That body of essential truth to which Christians hold. It is revealed by God and is to be passed on by faithful teachers. Believers are urged to remain true to the faith and to contend for it.
Faith as the truth that Christians believe
Galatians 1:23; 1 Timothy 2:7 See also Acts 6:7; Ephesians 4:5; 1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 3:15
They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.
Terms equivalent to ``the faith''
The truth: John 14:6; 1 Timothy 3:15; 3 John 1:3; Acts 2:42 the apostles' teaching; Galatians 1:6–9; Philippians 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:13–14 the good deposit
Aspects of ``the faith'' summarised
Acts 2:22–24, Acts 2:32–33; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Philippians 2:5–11; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Timothy 1:15, 1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:11–13; Hebrews 6:1–2
The source and transmission of the faith
The faith has been given by God
Galatians 1:11–12 See also John 1:17, John 8:40; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21
For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
The faith is passed on by apostles and teachers
Titus 1:9 See also John 15:20; Acts 4:20; 2 Timothy 2:2; 2 Peter 1:16
He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
Christians must remain true to the faith
Acts 14:21–22; 1 Corinthians 16:13 See also Hebrews 4:14–16
They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
Being strengthened in the faith
Philippians 1:25; Colossians 2:6–7 See also Ephesians 4:11–13; Jude 1:20
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
The danger of turning from the faith
Matthew 24:10; Hebrews 6:6 See also Acts 13:8; 2 Corinthians 13:5–6; 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:20–21; Hebrews 2:1, Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 10:35, Hebrews 12:25
At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,
and then have fallen away — to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
Christians must contend for the faith
Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending together as one for the faith of the gospel,
Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
Refuting false teachers
See also 1 Timothy 4:1–6; 2 Timothy 3:6–8; Titus 1:10–13; 2 John 1:7
Witnessing to the truth
Contending for the faith is a responsibility of leaders
Apostles: Philippians 1:7, Philippians 1:15–16; 2 Timothy 4:7; 1 Timothy 3:2 overseers, who must be able to teach; 1 Timothy 3:9 deacons; 1 Timothy 6:12 Timothy, responsible for the church at Ephesus
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.