Is the "faith" of Hebrews 12:2 referring to the faith of "all" of us, or "each" of us?

Is the "faith" of Hebrews 12:2 referring to the faith of "all" of us, or "each" of us?

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Hebrews 12:2, in part:

[ESV] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith
[NIV] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith
[KJV] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith
[Greek] ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν

Does πίστεως here mean:

  1. "the" faith, specifically the shared Christian faith that started with Him and will be completed by Him, or
  2. "our" faith, as in the faith of each one of us individually (implying that Jesus personally gave us each faith and is the one who is building each of us up in faith)?

I’ve always read it in the second way: trusting that Jesus is growing my faith as I continue to abide in Him, but I’m questioning this today.

Does the Greek construction imply a more general collective usage, or a personal, individual usage? Or both?

I’m not looking for personal opinion on this unless you can back it up with a thorough understanding. Thanks for any input.

2 Comments

  • Reply January 27, 2026

    Troy Day

    who amongst our @followers can tell us about this?

  • Reply January 27, 2026

    DrCharles Satterwhite

    Yes

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