Luke 17:5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.— Our Lord's discourse in the preceding verses, being very opposite to the common notions concerning the Messiah and his followers, seems to have staggered the faith of the disciples a little. They began possibly to fear,that Jesus, who talked in such a manner, was not the person they had hitherto taken him for. They prayed him therefore to increase their faith; meaning, perhaps, that he should put an end to their doubts, by erecting his kingdom speedily, and distributing the rewards which they were expecting for their services. Or we may take the word faith, in its ordinary sense, for the true principle of holiness and virtue, which the disciplesdesired their Master to strengthen in them, because the duty that he had recommended was extremely difficult. Wontzogenius himself acknowledges, that the disciples applying to Christ to strengthen their faith, shews that they believed him to have a divine influence over the spirits of men.