The previous article looked at the first verse of the famous “faith chapter” of Hebrews 11. (By the way, that’s a label of convenience, based on the chapter’s content. While it’s a pretty good one, the original author of Hebrews probably didn’t even include “chapters” in the original letter.) Let’s continue in that chapter, while still remembering the context.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.11.1-2.NIV
Where some people talk about someone’s faith as kind of an “optional” thing, like a preference or opinion (maybe no more significant than your favorite sports teams or political party affiliation), faith in Jesus Christ isn’t merely a “nice to have”. More than that, faith in salvation through Jesus has very concrete implications: it produces specific results in the lives of those who have that faith, affecting their own choices and what God does in their lives.
In Hebrews 11:2, those who demonstrated faith in God were “commended”. Ancient people, living long before the ministry of Jesus Christ, didn’t even know Jesus’ name (because He hadn’t been born yet). However, in faith, they were sure that God would keep His promises to them. A commentary [Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.340] wrote, “The ancients were commended by God for this faith in his promises and in the future which he held before them, even though there may have been no tangible proof of that future other than God’s total truthfulness.” [emphasis in original]
I like a footnote in the NASB on the phrase “gained approval” (“were commended for” in the NIV), suggesting that this could be translated “obtained a good testimony”. Each person mentioned later in this chapter as having made a good decision because of their faith could – if they were still living today – affirm how God was faithful to them, and how He delivered exactly what He promised. They didn’t have the results in hand when they acted in faith, but we can now look back and see how God was always faithful, even when His plan extended past these individuals’ time on this earth. Their choices, along with God’s faithfulness, provide a testimony to us.
Having said that, are these people still living today? After all, I believe that the soul lives on after the body dies, so isn’t the spirit of each of these ancient people who lived out their faith still alive? Since I’m not sure how time works in the spiritual world, I don’t know for sure, but I do believe that the witness of these faithful people (not verbally, but instructively) spoke to first-century Jewish Christians: followers of Jesus who needed to know if they should continue to rely on their faith to make decisions, trusting that a faithful God would keep His promises. And, in the same way, the testimonies of ancient people of faith speak – or shout – to us today, especially when we think about acting upon faith (i.e., knowing that God’s word is true and that God’s character is holy), even as we consider the implications of acting outside of that faith when it seems easier to do the wrong thing.
And, if you already have that same faith in God’s character, power, and reliability, let’s remember that our faith is also a testimony (like those in ancient times). Whenever we do something for God before we have the results already in hand, we testify to His faithfulness. Whenever our behavior says that we’re trusting God for what He will provide, we testify to His character. Do your choices provide a good testimony?
From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 12, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
