s Translators’ Oberter Verbum collection.  This is taken from The Barlow Commentary, which was written by Dr. William Barlow, president of the fifth company of translators.  This excerpt is Dr. Barlow’s linguistic commentary on Hebrews 10:23.  

We must think that our less learned, Greek brethren are confused by our use of the word “faith” in place of the word “hope.”  Our committees in joint conference have unanimously elected the word “faith” in place of the word “hope.”  Our reasoning springs, first, from the “object of our faith” both in the ancient Greek and the modern [1611] English.  Hope is “the future viewed with expectation.”  Faith is “the future viewed as the word of a faithful friend.”  For us to use the word “hope” would be for us to say that our faith should reside in human expectation.  It is true that this expectation rests upon the very Word of God and is empowered by the very Spirit of God but, in truth, our faith is in “the Most Faithful of Faithful Friends”  

Second, there is established precedent for “converting” “hope” to “faith” in translating the ancient Greek.  We have cited more than five score of ancient Greek writ that institute this conversion.  

Third, even if we were mistaken in adopting “faith,” the message of the “profession of our hope” would be implicit in the phrase “profession of our faith.”  As the Scripture saith, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.”  In addition, the words “profession of our faith” express the belief of all of God’s children and, more importantly, the truth of God.  

We trust that our arguments will forestall any future disputations on this conversion, though we fear a bit that the adversary of our Lord will somehow manage to play havoc. (End of selected quotes)  

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For those who object to this article

I understand that If I object to this article, that I need to take certain steps:

1. I need to clearly understand for myself what is the specific basis of my objection

2. I need to remember that other people cannot read my mind and may not understand what I have a problem with, and I will need to be patient in explaining my objection. 

3. I need to examine my own motives and decide what is pushing me or motivating me to respond about this article. If there is an issue of lack of accuracy, then I do need to bring this up.

But if the issue is that the article is accurate, then I need to understand how I should be responding to the parts that I already know and understand are true. 

4. I need to be wise, so that I do not use my own lack of knowledge, as the basis for objecting too fast. There are many questions and much documentation that can be provided to those who may object. If I have a problem I can ask for this documentation, but I need to be sure and ask myself just what I am placing my SECURITY in, as a fellow Christian.  

5. does the article upset me because it may be TRUE, and I am disturbed because I am finding that I have put my security in a Version of the Bible that either is NOT accurate or that was NOT accurately translated ?

6. does this mean that I may be in spiritual danger, and that I need to do much more research personally, for myself, and stop taking the word of some Pastors or leaders who are simply telling me NOT to worry about these issues, but to be warm and filled and go back to sleep ?

7. Do I need to undertand that even though some of these Pastors who "bless" all versions may have good intentions, that they may not have the gift of Biblical Discernment, and therefore they may not understand either their own need to do a great deal of personal research on this matter, so that they do not endanger the Congregation and individual Church members that they have been entrusted with ?

8. Is the church that I am going to either part of a denomination that now is Liberal or has turned its back on God or historic Christianity, or part of a group that is endorsing Unbliblical or Anti-Historic Practices such as Word of Faith or selling the Gospel by Trends such as using Church Consultants that are far more committed to Church NUMBER growth, and NOT the individual Spiritual Maturity of the Christians that are ALREADY there ?

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The Real Question is what are you going to do with the information that was presented in this article.

Is the Information True ?

Is the Information Accurate ?

Is the Information documented ?

Do I - before God - have a responsibility if I am a Christian to accept and act on the information in this article ?

Am I comfortable in the knowledge, that some leaders under the guise of clarifying the text of the Bible, are actually changing that text, and changing MY understanding of what God wants to share with me through His Holy Word, the Old Testament and the New Testament ?

Do I understand that these "small" changes number from the hundreds to the THOUSANDS depending on which Modern Versions I use, and that these changes serve to cut away the clarity and the specific understanding found in the Greek New Testament, that these new modern versions are preventing me from understanding ?

Do I understand that most of these new Modern Versions were not developed because there was a genuine need, but because the teams of Bible Translators were Hired by PUBLISHING companies who are eager to make a profit on the Word of God, which remains the Number ONE bestseller every week of every year, and that these Publishers decided to cash in ?

Do I understand that the problem was that if these Bible Adjusters and Correctors did NOT make the changes that they chose to, that they would not be able to claim copyright protection, and therefore they would not be able to make a financial Profit from their new versions ?

Do I understand that there are Spiritual Forces that want to prevent me from having GREATER spiritual understanding about God, but that God himself is always in MORE of a hurry than I am, for Me to get to know HIM ?

Do I realize what my personal state of preparation will be, within me, when Islam becomes the Dominant Religion in the United States, as it is already in Europe, and how I will personally be required to defend my Faith, by argument and persuasion, using knowledge of the Bible and of History and of Christianity, and that God will rightly hold me accountable because I am claiming to be His Child and a personal follower of Jesus Christ ?

In view of these facts, should I try to set aside more time for the study of the Word of God, and more time for the study of History and the true history of the Christian Church, and to learn about how other Christians in the past, actually learned to have and to gain GREAT spiritual strength ?

If no one reaches out to help prepare me for the coming challenges, whose job is it STILL for me to be prepared to answer these challenges and questions ?

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I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
 

II Timothy 2: 15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
 

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