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CERTAINTY.—The ways in which ‘certainty’ is expressed in the Gospels are frequently indirect. So far, however, as certainty is expressed by direct terms, various phrases are employed for the purpose. Of these the most frequent are ἀóöáëÞò and its derivatives ἀóöáëßæù , ἀóöÜëåéá , ἀóöáëῶò . These always express objective security; the certainty which is or might be verified, and which consists in an accurate correspondence with facts.
Thus in his preface St. Luke (Luk_1:4) says he has ‘traced the course of all things accurately … that thou mightest know the certainty …’ ( ἀóöáëåéá , cf. Act_5:23, 1Th_5:3); the traitor says, ‘Take him and lead him away safely’ (Mar_14:44 ἀóöáëῶò , cf. Act_2:36; Act_5:23; Act_16:23); Pilate says, ‘Command that the sepulchre be made sure’ (Mat_27:64-66 ἀóöáëßæù , cf. Act_16:24). With these passages may be compared the use of ἀóöáëÞò elsewhere in NT. viz. Act_21:34; Act_22:30; Act_25:26, Php_3:1, Heb_6:19. The derivatives of âÝâáéïò are also employed, but with a force more or less distinctly moral or subjective. Thus the disciples are said to have ‘preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word’ (Mar_16:20 âéâáéüù , cf. Rom_15:8, 1Co_1:5; 1Co_1:8, 2Co_1:21, Col_2:7, Heb_2:3; Heb_13:9). Sometimes it is the disciples themselves who are ‘confirmed’ or ‘stablished.’ Outside the Gospela âÝâáéïò and âåâáéùóéò occur with some frequency, being specially characteristic of the Ep. to Heb. (cf. 2Pe_1:10; 2Pe_1:19, Rom_4:18, 2Co_1:7. Heb_2:2; Heb_3:6; Heb_6:18-19; Heb_9:17, Php_1:7). In Luk_23:47 ὀíôùò occurs, ‘Certainly this was a righteous man’; and in Luk_4:23 ôáíôùò , ‘Doubtless ye will say to me …’ (cf. Act_21:22; Act_28:4, 1Co_9:10); but these are adverbial qualitatives of no great importance. [It is hardly necessary to remark that in the great majority of the passages in which the word ‘certain’ occurs in the English versions, it renders the indefinite pronoun ôéò , where it has nothing to do with certainty, but is merely an idiomatic phrase equivalent to ‘some’ in a quite indefinite sense].
With this use of language it is instructive to compare the opposite ‘uncertainty’ which is expressed by ἀôïñßá , ἀôïñåïìáé , commonly translated ‘perplexed,’ though the meaning is rather that of hesitancy than of perplexity, as one finds no way out of a difficulty, and so is brought to pause. These words occur in Luk_21:25 and Joh_13:22 ‘doubting of whom he spake’ (cf. Act_25:20, 2Co_4:8, Gal_4:20). it is also worth while to compare such occasional use of ôßóôéò as ‘given assurance unto all men’ (Act_17:31); and that of ðëçñïöïñßá , ‘full assurance’ (Col_2:2, 1Th_1:5, Heb_6:11).
But apart from special terms expressing certainty, the broad fact itself has, of course, a large place in the Gospels and in the mind of the Lord Jesus. This is usually represented by saying that a person or a thing is ‘known,’ where ïἶäá is the verb employed. This verb is a ‘perfect-present,’ and by its very form indicates the possession of knowledge, not its acquirement. In a number of passages the sense is accordingly best rendered not by ‘I know,’ but by ‘I am sure of.’
The following are instances from the Gospels of this way of expressing certainty:—‘Fear ye not, for I am certain that ye are seeking Jesus who was crucified’ (Mat_28:5); ‘Master, we are certain that thou speakest and teachest straightforwardly’ (Luk_20:21); ‘We speak what we are certain of, and bear evidence of what we have seen’ (Joh_3:11); ‘No longer do we believe through thy report, for we ourselves have heard and are certain’ (Joh_4:42); ‘What sign doeat thou that we may feel certainty, and may trust thee?’ (Joh_6:30); ‘This is Jesus the son of Joseph; we are certain of his father and mother’ (Joh_6:42, cf. Joh_7:27); ‘Give glory to God; we are certain this man is a sinner. He therefore answered, If he is a sinner I am not so certain; of one thing I am certain, that, being blind, henceforth I see’ (Joh_9:24-25); ‘Even now I am certain that whatsoever thou mayest ask of God, God will give thee’ (Joh_11:22); ‘He that hath seen beareth witness, and his witness is true ( ἁëçèóÞ ), and he is certain that he speaketh true ( ἀëçèῆ ), that ye also may believe’ (Joh_19:35, cf. Joh_21:24). sometimes ïἱäá is used of God’s knowledge with its unerring certainty; and at other times of man’s knowledge of God which springs from personal trust and love.
It is characteristic that the grounds on which certainty is shown in the Gospels to rest are moral grounds rather than intellectual; for commonly it is moral certitude, not scientific security, which is in view. On the one hand, the foundation of certainty is the faithfulness of God: this is well illustrated in the case of Zacharias (Luk_1:18-20), and in that of Mary (Luk_1:37-38). On the other hand, certainty is won through men’s trust ( ðßóôéò ) in God or in Christ. So the Lord said, ‘Whosoever shall say unto this mountain … and shall not doubt ( äéáêñßíù ) in his heart, but shall believe … he shall have it’ (Mar_11:23 | Mat_21:21). To Peter as he began to fear and sink He said, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ ( äéóôÜæù , Mat_14:31). And when it is recorded of the disciples to whom the Lord appeared after His resurrection, that ‘they saw him, and worshipped, but some doubted’ ( äéóôÜæù , Mat_28:17), He met this mixed regard by a great personal affirmation, and a great charge laid on them, which formed in point of fact the strongest appeal to their most certain trust. See, further, art. Assurance.
Literature.—See the it. at Assurance, and add—E. White, Certainty in Religion; J. Clifford, Christian Certainties; W. R. Harper, Religion and the Higher Life, pp. 88–100; G. A. Coe, Religion of a Mature Mind, 109–132; A. E. Garvie, The Gospel for To-day, 34: Princeton Theol. Rev. i. 138 (Warfield); Homiletic Rev. xlvi 413 (Wright); Expos. Times, vii. 438, 533.
E. P. Boys-Smith.