"Everyone else would climb a peak by looking for a path somewhere in the mountain. [John] Nash would climb another mountain altogether and from that distant peak would shine a searchlight back onto the first peak."
-Donald Newman (A Beautiful Mind by S. Nasar, p. 12)
I have struggled with what should come first, a discussion of biblical faith or a discussion of quantum physics (or quantum mechanics). In the end, I had to consider what came from what. Many scientists would claim that their faith—if they have any at all—evolved from their study of the science. For me it was Biblical faith that revealed the mysteries of mathematics and physics.
There is a verse in Scripture that many know or have heard (even people who have never picked up a Bible). The New American Standard translation of Luke 17:6 says:
There is a verse in Scripture that many know or have heard (even people who have never picked up a Bible). The New American Standard translation of Luke 17:6 says:
And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you”. (NASB)
I have to admit that my faith is much smaller than mustard seed, which by the way is very tiny. I have always used, not by choice, sweat, blood, and a shovel to move trees (or at least very small trees). Although I have never held a mustard seed, there in an abundance of information about them is available through the internet. I suppose Jesus had first-hand experience when he spoke about a mustard seed—I have no reason to doubt otherwise.
The Greek renders Jesus’ reference to a mustard seed as κόκκον σινάπεως, transliterated as kosson sinapeōs. The word Κόκκος, kokkos, is translated five times as ‘grain’ and once as ‘corn’ in the King James Version (KJV). The word σίναπι, sinapi, occurs five times in the KJV and is translated as ‘mustard seed’ in all five instances. Strong’s Lexicon says that mustard is “the name of a plant which in oriental countries grows from a very small seed and attains a height of a tree, 10 feet (3 m) and more; hence a very small quantity of a thing is likened to a mustard seed, and also a thing which grows to a remarkable size.” [Strong, J., The exhaustive concordance of the Bible (electronic ed.). Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1996]
The Latin Vulgate renders the verse as:
"dixit autem Dominus si haberetis fidem sicut granum sinapis diceretis huic arbori moro eradicare et transplantare in mare et oboediret vobis"
I mention the Latin here since it is from the Latin word quanta that we derive the English word quantity. I also want to make it clear that the Latin did not render the Greek work for grain as quantum, rather as granum. However, Matthew 13:32 describes the mustard seed as “quod minimum quidem est omnibus seminibus”, that is, “the least indeed of all seeds”. Although I lack direct historical literary evidence that Jesus had in mind the concept of a small quantity when he speaks of a mustard seed, in this case, the context of His words speaks of a “small quantity of a thing”.
Later, we will explore the concept or meaning of biblical faith, but first let’s digress and explore the concept of small quantities of things.
If you are close to my age (52), then you probably remember the television series Quantum Leap. If you are younger, you may have heard terms like quantum computing or quantum numbers. At any rate, you have probably heard the word quantum, whether you paid any attention to it or not.
In physics, a quantum (plural: quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be ‘quantized’, referred to as ‘the hypothesis of quantization’ [Wiener, N., Differential Space, Quantum Systems, and Prediction. Cambridge : The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 1966]. This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete values, leading to the related term called “quantum number”. An example of a quantized entity is the energy transfer of elementary particles of matter (called fermions) and of photons, and other bosons. [Srednicki, Mark., Quantum Field Theory. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0521864497]
A photon is a single quantum of light, and is referred to as a light quantum. The energy of an electron, bound to an atom (at rest), is said to be quantized, which results in the stability of atoms, and of matter in general. As incorporated into the theory of quantum mechanics, physicists regard this as part of the fundamental framework for understanding and describing nature at the infinitesimal level.
Normally quanta are considered discrete packets with energy stored in them. Max Planck (he won the Nobel Prize for his work in quantum theory) considered these quanta to be particles that can change their form (meaning that they can be absorbed and released). This phenomenon can be observed in the case of blackbody radiation, when it is being heated and cooled.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction [evidence] of things not seen."
- Hebrews 11:1 (NASB, brackets added)
"Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing."
- The Santa Claus
I have seen the Grand Canyon, walked around the rim, taken photos, and bought something from the myriad of gift shops. It does not take much conviction to assume it is real. Ditto with the Statue of Liberty, Monument Valley, the Saturn V rocket, Disney World, and so on. I did not witness the atomic explosion at Hiroshima (I was not born), the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the third Crusade, the sack of Jerusalem, or the birth of Christ. However, I have seen historical evidence that all these events occurred, and I do not need conviction to believe they did.
I have not seen (direct) evidence of the eternal life that Christ promised to believers. I’ve heard about it, read about it, watched movies about it, but I have not seen it. I have had parents and in-laws die. They had known Christ in a personal relationship, but I did not see them ascend to heaven. In fact, the last time I saw them was in an urn or in the ground. Yet, I am convicted that they are living eternity with Christ—it is something I have hoped for them and for myself someday. I am assured of this by faith. I stated at the outset (in the preface) that belief is something we get from others, while faith is something we develop for ourselves. That is not entirely accurate. “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, NASB)
So, ‘seeing’ is not involved in developing faith. Rather, it is directly linked to ‘hearing’ the Word of God. Now, I submit to you that the most intellectual people in the world might read the Word of God, and never be moved by it, while a child might hear it—read it with the Spirit speaking to their soul—and have faith.
I am not quite sure I agree precisely with the elf in The Santa Claus, but too often, we look for evidence before we believe. For me, I had to believe before I could see the evidence. It was there right before me for years. I read it, I studied it, and I dissected it. Nevertheless, not until that ‘quantum leap’ of faith came about did I see it. And quantum leap it was—just a tiny little bit, like a mustard seed. I did not have an encounter with death. I did not have any traumatic experience that drove me to faith. In some sense, I just stopped trying to understand on my own. You might call it a Holy Spirit encounter, but I don’t even remember feeling it. One moment it was not there, the next moment it was. I had merely said, “Lord, I give up. I can’t do it on my own.” Voilà, faith arrived. Later we will visit Principle 10c: “Truth can only be noticed when the private perspective is doubted”. There was just too much of me in the way of my understanding. I was looking for conviction in something I could see (the words), but missing the Word that was trying to assure me.
As I recently heard:
“Intimacy with God determines your clarity from God.”
- Pastor Daniel Rolfe [1]
2 Corinthians 4:1-6 says:
"1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (NIV)
Well now, if God’s Word—Christ—is not believable to you, then you have no hope in understanding it, no matter how educated you have become. If His word is not clear to you, then perhaps you are not intimate enough with Him!"
[1] Daniel Rolfe is a senior pastor at Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs, CO.
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