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THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE HELLENISTIC ROOTS OF THE CONCEPT OF FAITH IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
The Concept of Faith in the Old Testament
Firstly, we have to look at the Old Testament background of faith since Mark’s setting was furnished by the late Judaism, which in turn was a development from Hebrew religion as evidenced in the Old Testament.
Faith Terminology in the Old Testament
The Hebrew Bible uses the root ‘mn to express what the Septuagint translates as Greek 11(on~. This root occurs in the Hebrew Bible in its noun forms (’emund), as adjectives (’emet), and most frequently in verbal forms. The verb ‘mn occurs in Qal, Nip’al, and Hip’il forms.
In the Qal form (only in the participle) it never means « believe » (Healey 1992:744), but expresses the basic sense of »to carry », « to hold » or the sense of connection between mother, nurse and child (2 Sam. 4:4; Nu. 11:12; Is. 49:23).
The root occurs in the Nip’al form referring to firm places (Is. 22:23); permanent posts in the royal service (1 Sam. 2:35; 1 Ki. 11:38); to the people oflsrael in perpetuity (Is. 7:9); to a variety of notions all of which have the sense of firmness, stability, confidence (1 Sam. 2:35; 3:20; Deut. 7:9,12; Is. 49:7; Jer. 42:5; 1 Ki. 8:26; Ps. 89:29, 111 :7; Neh. 9:8). In most cases the Nip’al is used in a profane meaning and connected with an object. It is shown to be a formal concept whose content is in each case determined by the specific subject. The context of practical experience was to impart some special sense to this form.
Only in the Hip’il form the root denotes a meaning close to believe or rather to trust. It also includes an idea of being firm and secure. Most of the texts with the Hip’il form imply the meaning of confidence in a certain object and in its qualities. It might be either a human person (Ex. 4:1, 1Sam. 27:12, Jer. 12:6) or information perceived by saying (!Ki. 10:7) or by vision (Ex. 14:31 ). Very frequently God is presented as an object of such relation (Gen. 15:6, Ex. 14:31, Deut. 1:32, 9:23, 2Ki. 17:14, Ps. 78:22, Jon. 3:5, etc.). With the preposition bit means to put trust in someone (Gen.15:6), and with the preposition lit seems to mean to hold something to be true, to believe (Gen. 45:26).
One more term that reflects the idea of faith in the Old Testament is batah, which means to trust in someone or to be confident, secure. In a number of parallelisms batah is entirely synonymous to the meaning of ‘mn (Ps. 78:22, Mic. 7:5). In the noun form the term means being safe, secure (Lev. 25:18, Deut. 33:12). In a verbal form this profane term becomes part ofreligious language of the wisdom literature as an expression of putting trust into God (the most of batah usages relate to the book of Psalms).
Going beyond a merely philological approach, Weiser proposes to regard the fact that two basically different and even contradictory groups of meaning are used for a person’s relation to God, namely,fear on one side and trust on the other (Weiser 1964:183). In this way the fear of God could often be quite simply an expression for faith (Gen. 20:11; 22: 12; Is. 8:13; 11 :2).
In an attempt to define32 the Old Testament concept of faith meticulous attention will be devoted to the paradigmatic usages of the root ‘mn occurring in the Torah (the faith of Abraham), in the prophets (Isaiah), and in wisdom literature (trust in God in Psalms).
Faith of Abraham (Gen. 15:6, 22:1-19)
The term ‘mn occurs for the first time in the Torah in connection with Abraham, who is probably the most prominent figure of the Old Testament concerning the question of faith. He is adduced repeatedly to as a pattern oflife in rabbinic literature and in the New Testament writings (in Paul, James, and in Hebrews). He is also called « father of faith » and « hero of faith ». The covenant with Abraham and the offering of Isaac will be considered here as model passages determining the concept offiducia in the Torah. The text of Gen. 15: 6 is considered as one of the infrequent uses of the term ‘mn with the connotation to believe. The second passage (Gen. 22:1-does not have a word for the meaning of faith but includes the idea of faith described by the « fear of the Lord » which includes a meaning close to the Old Testament concept of faith.
Faith in the Narrative of the Covenant (Gen. 15:1-6)
The main part of Genesis (chapters 12-50) may be divided into three parts, (I) the Abraham cycle (11:27-25:11), the Jacob cycle, (25:19-35:29), and the Joseph cycle (37: 1-50:26). Gen. 15 relates the agreement between God and Abraham. This agreement concerned two most important questions for Abraham: (1) his offspring and (2) the lands for their living. Verses 1-6 describe God’s promise of a son, and verses 15:7-21 concern the question of the land. To some extent the final verses Faith is described rather than defined in the Hebrew Bible (Healey 1992:745).
(15:18-21) can be seen as referring to both promises, although in literal interpretation they are more closely connected to verses 15:7-17. Chapter 15 gives some other grounds for the suggestion that the narratives in verses 1-6 and 7-21 are not chronologically connected. If in verse five the event takes place at night, verses 12 and 17 describe the time before dawn. In verse six Abraham trusts God’s promise, but in verse eight he is full of doubt and even decides to test Him. All of these facts let us suppose that the passages 15:1-6 and 15:7-21 are rooted in different sources. But if we study the nature of Abraham’s trust in God (15:6), the necessary study context will be the narrative about the promise of a son (15: 1-6).
The phrase « after these things » relates apparently to the events described in the previous chapter. The formula is often placed at the border of segments from different sources (e.g., Gen. 22: 1,20), and therefore it can be considered as an editorial link necessary to introduce the story of Abraham’s vision after the story about Lot’s deliverance.
« The word of the Lord came » is a phrase typically introducing a revelation given to a prophet (1 Sam. 15-10, Hos. 1: 1). In spite of the fact that Abraham was literally called a prophet (Gen. 20:7), his conversation with YHWH cannot be really called a prophecy, as the biblical understanding of the prophecy phenomenon presupposes a prophet who receives a message from God and has to proclaim it (Schiffman 2000:33). Only starting with Moses there appears the figure of a prophet sent to people to communicate God’s message.
« Do not be afraid. I am your shield ». This admonishment is built on war metaphors. It clearly links the text to the story of Lot’s deliverance and is parallel to the idea of God-warrior taking part in the political life of His nation.
« Your reward » is first of all connected to the rejection of payment in 14:22-24. Kaiser suggests that this is the term for a mercenary’s pay (Kaiser 1958:125). It is difficult to say whether the payment was connected to the war campaign or to Melchizedek’s blessing.
The address « Sovereign Lord » (omitted by the Septuagint) is difficult to associate with the harsh and pessimistic question-reprimand: « What will you give me, since I depart childless? » The matter is that long before that God had promised Abraham descendants (12:2, 13:16) and land to live on (12:7,13: 15). But the possibility of a child’s natural birth became more unreal year by year, and it caused doubt and pushed Abraham to reproach God (15:2-3).
The second saying ofYHWH, introduced by the same formula (« the word of the LORD came »), repeats the promise that has already been given to Abraham (12:13): your heir shall inherit from you.
The editorial comment (15:6) appears in the construction waw consec + 3 masc. sg pfhiph, which is unusual for single events in past time. It may indicate repeated action in the past, « he kept on believing » (Kautsch 1966:112). Concerning the meaning of the Hip’il form in this verse Jepsen suggests a list of variants: it can mean, « he relied on someone, gave credence to a message or considered it to be true, trusted in someone » (Jepsen 1974:308). « To believe in God here is not simply to believe in existence, but meekly to submit to his will and wait upon him in quietness and confidence » (Bultmann 1949:32). Yet, examining the verses in context it is enough to state that the basic meaning of ‘mn is trust and reliance, not intellectual acquiescence in the truth of certain propositions (Kellner 1999: 15).
This verse describes Abraham’s response to the Lord’s promise. The promise was first made long before the events described in chapter 15 took place. Then it was repeated from time to time. Postponing the fulfillment of the promise may look like a test of Abraham’s faithfulness and his attitude towards God. Chapter 15 describes that because of the long postponement and the latest war actions, which provoked certain thoughts, Abraham was close to losing his trust in God. It is expressed by his reproach-complaint in 15:2-3 and distrust in 15:8. So Abraham was close to losing his trust in God, but a new revelation repeating the previous promise and strengthened by the metaphor of stars in the night sky supports his trust and helps him to survive. In this way Abraham in Gen. 15:6 does not perform any new action which is then reckoned to him as righteousness. He preserves his trust in God, continues to trust in His word.
Arguing for the idea that Rom. 4:1-5:11 is a sermon beginning as a midrash on Gen. 15:6, Lyozov talks about two possible trends in the interpretation of Abraham’s « merit » (a reward for human achievements and a reward for faith). He states that rabbinical Judaism considers Abraham as being saved as a person of faith (the same way Paul puts it) (Lyozov 1999:22). Mechilet on Ex. 14:31 read as follows, « Our father Abraham inherited this world and the future world only as a reward33 for his faith with which he believed, for it is said « and trusted God » (ibid, 22).
Here the same term (sakar) is used as in Gen. 15:1, where the promised reward to Abraham is discussed.
INTRODUCTION
I. THE CONCEPT OF FAITH IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
I. I. Background and Introductory Material on the Gospel of Mark
1.2. Structure and Purpose of Mark
1.3. Exegesis of the Model Passages
II. THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE HELLENISTIC ROOTS OF THE CONCEPT OF FAITH IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
2.1. The Concept of Faith in the Old Testament
2.2. The pi,st-word Group in Hellenistic-Jewish World
2.3. The Influence of the OT and of Hellenism upon the use of pi,stij in Mark
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT
THE CONCEPT OF FAITH IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
