Bible Lexicons

For πιστός, ";faithful,"; ";trustworthy,"; as generally in the NT, cf. P Grenf II. 73.12 (late iii/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 118) τ ]αύτην παραδέδωκα τοῖς καλοῖς καὶ πιστοῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν νεκροτάφων εἰς τήρησιν, ";I have handed her over to the good and faithful men among the grave-diggers themselves that they may take care of her"; (cf. Matthew 25:21), and P Oxy I. 41.29 (iii/iv A.D.) ἁγνοὶ πιστοὶ σύνδικοι, ";true and trustworthy advocates."; In a deed of sale of a slave, published by Eitrem (Sklavenkauf, Christiania, 1916), the slave is described as .27 πιστοῦ καὶ ἀδράστου, ";faithful and not given to running away."; A petitioner for release from prison οὕνεκα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος ";in the name of God and of fair play,"; describes himself, P Petr II. 19 (1a).4, as δοὺς τὰ πιστά, with reference apparently to certain required ";pledges"; : cf. BGU IV. 1152.26 (B.C. 10) οὗ τὰ ] ̣π ̣ι ̣σ ̣τ ̣α (reading almost certain—Ed.) πα [ρ ]έδωκ ̣ε ̣ν.

On the rare active use of πισ ̣τός, ";trusting,"; ";believing,"; which occurs first apparently in the NT (Galatians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 6:15, and sexies in the Pastorals), see Hort ad 1 Peter 1:21, where the usage is explained by the predominant sense of πίστις, ";faith,"; ";trust."; It may be added that in 1 Corinthians 7:25 Lietzmann (HZNT ad l.) understands πιστός as = ";Christian,"; with the meaning ";I give my decision in accordance with my best Christian consciousness."; He quotes in support a number of Syrian inscrr. where πιστός is used as a title. For Πίστος (note change of accent) as a common name for slaves, see the citations in Headlam Herodas, p. 329. For adv. πιστῶς, cf. P Lond 301.7 (A.D. 138–161) (= II. p. 256) πιστῶς καὶ ἐπιμελῶς, P Oxy IX. 1187.18 (A.D. 254) ὑγιῶς καὶ πιστῶς.