Bible Lexicons

πίστις, πίστεως, ἡ (πείθω (which see)), from (Hesiod, Theognis, Pindar), Aeschylus, Herodotus down; the Sept. for אֱמוּנָה, several times for אֱמֶת and אֲמָנָה; faith; i. e.:

1. conviction of the truth of anything, belief (Plato, Polybius, Josephus, Plutarch; θαυμάσια καί μείζω πίστεως, Diodorus 1, 86); in the N. T. of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it: Hebrews 11:1 (where πίστις is called ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων); opposed to εἶδος, 2 Corinthians 5:7; joined with ἀγάπη and ἐλπίς, 1 Corinthians 13:13.

a. when it relates to God, πίστις is "the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ": Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 13:7; πίστις ἐπί Θεόν, Hebrews 6:1; ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρός τόν Θεόν, by which ye turned to God, 1 Thessalonians 1:8; τήν πίστιν ὑμῶν καί ἐλπίδα εἰς Θεόν, directed unto God, 1 Peter 1:21; with a genitive of the object (faith in) (τῶν θεῶν, Euripides, Med. 414; τοῦ Θεοῦ, Josephus, contra Apion 2, 16, 5; cf. Grimm, Exgt. Hdbch. on Sap. vi., 17f, p. 132; (cf. Meyer on Romans 3:22; also Meyer, Ellicott, Lightfoot on Col. as below; Winer's Grammar, 186 (175))): ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτόν (Christ) ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Colossians 2:12; διά πίστεως, by the help of faith, Hebrews 11:33, 39; κατά πίστιν, equivalent to πιστεύοντες, Hebrews 11:13; πίστει, dative of means or of mode by faith or by believing, prompted, actuated, by faith, Hebrews 11:3f, 7-9, 17, 20-24, 27-29, 31; dative of cause, because of faith, Hebrews 11:5, 11, 30.

b. in reference to Christ, it denotes "a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God" (on this see more at length in πιστεύω, 1 b. γ.); α. universally: with the genitive of the object (see above, in a.), Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 3:12; Ἰησοῦ, Revelation 14:12; Χρσιτου, Philippians 3:9; τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, Galatians 2:20; τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, James 2:1; μου (i. e. in Christ), Revelation 2:13 (certainly we must reject the interpretation, faith in God of which Jesus Christ is the author, advocated by Van Hengel, Ep. ad Romans 1, p. 314ff, and H. P. Berlage, Disquisitio de formulae Paulinae ψιτις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ signifieatione. Lugd. Bat. 1856); τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Philippians 1:27; ἀληθείας, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, with prepositions: εἰς (toward (cf. εἰς, B. II. 2 a.)) τόν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, Acts 20:21; εἰς Χριστόν, Acts 24:24; Acts 26:18; ἡ εἰς Χριστόν πίστις ὑμῶν, Colossians 2:5; (πίστιν ἔχειν εἰς ἐμέ, Mark 9:42 Tr marginal reading); πρός τόν κύριον, Philemon 1:5 (L Tr WH εἰς) ((see πρός, L 1 c.; cf. Lightfoot at the passage); unless here we prefer to render πίστιν fidelity (see 2, below); cf. Meyer at the passage and Winer's Grammar, § 50, 2); ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, reposed in Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 3:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; τήν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, Colossians 1:4; ἡ κατά τινα (see κατά, II. 1 e.) πίστις ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ, Ephesians 1:15; ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ, Romans 3:25 (yet cf. Meyer). πίστις (cf. Winer's Grammar, 120 (114)) and ἡ πίστις simply: Luke 18:8; Acts 13:8; Acts 14:22, 27; Acts 15:9; Acts 17:31; Rom. ( (on which see νόμος, 3)), Romans 3:31; Romans 4:14; Romans 5:2 (L Tr WH brackets τῇ πίστει); ; 1 Cor. ( (here of a charism)); ; 2 Corinthians 4:13; (); ; Galatians 3:14, 23, 25; Galatians 5:5; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:8; Ephesians 3:17; Ephesians 4:5; Ephesians 6:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 1:2, 4 (on the latter passive, see οἰκονομία), ; (on which see ἀλήθεια, I. 2 c.); ; 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:18; 2 Timothy 3:8, 10; 2 Timothy 4:7; Titus 1:1, 4, 13; Titus 2:2; Titus 3:15; James 2:5; 1 Peter 1:5; 2 Peter 1:1, 5. with a genitive of the subject: Luke 22:32; Romans 1:8, 12; 1 Corinthians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17; 2 Corinthians 1:24; Philippians 1:25; Philippians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:2, 5-7, 10; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:2; Philemon 1:6; James 1:3; 1 Peter 1:7, 9 (here WH omits the genitive); 1 John 5:4; Revelation 13:10; πλήρης πιστέω καί πνεύματος, Acts 6:5; πνεύματος καί πίστεως, Acts 11:24; πίστεως καί δυνάμεως, Acts 6:8 Rec.; τῇ πίστει ἑστηκεναι, Romans 11:20; 2 Corinthians 1:24; ἐν τῇ πίστει στήκειν, 1 Corinthians 16:13; εἶναι, 2 Corinthians 13:5; μένειν, 1 Timothy 2:15; ἐμμένειν τῇ πίστει, Acts 14:22; ἐπιμένειν, Colossians 1:23; στερεοί τῇ πίστει, 1 Peter 5:9; ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει, Acts 16:5; βεβαιοῦμαι ἐν (L T Tr WH omit ἐν) τῇ πίστει, Colossians 2:7. Since faith is a power that seizes upon the soul, one who yields himself to it is said ὑπακούειν τῇ πίστει, Acts 6:7; hence, ὑπακοή τῆς πίστεως, obedience rendered to faith (Winer's Grammar, 186 (175)), Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26; ὁ ἐκ πίστεως namely, ὤν, depending on faith, equivalent to πιστεύων (see ἐκ, II. 7), Romans 3:26; plural, Galatians 3:7, 9; ὁ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ, he who has the same faith as Abraham, Romans 4:16; ἐκ πίστεως εἶναι, to be related, akin to, faith (cf. ἐκ, as above), Galatians 3:12. δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως, Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; δικαιοσύνην δέ τήν ἐκ πίστεως, Romans 9:30; ἡ ... ἐκ πιστηως δικαιοσύνη, Romans 10:6; δικαιοσύνη ... ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, springing from faith (and availing) to (arouse) faith (in those who as yet have it not), Romans 1:17; δικαιοσύνη ἡ διά πίστεως Χριστοῦ, ... ἡ ἐκ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη ἐπί τῇ πίστει, Philippians 3:9; passive, δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει, Romans 3:28; δικαιοῦν τινα διά πίστεως Χριστοῦ, Galatians 2:16; διά τῆς πίστεως, Romans 3:30; δικαιοῦσθαι τινα ἐκ πίστεως, ibid.; Galatians 3:8; passive, Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:24; εὐαγγελίζομαι τήν πίστιν, to proclaim the glad tidings of faith in Christ, Galatians 1:23; ἀκοή πίστεως, instruction concerning the necessity of faith (see ἀκοή, 3 a.), Galatians 3:2, 5; ἡ πίστις is joined with ἡ ἀγάπη: 1 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22; with a subjunctive genitive Revelation 2:19; πίστις δἰ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη, Galatians 5:6; ἀγάπη μετά πίστεως, Ephesians 6:23; ἀγάπη ἐκ πίστεως ἀνυποκρίτου, 1 Timothy 1:5; πίστις καί ἀγάπη ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, 2 Timothy 1:13; φιλεῖν τινα πίστει, Titus 3:15 (where see DeWette); ἔργον πίστεως (cf. ἔργον, 3, p. 248{b} near the bottom), 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11. β. in an ethical sense, persuasion or conviction (which springs from faith in Christ as the sole author of salvation; cf. πιστεύω, 1 b. γ. at the end) concerning things lawful for a Christian: Romans 14:1, 23; πίστιν ἔχειν, Romans 14:22.

c. universally, the religious belief of Christians; α. subjectively: Ephesians 4:13, where cf. Meyer; in the sense of a mere acknowledgment of divine things and of the claims of Christianity, James 2:14, 17f, 20, 22, 24, 26. β. objectively, the substance of Christian faith or what is believed by Christians: τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ ... πίστει Jude 1:3; ἡ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστις, Jude 1:20. There are some who think this meaning of the word is to be recognized also in 1 Timothy 1:4, 19; 1 Timothy 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:1, 6; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Timothy 6:10, 21 (cf. Pfleiderer, Paulinismus, p. 468 (English translation, ii., p. 200)); but Weiss (Biblical Theol. d. N. T. § 107 a. note) correctly objects, "πίστις is rather the form in which the truth (as the substance of right doctrine) is subjectively appropriated"; (cf. Meyer on Romans 1:5 (and Prof. Dwight's additional note); Ellicott on Galatians 1:23; Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 157).

d. with the predominant idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same: Matthew 8:10; Matthew 15:28; Luke 7:9, 50; Luke 17:5; Hebrews 9:28; Lachmann's stereotyped edition; Hebrews 10:22; James 1:6; with a genitive of the subject: Matthew 9:2, 22, 29; Matthew 15:28; Mark 2:5; Mark 5:34; Mark 10:52; (Luke 5:20); ; with a genitive of the object in which trust is placed: τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ, Acts 3:16; πίστιν ἔχειν (Matthew 17:20); ; Mark 4:40; Luke 17:6; πᾶσαν τήν πίστιν (`all the faith' that can be thought of), 1 Corinthians 13:2; ἔχειν πίστιν Θεοῦ, to trust in God, Mark 11:22; ἔχειν πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι, to be healed (see Fritzsche on Matthew, p. 843f; (cf. Winers Grammar, § 44,4{a}; Buttmann, 268 (230))), Acts 14:9; ἡ πίστις δἰ αὐτοῦ, awakened through him, Acts 3:16; εὐχή τῆς πίστεως, that proceeds from faith, James 5:15; of trust in the promises of God, Romans 4:9, 16, 19; Hebrews 4:2; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 10:38f; with a genitive of the subject, Romans 4:5, 12; πίστις ἐπί Θεόν, faith which relies on God who grants the forgiveness of sins to the penitent (see ἐπί, C. I. 2 g. α.), Hebrews 6:1; δικαιοσύνη τῆς πίστεως (cf. Winer's Grammar, 186 (175)), Romans 4:11, 13; ἡ κατά πίστιν δικαιοσύνη, Hebrews 11:7.

2. fidelity, faithfulness, i. e. the character of one who can be relied on: Matthew 23:23; Galatians 5:22; Philemon 1:5 (? see above in b. α.); Titus 2:10. of one who keeps his promises: ἡ πίστις τοῦ Θεοῦ, subjunctive genitive, Romans 3:3. objectively, plighted faith (often so in Attic writings from Aeschylus down): ἀθετεῖν (see ἀθετέω, a.) τήν πίστιν, 1 Timothy 5:12. Cf. especially Koolhaas, Diss. philol. I. et II.de ratio usu et constructione vocum πίστις, πιστός et πιστεύειν in N. T. (Traj. ad Rhen. 1733, 4to.); Dav. Schulz, Was heisst Glauben, etc. (Leipz. 1830), p. 62ff; Rückert, Com. üb.

d. Röm., 2nd edition, i., p. 51ff; Lutz, Biblical Dogmatik, p. 312ff; Huther, Ueber ζωή u. πιστεύειν im N. T., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsch. Theol. for 1872, pp. 1-33; (Lightfoot's Commentary on Galatians, p. 154ff). On Paul's conception of πίστις, cf. Lipsius, Paulin. Rechtfertigungslehre, p. 94ff; Weiss, Biblical Theol. d. N. T., § 82 c. d. (cf. the index under the word Glaube); Pfleiderer, Paulinismus, p. 162ff (English translation, i., p. 161ff; Schnedermann, De fidel notione ethica Paulina. (Lipsius 1880)). On the idea of faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews see Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebrew-Br., p. 700ff; Weiss, as above § 125 b. c. On John's conception, see Reuss, die Johann. Theol. § 10 in the Beiträge zu d. theol. Wissensch. i., p. 56ff (cf. his Histoire de la Theol. Chretienne, etc., 3me edition, ii., p. 508ff (English translation, ii. 455ff)); Weiss, as above § 149, and the same author's Johann. Lehrbegriff, p. 18ff