Faith is intellectual and assent not including 'trust'

Read ead what Macarthur says,

The faith God graciously supplies produces both the volition and the ability to comply with His will (cf. Phil 2:13: 'God . . . is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure'). Thus faith is inseparable from obedience. Berkhof sees three elements to genuine faith: An intellectual element (notitia), which is 'a positive recognition of the truth'; an emotional element (assensus), which includes 'a deep conviction [and affirmation] of the truth'; and a volitional element (fiducia), which involves 'a personal trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord, including a surrender . . . to Christ.'" - John Macarthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, Pg. 189

It is interesting that Macarthur says assensus is an emotional element. No one I have read ever said such things. Assensus or accepting as truth what the mind knows is not emotional. What is perhaps not defined properly is the use of fiducia whatever that is. Faith has been said to be intellectual and assent of the will. Interesting enough Macarthur does not speak of Gordon Clark and his understanding at all throughout his book.


Clark says,

A Latin dictionary may throw some light on the terminology. The Latin word fides, translated faith, means: trust (in a person or thing), confidence, reliance, credence, belief. The Latin fiducia means: trust, confidence, reliance, assurance. This reduces the old analysis of faith to a tautology: Faith is composed of knowledge, belief, and faith. Or we might retranslate it: confidence is composed of knowledge, assent, and confidence. Clearly therefore the listing of fiducia as a component of fides is not very enlightening. - Gordon H. Clark