' In these discourses, too, Jesus' primary task is to bind men to Him by faith. The chief difference is that here, consonantly with the nature of the discourses recorded, much more prevail- ing stress is laid upon the higher aspects of faith, and we see Jesus striving specially to attract to Himself a faith consciously- set upon eternal good. In a number of instances we find our- selves in much thesame atmosphere as in the Synoptics (421f. 481. 93") ; and the method of Jesus is the same throughout. Every- where He offers Himself as the object of faith, and claims faith in Himself for the highest concerns of the soul. But every- where He begins at the level at which He finds His hearers, and leads them upward to these higher things. It is so that He deals with Nathanael (151) and Nicodemus (31-) ; and it is so that He deals constantly with the Jews, everywhere requiring faith in Himself for eternal life (521 25. as 635- ■)»■ ^^ 73« S^-i lO-^s m i2«. 46), declaring that faith in Him is the certain outcome of faith in their own Scriptures (548 47), is demanded by the witness borne Him by God in His mightv works (lO^S- 36. 37), is involved in and is indeed identical with faith in God (625. 38 640. 45 847 1244), and is the one thing which God requires of them (629), and the failure of which will bring them eternal ruin (318 638 (pi 824). When dealing with His followers. His primary care was to build up their faith in Him. Witness especially His solicitude for their faith in the last hours of His intercourse with them. For the faith they had reposed in Him He returns thanks to God
passionate eagerness claiming it at their hands (141- 1**. 11. l-j. Even afttr His resurrection we find Him restoring the faith of the waverer (202") with words which pronounce a special bless- ing on those who should hereafter believe on less compelling evidence— words whose point is not fully caught until we realize that they contain an intimation of the work of the Apostles as, like His own, bringing men to faith in Him (1720- 21).'
The fundamental position of faith in the Chris- tian religion, which is so strikingly expressed and implied throughout the whole NT "literature, justi- fies the distinction of the old and new covenants as the ages before and after the ' cominj; of faith ' (Gal 3^- 25). At the same time the way had been prepared for this historically by the circumstances of the time. The more the fulfilment of Israel's national hopes by special Divine interposition seemed to recede, the more stress was laid upon the necessity of trust and faith in the Divine order- inj; as a ielii;i(jus diitv.
FAITHFULNESS.— The quality of being faith- ful. • l-'idi'lity,' in the sense of trustworthiness, is .■I ,-ynu|l.^nl; sd also 'loyalty,' 'constancy.' The I la mu lit 1- nut primarily of belief entertained (altli<iut;li tli:it is hitent) ; rather of right conduct whioli, rni.-iiiatiiii; from right motive, demands and receivi-s .(.nrnliMicc and approval. Thus George Eliot {.S>"n,. <;,j,.-:,j,x.)—
' The cleepest hunger of a faithful heart Is faithfulness.*
The noun does not occur in the Gospels. There is, however, allusion to those in whom the quality (wKTTdTTis) is conspicuous ; they are the ' faithful ' {wKTTol) of Mt '24« 25=1- -\ Lk 12''2 le'""!-'— where the word TTiffri! has tlie meaninj; of being trustworthy in the discharge of duty. It is their conduct, not their creed, to which attention is specially directed. At the same time it should be remarked that the ttio-tAtt;! implied (certainly in Mt 24''= 2521-23, l^ 1'2''2) is closely bound u]i with an allegiance owned and recognized. It is sui;uisti\c of faith which, because genuine, comiHls i,, loyal obedience, and cannot but issue in works (• /.n /m qui n'agit point, cst-cc nnc foi sincere f' Kacine). The trustjy are the trustful (cf. Lightfoot, Gal. p. 155) ; and it is precisely those who feel themselves able to cling to something external to themselves who are most solicitous that their lives should be spent in useful See Faith. H. L. Jackson.
Revelation (19IJ2), p. 204 ff.. Christian Char 63 ff.; G. Ferries, Grmnth of Christian Faith mann. Faith and Morals (1904), p. 7 ff. See a Doubt, Justification, Righteousness. i
FALL. — The various questions suggested in re- gard to the relation of the Fall to Jesus Christ may be treated under the following heads :
i. The Messianic element in the story of the Fall, ii. The Fall in its bearing on the work of Christ in (1) the
Incarnation, (2) its redemptive aspects, iii. The Fall in its bearing on the Person of Christ, iv. Our Lord's own teaching (or that of the Gospels) on the Fall.
i. The Me.ssianic element in the story of THE Fall. — It is not within the scope of this Dictionary to discuss the general character of the OT narrative of the Fall. Wo may here simjily assume as accepted the view t'li.it in (In .'i we lia\r an account, cast in the pictorial form ( Iniractn . istic of the period to which it liclon^;s, (.f the br-in- ning of human sin, with its attendant evils of suffering and death. Whatever opinion may be held as to the literary materials .and composition of the narrative, it commends itself as in all essen- tial features a unique and authoritative record of great fundamental facts of human life and history ; and its Divine inspiration is sufficiently attested by the profound truthfulness and significance of its moral and religious teaching.