Bible Lexicons

The different constructions of πιστεύω in the NT are fully discussed by Moulton Proleg. pp. 67 f., 235 : see also Abbott Joh. Voc, p. 19 ff., and for the possibility that πιστεύω in Acts need not imply belief of a permanently religious character see Ramsay Teaching p. 445 ff., and Recent Discovery p. 164 ff.

For πιστεύω (a) c. dat. pers. cf. P Par 63.110 (B.C. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 28) οἷς οὐδὲ βουλόμενοι προσῖναι πρὸς τὴν γεωργίαν π [ιστ ]εύ [σει ]ε ἄν τις, ";whom no one would trust, even if they were willing to do the work"; (Mahaffy), P Oxy VI. 898.29 (A.D. 123) οὐ πιστεύοντος οὔτε αὐτῇ οὐδὲ τῆι ἡλικίᾳ μου, ";distrusting both her and my own youth"; (Edd.), BGU III. 1011ii. 13 (ii/A.D.) κἄν τί σοι προσπίτηι περὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, ὧι πιστεύσειεν ἄ [ν ] τις, διασάφει, and P Tebt II. 418.15 (iii/A.D.) οὐδενὶ ἐπίστευσα [ὥ ]στε αὐτῇ κομίσαι, ";I have trusted no one to take it to her"; : (b) c. acc. of thing, cf. PSI V. 494.14 (B.C. 258–7) μηθὲν πίστευε ὧν λέγει, and P Par 47.29 (c. B.C. 152–1) (= UPZ i. p. 332, Selections, p. 23) πιστεύνοτες τὰ ἐνύπνια : and (c) for the acc. and dat. we may cite the formula of manumission Syll 845.7 (Delphi—B.C. 200–199) τὰν δὲ ὠνὰν ἐπίστευσε Νίκαια τῶι Ἀπόλλωνι ἐπ᾽ ἐλευθερίαι, ";the purchase, however, Nicaea hath committed unto Apollo, for freedom"; (see Deissmann LAE, p. 327).

Πιστεύω is followed by acc. and inf. In P Tebt II. 314.3 (ii/A.D.) πιστεύω σε μὴ ἀγνοεῖν ὅσον κάμ [α ]τον ἤνεγκα, ";I believe that you are aware how much trouble I had"; (Edd.), and by ὅτι in P Lond 897.12 (A.D. 84) (= III. p. 207 as amended Berichtigungen, p. 288) κέκρικα γὰρ νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρε ̣ίᾳ ἐπιμένειν · πιστεύωι γὰρ ὅτι δυνηθήσο ̣μαι ζῆν, ὃ μέντοι γε οὐ θέλω.

For the pass. cf. P Oxy III. 528.23 (ii/A.D.) ἥ (= ἵ)να μηκέτι [[φ ]]πιστευθῶ μου τὴν ἐνβολ [ήν, ";that I may no longer be believed with regard to my embarkation (?),"; and ib. IX. 1223.26 (late iv/A.D.) οὐκέτι πιστευόμεθα, ἐὰν μὴ εὐγνωμονήσωμεν, ";I am no longer trusted, unless I behave fairly"; (Ed.)

With the Pauline use = ";am entrusted with"; the Gospel etc. (1 Thessalonians 2:4, Galatians 2:7, 1 Corinthians 9:17, 1 Timothy 1:11) Deissmann (LAE, p. 379) compares the designation of the Imperial secretary for Greek correspondence—τάξιν τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πεπιστευμένος (Jos. Antt. XX. 183 (viii. 9)).

See also BGU IV. 1159.10 (time of Augustus) πεπιστευμένος ὑπὸ [[τ ̣ο ̣ῦ ̣]] ̣α ̣ὐ ̣τ ̣ο ̣ῦ ̣ Π ̣τ ̣ο ̣λ ̣ε ̣μ ̣α ̣ι ̣ο ̣υ ̣ τὰς φυλακὰς τ ̣ο ̣ῦ α ̣ὐ ̣τ ̣ο ̣υ ̣ν ̣ο ̣μ ̣ο ̣υ. Of πιστεύομαι c. gen. as occasionally in late Greek (e.g. Polyb. vi. 56. 13 πιστευθεὶς ταλάντου) there is no instance in the NT.

 

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