Girls · English (from Greek/Latin) · New Testament · classic · N/A — concept name
Faith
/FAYTH/
πίστις (Greek)
"Trust; belief; confidence in God"
Hebrews 11:1
RoleVirtue name — not a biblical character
Etymology
From the Latin 'fides' (faith, trust) via Old French 'feid'. The Greek equivalent 'pistis' appears 244 times in the New Testament. Hebrews 11:1 defines it: 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'
Who they were
Faith is a virtue name rather than the name of a biblical figure, but few words carry more weight in scripture. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a roll call of faith — Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab — each commended not for what they achieved but for what they trusted. Faith in the biblical sense is not blind belief or wishful thinking. It is confidence grounded in character — trusting God because of who he has shown himself to be. Paul's letters make faith the hinge of the gospel: 'By grace you have been saved, through faith.' James insists faith without action is dead. Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. The Puritans popularised Faith as a given name in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries alongside Hope and Charity, and it has never fully gone out of use.
Character qualities
- Trust in the unseen
- Confidence in God's character
- Active commitment
Where they appear
Themes
Variants & related forms
Faye · Fay · Fe
Read their story
Faith's story begins in Hebrews.
The full passage is at Hebrews 11:1. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.
Find a Bible to read it in →