A biblical concept often misunderstood and misrepresented is that of belief and unbelief. For too many, belief involves nothing more than head knowledge, knowing the historical facts about Christ, and agreeing that they are true. Unbelief therefore is nothing more than failing to know these facts, or disagreeing with them.
It is true that one must know and understand the truth of Christ and the gospel in order to believe it, but to be content with a mere assent to biblical facts, and nothing more, is still unbelief. Likewise, unbelief goes much deeper than what we mentally agree to or disagree with.
Consider these definitions of unbelief taken from Thayers Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.
1) 543 Apeitheia. Obstinancy, obstinant, opposition to the Divine will.
2) 544 Apeitheo. 1) Not to allow one's self to be persuaded.
1a) To refuse or withhold belief.
1b) To refuse belief and obedience.
2) Not to comply with.
3) 545 Apeithes. Impersuasible, not compliant, disobedient, contumacious.
4) 570 Apistia. Unfaithfulness, faithless
Want of faith, unbelief
Weakness of faith
Now consider these definitions taken from Strong's concordance
of the New Testament.
1) 543 Apeitheia. Disbelief (obstinant and rebellious):- disobedience unbelief.
2) 544 Apeitheo. To disbelieve (willfully and perversely):- not to believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.
3) 545 Apeithes. Unpersuadable, that is contumacious:- disobedient.
4) 570 Apistia. Faithlessness, that is (negatively) disbelief (want of Christian faith), or (positively) unfaithfulness (disobedience):- unbelief.
While the idea of not believing something, is there, notice the traits that characterize unbelief. Obstinant, rebellious, not compliant to God's will, disobedient unfaithful. An unbelieving heart is dug in and hardened against spiritual truth. It refuses to submit to God's authority. By the way, contumacious means stubbornly rebellious.
Read these verses from Hebrews. Strong's numbers are used where the words unbelief and unbelieving are used. The first few verses are found in Chapter 3.
Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief (570), in turning from the living God. vs 12.
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not (544)? vs 18.
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (570). vs 19.
Now look at a few verses found in chapter 4.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter there in, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief (543). vs 6.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (543). vs 11.
The context of these verses concerns ancient Israel as they left Egypt and headed to the promised land. They failed to trust God time and time again, even though they saw the signs,wonders, and mighty miracles He performed on their behalf. They grumbled, complained, and rebelled against God in spite of the fact that His presence was with them in the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night.
Their final failure comes as they are about to cross the Jordan to enter the promised land. They listen to the evil report of eight of the ten spies, and refuse to trust God enough to enter and take possession of the promised land.
The verses quoted from Hebrews 3, and 4 were taken from the King James version. They consistently translated the Greek as unbelief, or believed not, in these verses. Later translators more accurately use disobedience in some of these instances, which gives a better understanding of what unbelief truly is. Consider these same verses taken from the NASB.
Take care brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Heb 3:12
This is speaking of unfaithfulness. A weak, lacking faith that erodes into a turning away from God.
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Heb 3:18-19
Here we see the refusal to obey, or believe (544). Vincent's word studies in the New Testament puts it this way.
(Apeitheia) disobedience is the active manifestation of (Apistia) lack of faith.
Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter in because of disobedience. Heb 4:6
This is apeitheia, the word for obstinant and rebellious behavior. This was how their unbelief manifested itself.
Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. Heb 4:11
We are warned to avoid falling into the same attitude of rebellion and disobedience that the Israelites did in the days of Moses.
We can draw several conclusions from these scriptures.
1) Without a proper trust in God, we will not obey Him. If we do not believe He will provide for us, give us strength, believe in His promises to us, we will not obey, just as Israel did not believe He would give them victory over the inhabitants of the promised land, and they chose not to go in.
2) Individuals chose not to believe, because to believe requires obedience, and as lost, selfish individuals we do not want to give up our sin.
3) We can say we believe in Christ, but it is our actions that prove our belief or unbelief. It is like the man pushing a cart on a tightrope high above a gorge. He has a volunteer get in and goes back and forth several times. He asks if those witnessing this feat, believe that he could get them across safely in the cart as well. Everyone is in hearty agreement until he asks for the next volunteer to get into the cart.
Do you believe?
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