Proof, evidence that convinces, the conviction that comes from being shown the truth. Elegchos is the inner certainty produced by evidence — not blind faith but grounded assurance. It appears in one of Scripture's most famous definitions.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as 'the conviction [elegchos] of things not seen.' This is not wishful thinking but evidential certainty — faith is the faculty by which spiritual realities become as real as physical ones. The related verb elegchō means 'to convict' or 'to expose' — the Spirit's work of convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Faith is not absence of evidence but presence of conviction.