Two principal dictionary definitions of "faith" are: (1) an "unquestioning belief in God, religion, etc.," and (2) "a religion or system of religious beliefs."

In the New Testament, when the meaning of "faith" is "an unquestioning belief in God, religion, etc.," the word "faith" often is without the definite article "the" (Mark 11:22; Acts 6:5; 11:24; 20:21; Romans 1:17, 28; 5:1; I Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 2:20; 3:11; Ephesians 6:23; I Timothy 1:5; 6:11; Hebrews 10:38).

In The New Testament, when the meaning of "faith" is "a religion or system of religious beliefs," the word "faith" is often preceded by the definite article "the" (Luke 18:8; Acts 6:;7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; 24:24; I Corinthians 16:13; II Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:23; Jude 3).

"Faith," as "an unquestioning belief in God, religion, etc.," is personal, subjective, and internal, while "faith," as "a religion or system of religious beliefs," is impersonal, objective, and external.

"Faith" (pistis) is "conviction," "belief" (Thayer), "trust," "confidence" (B-G-D). In relationship to God, faith holds "that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). In relationship to Christ, faith holds that Jesus is "the originator and completer of the faith," and that "no one comes to the Father except through" him (Hebrews 12:2; John 14:6).

Personal righteousness or justification or salvation a sinner obtains by "his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:28). But salvation is not by faith alone: "the demons also believe, and tremble with fear" (James 2:19). Also, "many among the rulers believed in" Jesus, but

Also, the "worst" of sinners (Paul’s own estimate), having seen the Lord in the sky, had faith only for "three days," but still was in his sins until they were washed away in baptism (Acts 9:1-9; 22:16; I Timothy 1:15).

From the moment of Paul’s baptism (at about age 33), he lived "by faith" until, from death row in Mamertine Prison in Rome (at about age 68), he wrote, "I have kept the faith" (II Timothy 4:7). Truly he was a living example of heaven’s (Habakkuk 2:4). And what living! [T]his is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith: (I John 5:4): "from faith into faith" (ek pisteos eis pistin, Romans 1:17, faith all the way, from beginning to the end.

The Galatian Christians needed to learn that their salvation was "by faith" in Christ, not by keeping the law of Moses. The law of Moses, "which came" 430 years after the "promises were spoken to Abraham," never was designed to take care of the sin problem:

Actually, no law, Mosaic or Christ’s or any other, has any saving power: "If a law had been given which could make alive, righteousness would truly have been by law" (Galatians 3:21). If any law had inherent saving power, God would have thought of it, and would have saved his praying Son from the cross. But the only way heaven could devise by which God could "be just, and" still be "the justifier of" a sinner, was by a blood payment: "there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood: (Hebrews 9:22).

But hark! Law is not to be eliminated entirely! Faith has "a law" which guides those who "walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had," from age 75 to 99, as he walked from Haran to Canaan to Egypt and back to Canaan, thousands of "steps" (Romans 3:27; Genesis 12:4-13:1; 17:1-27).

Similarly, the faith that justified sinner in New Testament days had a "law" and steps of faith that required obedience (Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 8:2; 16:26; I Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2):

Those today who eliminate the "law of faith" from "faith" must also eliminate three inspired statements: "where there is no law, neither is there transgression" and "sin is not imputed when there is no law" and "sin is lawlessness" (Romans 4:15; 5:13; I John 3:4).

As a valid faith is not faith only, and a valid faith is not lawless, so a valid faith is not without works. True, as shown above, the works of the law of Moses are not part of the "law of faith" (Romans 3:27, 28; Galations 2:16).

Also, the "works of righteousness which we do" are not part of the "law of faith" (Romans 3:27; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Nothing that we sinners do has any saving power:

Only "the precious blood of Jesus" has any saving power (I Peter 1:18-21). But human works are required before the blood washes sins away:

In addition, there is no saving power in the "good works" that follow saving "faith" (Ephesians 2:8-10), but unless they follow, "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).

Nothing that any human can do has any saving power, but no one "will enter heaven’s kingdom" except "the one who does the will of my heavenly Father" (Matthew 7:21). Every sinner, saved by "his faith," delights in his "work of faith, and labor of love," though he knows that what he does has no saving power (I Thessalonians 1:3).

Moreover, he knows that he must "work out" his own "salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). As God’s "righteous one," he lives "by faith," a faith that is "conjoined with obedience to Christ" (Thayer), but he knows that "if he shrinks back," the Lord has announced that "my soul has no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38).

"The faith" (he pistis) is "the substance of Christian faith," or "what is believed by Christians" (Thayer), or "the common faith" (Titus 1:4), or "the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27). What is believed by Christians "comes from Christ’s teaching" and "the apostles’ doctrine" (Romans 10:17; Acts 2:42).

Jesus announced that "the message which I have spoken will judge" each person "in the last day" (John 12:48). Also he announced that the apostles’ doctrine originated in heaven before it reached the mouths or the pens of the apostles:

Four apostles (Matthew, John, Paul, Peter) wrote 21 books of the New Testament. The apostles by hand-laying could impart miraculous gifts (Acts 8:18), and one of those gifts was "prophecy" (I Corinthians 12:10). Among those having the gift of prophecy were Mark, Luke, James, Jude, and the author of the book of Hebrews, who wrote 6 books of the New Testament. Thus all 27 of the New Testament books make up the "apostles’ doctrine."

The warning that the apostle John gave about anyone’s adding to or subtracting from anything in the book of Revelation ought to alert every uninspired man about the sin of adding to or subtracting from any of the 27 books (Revelation 22:18-19; cf. I Corinthians 4:6, ASV).

The 27 New Testament books set forth "the substance of the Christian faith," "what is believed by Christians," and so they are "the faith." The alleged latter day revelations of Joseph Smith in his BOOK OF MORMON, or of Mary Baker Eddy in her book, called SCIENCE AND HEALTH, are not part of "the faith." Indeed, if "an angel from heaven" ("Moroni" of the Mormons?) "preach any other gospel" than "the gospel which" the apostles "preached" (I Corinthians 15:1-2, "let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).

"All that pertains to life and godliness" has been put in written form in the 27 books of "the faith," in order that "the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (II Peter 1:3; II Timothy 3:17). As a result, humble men of God speak only "as the oracles of God," and dare not open their mouths except by book, chapter, and verse of the New Testament (I Peter 4:11). They "speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent."

Some additional New Testament references to "the faith" are as follows:

"O the depth of the richness of God’s wisdom and knowledge," flowing from a loving heart, "not willing that any should perish" (Romans 11:33; I John 4:8; II Peter 3:9).