# Connecting Statement:

The author tells three things about faith in this brief introduction.

# Now

This word is used here to mark a break in the main teaching. Here the author starts to explain the meaning of "faith."

# faith is the assurance about the things that are confidently expected

This can be stated in active form. AT: "faith is what allows a person to confidently expect certain things" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# confidently expected

Here this refers specifically to the sure promises of God, especially the certainty that all believers in Jesus will live with God forever in heaven.

# that are still not seen

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that we still have not seen" or "that still have not happened" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# For because of this

"Because they were certain about events that had not happened"

# the ancestors were approved for their faith

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God approved of our ancestors because they had faith" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# the ancestors

The author is speaking to the Hebrews about Hebrew ancestors. AT: "our ancestors" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# the universe was created by God's command

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God created the universe by commanding it to exist" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# what is visible was not made out of things that were visible

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God did not create what we see out of things that were visible"