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how does the new testament concept of 'faith as assurance of things hoped for' relate to jeremiah's promise?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

The book of Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians in the late first century CE, encourages perseverance in faith amidst persecution and challenges. This verse opens a famous chapter that surveys numerous figures from Israel's history, highlighting how their lives demonstrated faith in God's promises, even when those promises were not fully realized in their lifetime.

What future promise, yet unseen, are you being called to trust in today?

Then — the setting

The book of Hebrews was likely written around 60-90 CE to a community of Jewish believers facing pressure to revert to Judaism, possibly due to persecution or simply the difficulty of maintaining their Christian identity. The author emphasizes the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant over the Old, using Old Testament figures as examples of enduring faith. The concept of faith here is not merely intellectual assent but a profound trust and active reliance on God's character and future promises, grounding present perseverance in the reality of what is yet to come.

Across the Testaments

Hebrews 11:1, a New Testament definition, characterizes faith as assurance and conviction in the unseen, especially future promises. This echoes deeply with Old Testament narratives, such as Jeremiah's promise in Jeremiah 29:11 (or other passages where God promises restoration, a new covenant, or a future King). Jeremiah's prophecy was given to people in exile or facing imminent exile, promising a future of hope and well-being after a period of suffering. For Jeremiah's audience, this promise was 'hoped for' and 'not seen' – it required faith to believe in a good future when their present was bleak. The New Testament passage in Hebrews interprets this enduring trust in God's word, even across generations and in the face of delay, as the very essence of faith, culminating in Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Jeremiah 29:11
This verse offers a well-known promise of a future, hope, and well-being, which often requires faith to embrace amidst present difficulties.
Romans 8:24-25
Paul speaks of salvation as a hope not yet fully seen, mirroring the idea of faith as conviction in unseen realities.
2 Corinthians 5:7
This verse directly states that believers 'walk by faith, not by sight,' reinforcing the theme of trusting what is not physically apparent.

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