Belief and Faith are Different Yet Often are Used as Synonyms in Religious Discussion

 Belief and faith are different yet often are used interchangeably regarding religion. Considering secular uses of the words make the differences more plain.

I may have belief with an element of uncertainty that a barge arrives on the first day of the week at some remote village in Alaska. That is quite a bit different than having faith that it will arrive. My belief may rely on having heard people talk about the day of arrival, and having read about it, at some point in the past, yet lacking total recall if someone asked me when the barge arrives on it’s weekly schedule I might preface my response with; ‘I believe it… arrives on Monday’. I definitely wouldn’t say that; ‘I have faith that it arrives on Mondays’.

When Eternity Starts

Nature serves spirit just so far
the body returns to the ground
while a spirit parts
-what is mind
what is thought
what is the creation
of things one hasn't sought
the Lord has tomorrows that never end
while one believes God does intend
to raise the dead
to warm human hearts
to bring together the elect
when eternity starts

https://suno.com/s/xpTpAvCqtd9wuC3I When Eternity Starts

Jesus applied the word faith differently than belief in that way too (I believe based on reading scripture and reflecting upon it). Instead of meaning belief or true belief in the existence of God and of Jesus as God, he refers to lacking confidence that certain things would occur, or would continue to be. Gemini replied with the following to my question; Where and how many times, and in what context did Jesus say that people lacked faith or had little faith?

Gemini–

In the Gospels, Jesus specifically uses the Greek word 

oligopistos—translated as “O you of little faith“—on five distinct occasions. These instances are concentrated in the 

Gospel of Matthew (4 times) and the 

Gospel of Luke (1 time). 

Contexts of “Little Faith” (Oligopistos)

Jesus typically used this phrase to gently rebuke his disciples during moments of fear, worry, or spiritual dullness. 

• Worry about provision (Matthew 6:30 & Luke 12:28): During the Sermon on the Mount (and later in Luke), Jesus tells his followers not to worry about basic needs like food and clothing. He points to how God cares for the lilies and grass, asking why they worry when God knows their needs.
• Fear during a storm (Matthew 8:26): When a violent storm threatens the disciples’ boat while Jesus is sleeping, they wake Him in a panic. He asks, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” before calming the sea.
• Doubt while walking on water (Matthew 14:31): After Peter begins to sink while trying to walk toward Jesus on the water, Jesus catches him and asks, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”.
• Spiritual forgetfulness (Matthew 16:8): The disciples worry about having forgotten to bring bread. Jesus rebukes them for their “little faith,” reminding them of the miraculous feedings of the 5,000 and 4,000 they had just witnessed. 

Other Instances of “Little Faith” or “Unbelief”

Beyond the specific phrase oligopistos, Jesus addressed a lack of faith in other significant contexts: 

“Faithless generation” (Luke 9:41): Jesus expresses frustration with the overall lack of belief in his generation, calling them a “faithless and twisted generation” when confronted with the same boy the disciples could not heal. 

Failure to heal (Matthew 17:20): When the disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a boy, Jesus attributed it to their “little faith” (or “unbelief” in some translations). He then famously taught that even faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains.

“No faith” (Mark 4:40): In the parallel account of the storm at sea, the Gospel of Mark records Jesus asking more pointedly, “How is it that you have no faith?”- end of Gemini quote

Belief in the truth of the Bible and its gospel message may coincide with faith in its prophecies, yet I belief it unlikely that faith might occur without belief also being present. One may alternatively have belief that Jesus is God and The Son of God, and also have faith that the words of Jesus will be fulfilled without having certainty in all of the meaning and interpretations of the prophecies of scripture such that one could be said to have faith that everything that interpreters of prophecies say will come to pass, actually will. Faith would be placed in the Lord alongside belief. For whatever the Lord actually meant when he spoke and it was recorded as scripture, as well as what God said to the prophets, one maith belief is true and have faith because of the belief. Faith is placed in God delivering what He said He will.