by William Barclay
信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據。古人在這信上得了美好的證據。因著信，我們知道宇宙萬物是藉神的話語造成的；這樣，所看見的，並不是從顯然之物造出來的。(希伯來書11：1～3)
對希伯來書的作者來說，信仰絕對確定它所相信的一切都是真實的，並且它所期望的將會實現。這不是充滿渴望的希望；而是有著絕對的信念地展望未來的希望。
在宗教迫害初期，他們將一位謙卑的基督徒帶到法官面前。他告訴他們，他們所做的一切都不能動搖他，因為他相信，如果他以真誠對神，神也會以真誠對他。
「你真的認為，」法官問道：「像你這樣的人會進到神和他的榮耀那裡去？」
「我不是認為，」那人說：「我知道。」
Faith means that we are certain of the things we hope for, convinced of the thing we do not see. It was because of faith that the men of old time had their record attested. It is by faith that we understand that the world was fashioned by the word of God, so that what is seen came into being out of what is unseen.
To the writer to the Hebrews faith is absolutely certain that what it believes is true and that what it expects will come. It is not the hope which looks forward with wistful longing; it is the hope which looks forward with utter conviction.
In the early days of persecution they brought a humble Christian before the judges. He told them that nothing they could do could shake him because he believed that, if he was true to God, God would be true to him.
"Do you really think," asked the judge, "that the like of you will go to God and his glory?"
"I do not think," said the man, "I know."
**** from "The letter to the Hebrews"
