Hebrews 11:3

He enters on the confirmation and exemplification of his proposition by instances; first from an especial object of faith, and then proceeds unto the actings of it in them who by virtue of it did actually and really believe. The former he expresseth in this verse.

Hebrews 11:3. Πίστει νοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὰ βλεπόμενα γεγονέναι.

Πίστει. Syr., בְּהַיְמָנוּתָא, “by faith.” So all others, “per fidem,” “by faith;” for being put absolutely, it denotes the instrumental cause.

Νοοῦμεν, “intelligimus,” “we understand.” Νοέω is principally in the first place “to consider,” to agitate any thing in the mind; and consequently “to understand,” which is the end of that consideration.

Κατρητίσθαι . Syr., דֶּאתְתַקַנוּ, “were ordained, disposed, ordered.” Vulg. Lat., “aptata;” which the Rhemists render by “framed:” but “aptata” is more significant. Others, “aedificata, constructa, ornata, praeparata, creata, condita;” “built, made, adorned, prepared, created.” For the word signifies “so to make, or be made, as to be prepared, orderly disposed, and adorned.” The active is “to finish, to complete, to make a thing every way perfect.” In the New Testament it is most generally used for “to order, prepare, dispose, to set in order,” Matthew 4:21; Matthew 21:16; Luke 6:40; Romans 9:22; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:10. And it is the word used by our apostle to express the providing, making, or preparation of the body of Christ, Hebrews 10:5. See the exposition of that place.

Τοὺς αἰῶνας. “secula,” “seculum,” “mundum;” “the worlds,” or “world.”

Εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων. The Syriac, by transposing the words of this latter clause of the verse, makes the sense more plain, “that the things which are seen, were,” or “arose from things that are not seen.” Vulg. Lat., “ut ex invisibilibus visibilia fierent.” “That of invisible things visible things might be made,” Rhem., improperly; γεγονέναι is not “might be made,” but “were made;” and εἰς τό is as much as ὥστε, “so that.” The Arabic and Ethiopic wholly forsake the text, or sense of the words. Some render the words as if they were, εἰς τὸ ἐκ μὴ φαινομένων, by a transposition of the negative particle μή; and then the negative is to be referred unto φαινομένων, and not to γεγονέναι. In the latter way the sense is, as rendered in our translation, “the things that are seen were not made of the things that appear;” in the other it is, “the things that are seen were made of things that do not appear:” which may have an understanding coincident with the other.

Τὰ βλεπόμενα, “quae cernimus,” “quae cernuntur;” “which we see,” [3] “which are seen.”

[3] VARIOUS READING. Τὸ βλεπόμενον is the reading of the best Mss. “The doctrine negatived is that which teaches that each successive condition of the universe is generated (γεγονέναι) from a preceding condition, (as the plant from the seed,) by a mere material development, which had no beginning in a Creator's will.” Conybeare and Howson. ED.

Hebrews 11:3. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

In this first instance of the power and efficacy of faith, the apostle hath respect unto the second clause of his general description of it, “the evidence of things not seen.” For although this world, and the things contained in it, are visible, and are here said to be seen, yet the original framing and making of them hath a principal place among things not seen. And to prove that faith hath a respect unto all unseen things as unseen, he gives an instance in that which was so long past as the creation of the world; all his other instances declare its efficacy in the prospect of unseen things that are future.

1. That which is here ascribed unto faith is, that it is the instrumental cause of it: “By faith.” And where faith is spoken of as the instrumental cause of any thing, it always takes in or includes its object as the principal cause of the same thing. So where it is said that we are “justified by faith,” it includes Christ and his righteousness as the principal cause of our justification; faith being only the instrument whereby we apprehend it. And here, where it is said that “by faith we understand that the worlds were framed,” it includes its object, namely, the divine revelation that is made thereof in the word of God. For there is no other way for faith to instruct us herein, or give us an understanding of it, but by its assent unto divine revelation. The revelation of it being made, faith is the only way and means whereby we understand it, and assent unto it. “By faith we understand;” that is, by faith we assent unto the divine revelation of it.

The apostle lays here a good foundation of all his ensuing assertions: for if by faith we are assured of the creation of the world out of nothing, which is contrary to the most received principle of natural reason, “Ex nihilo nihil fit,” “Nothing comes of nothing,” it will bear us out in the belief of other things that seem impossible unto reason, if so be they are revealed. In particular, faith well fixed on the original of all things as made out of nothing, will bear us out in the belief of the final restitution of our bodies at the resurrection, which the apostle instanceth in as unto some of his worthies.

2. That which is ascribed unto faith subjectively, or unto its operation in our minds, is, that “by it we understand.” Upon a due consideration of what is proposed in divine revelation concerning this matter, we come not only to assent unto it as true, but to have a due comprehension of it in its cause, so as that we may be said to understand it. Wherefore, “understanding” here is not opposed only unto an utter nescience or ignorance hereof, but also unto that dark and confused apprehension of the creation of the world which some by the light of reason attained unto.

Obs. 1. Those who firmly assent unto divine revelation, do understand the creation of the world, as to its truth, its season, its cause, its manner, and end. Others do only think about it unsteadily and uncertainly. It was never determined among the ancient sages of the world, the pretended priests of the mysteries of reason. Some said one thing, and some another: some said it had a beginning, some said it had none; and some assigned such a beginning unto it, as it had been better it never had any. Nothing but an assent unto divine revelation can give us a clear understanding hereof. And,

Obs. 2. Then doth faith put forth its power in our minds in a due manner, when it gives us clear and distinct apprehensions of the things we do believe. Faith that gives not understanding, is but fancy.

3. The object of this faith, materially considered, is “the worlds;” and of them three things are affirmed:

(1.) That “they were framed.”

(2.) By what means; “by the word of God.”

(3.) In what manner; so as “that the things which are seen,” etc.

The object of this faith is “the worlds:” for the exposition whereof, name and thing, I must refer the reader unto that of Hebrews 1:2. (1.) Of these worlds, that which we understand by faith is, that “they were framed.” The word here used doth nowhere signify the original production of any thing, but the ordering, disposing, fitting, perfecting, or adorning, of that which is produced. Nor is it anywhere applied to express the creation, or making of the world. Wherefore, although that be included herein (for that which is framed, fashioned, or fitted, must be first made or created), yet something more is intended; namely, the disposal of all created things into that beautiful order which we do behold. For the apostle hath especial respect unto the “things that are seen,” as they are orderly, beautiful, and glorious, setting forth the glory of Him by whom they were made; as Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:3; Psalms 19:1-2; Romans 1:20. So it is said, that God “by his Spirit garnished the heavens,” Job 26:13, that is, cast them into that curious, glorious frame which we behold; whence they are called “the work of his fingers,” Psalms 8, from a curious application of power in their frame and order. Hence he is said to “fashion” this work, Job 10:8; Psalms 119:73; that is, to give it shape and order. And the apostle hath in this word respect unto Genesis 2:1, ויכֻלוּ, “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished,” perfected, completely framed. Being originally, as unto the matter of them, created out of nothing, in the six days'work they were completely finished and perfected. And,

Obs. 3. As God's first work was, so all his works shall be perfect. He undertakes nothing but what he will finish and complete in beauty and order. And not only the original production of all things out of nothing, but the framing of them into their present order, is a demonstration of the eternal power of God.

And because the apostle hath respect not merely unto the work of creation, but unto the perfecting and finishing of it in and upon the sixth day's work, he ascribes the understanding of it unto faith alone. For although some few had notions of the original creation of all things by a divine power, yet none ever knew any thing of this framing of the world, or the reducing of the matter of it into perfect order, but by divine revelation only. So we understand it by faith.

(2.) The efficient cause of this framing the worlds is the “word of God;” that exertion of his almighty power which was expressed by his word, ‘Let it be so and so,'which was the sign of it, and the indication of its exercise. And the apostle treating of the gradual fashioning of the world into its perfection, hath respect unto the repetition of that word in every day's work, until the whole was accomplished. By this “word of God,” or by the divine power of God, whose gradual operation was signified by the repetition of that creating word, “the worlds were made.”

And the ineffable facility of almighty power in the production of all things out of nothing, and the framing of them into their perfect state, is intimated in this expression, “He spake, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood fast.” It is alike easy to him to dispose of all things that are made. And so faith, as unto the disposal of all things by divine Providence, in times of greatest difficulties and insuperable obstacles, is secured by the consideration of the easy production of all things out of nothing by the same power. And this is that which the apostle intends to fix on the minds of believers in this fundamental instance of the work and effects of faith. But whereas that which he exhorts and encourages his Hebrews unto is a patient continuance in the profession of the gospel, against all difficulties and oppositions, giving them assurance that faith will enable them thereunto; this of its assent unto the creation of the world, a thing so long since past, doth not seem to be of any use or force unto these ends. For although we may believe the creation of the worlds by an act of divine power, yet it doth not seem to follow thence that faith will strengthen us, and make us victorious in our sufferings. But two things the apostle aims to evince herein, which are eminently suited unto this design:

[1.] That “faith is the evidence of things not seen;” thereby to call the Hebrews unto the consideration of its proper object, whereon when it is duly fixed it will carry them comfortably through all their difficulties.

[2.] That they might know how easy it is with God to help, relieve, and deliver them, by changing the nature of all things at his pleasure, who by his word, through an almighty facility, erected and perfected the worlds. And this consideration doth God himself frequently propose for the confirmation of the faith of the church in all their troubles, Isaiah 40:28; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 45:12; Isaiah 51:13.

(3.) The way whereby the worlds were thus framed, is declared in the latter part of the verse: “So that things which are seen,” etc.

[1.] The subject spoken of is τὰ βλεπόμενα, “things that are seen.” This is not of the same extent with the τοὺς αἰῶνας, “the worlds,” which were framed; for they comprise all things visible and invisible, in heaven and earth, Colossians 1:16. But the apostle restrains the subject spoken of unto those things which are the objects of our senses, and our reason working by them; these aspectable heavens and the earth, with all their host and ornaments; for these are they that in the first place and immediately “declare the glory of God,” Psalms 8, 19; Romans 1:20. All things that are seen, or that may be seen; the heavenly orbs with all their glorious luminaries, the earth with all that is on it and in it, the sea with all its fullness; all these things that are seen by us, by any of mankind, or that may be so, with these things, their greatness, their glory, their order, their use, the minds of men are and ought to be affected.

[2.] Of these things it is affirmed, that they “were not made of things which do appear.” “Made” they were, but “not of things which do appear;” which seems to be a negation of any pre-existing material cause. Some, as was observed, by the transposition of the negative particle, read the words, “were made of things that do not appear;” that is, they were made by the invisible power of God. So it answers unto that of the same apostle, Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.” These visible things were made by those which are invisible, even the eternal power and wisdom of God. And this sense I would embrace, if the phrase ἐκ φαινομένων would bear it, which seems rather to respect the material than the efficient cause. But we may observe,

1 st . That φαινόμενα are things that “appear clearly, illustriously,” in their shape and order.

2 dly . That the apostle doth not speak absolutely of the first original production of all things out of nothing, but of the forming, framing, and fashioning of all things into their proper state and order, called the “finishing of the heavens and the earth, with their host,” or order and ornaments.

3 dly . There is therefore in the words,

(1st.) A negation of any pre-existing material cause unto the creation of these worlds:

(2dly.) An assignation of the only efficient cause of it, which is the power of God; which things are rather supposed than asserted in the words: (3dly.) Respect unto the order of the creation of all things, in bringing them unto their perfection. Now this was, that all the things which we now behold, in their order, glory, and beauty, did arise or were made by the power of God, out of that chaos, or confused mass of substance, which was itself first made and produced out of nothing, having no cause but the efficiency of divine power. For hereof it is said, that it “was without form, and void, and darkness was upon it,” Genesis 1:2; that is, though absolutely, as a material substance, it was visible, yet it did not appear conspicuously in any shape or form, it was “void, and without form;” no such things at all appeared as the things which we now behold, that were made out of it by the power of God.

Wherefore in these words, which have much of obscurity and difficulty in them, the apostle doth both intimate the original production of all things out of nothing by the efficacy of divine power, and the making or framing of all things as they are in beauty and order to be seen, out of that unaspectable, unappearing matter which was first made out of nothing, and covered with darkness until it was disposed into order.

The understanding hereof we have by faith alone, from divine revelation.: Nothing of the order of the creation can be known or understood any other way. And this the apostle intimates in these particles εἰς τό, that is, ὥστε, “so that.” ‘By faith alone we understand that the worlds were made; namely, “so as that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” And,

Obs. 4. The aids of reason, with the due consideration of the nature, use, and end of all things, ought to be admitted of, to confirm our minds in the persuasion of the original creation of all things; yet are they not to be rested in, but we must betake ourselves unto faith fixed on divine revelation. For,

(1.) If they are alone they will be often shaken with a contrary rational maxim, namely, “Ex nihilo nihil fit.”

(2.) They can give us re light into the way and manner of the creation of all things, which faith alone discovers.