the things hoped for. If the second meaning is right (as RSV prefers), the sense is that faith consists of the conviction that what is hoped for will happen. The difference is that between a state and an activity. To decide which is preferable, the meaning of the further word conviction (elenchos) must be considered. This word basically means ‘proof, test’, which suggests that faith is seen as the proof of the reality of things not seen. If both parts of the sentence are to be regarded as parallel