Old Testament Believing / Faith

Now, in order to understand Hebrews 11 you have to be sure of one word, and that's the Greek word pistis. P-I-S-T-I-S. That word may be translated either faith, F-A-I-T-H, or believing. And you will never know, unless you follow context, as to whether it should be faith or believing.

Now, in order to set Hebrews 11 for you, so that we can determine without any private interpretation exactly what it should be, whether it should be translated faith or believing, I think we ought to keep our finger in Hebrews 11 and go to Galatians 3.

Galatians chapter 3, verse 22.

Galatians 3:22:
But [in contrast] the scripture hath concluded all under sin, [just body and soul men. Remember?] that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

In other words, that the promise. The promise of what? The faith of Jesus Christ, whatever that is, might be given to them when people believe or that believe. When they believe they're going to get this faith of Jesus Christ. Now, verse 23.

Galatians 3:23:
But before faith came,…

Before faith came. Before it came. Then there must have been a time when there was no what, class? {Faith.} Right. Now that word faith is the word pistis.

Galatians 3:23:
… before faith came, [now it’ll tell you when it was] we were kept under the [what] law, [So the period of the law cannot have faith in it, because faith had not yet come.] shut up [closed off] unto the faith which should afterwards [after the law] be revealed.