The New Testament
indicates that Abraham received life when he believed[i] God,[ii]
for the just shall live by faith.[iii] The verb believe is used[iv]
of receiving revelation[v]
and of the moment of saving belief in the gospel and in the Christ who is
revealed therein, through which sinners become the people of God.[vi] Such saving faith always leads to
continuing faith[vii] in God
through Christ by means of the Word, for when God gives the lost saving faith,
He will continue to give them faith.[viii] That is, by means of the exercise of
saving faith in Christ at the moment of conversion and regeneration, the lost
become those who are believers, those who are believing ones.[ix] They believe at a point in time, with
the result that they continue to believe.[x] Their belief is not simply intellectual
assent, but a whole-hearted committal, surrender, and entrusting of their
entire persons to Christ as the Son of God and their own personal Savior,[xi]
being assured that He will keep His promise to save all those who in this
manner come to Him.[xii] In contrast, the unconverted are in a
state of unbelief[xiii] in
Christ.[xiv] While they can make superficially
positive responses to Christ,[xv]
they refuse to entrust themselves to Him[xvi]
and believe the gospel[xvii]
because they reject the testimony to Him of the Word.[xviii]
The adjective faithful/believing[xix] illustrates the Biblical continuity between the initial
act of faith in conversion and the continued believing of the regenerate and
the related identity of those who have believed in Christ and those who are
faithful to Him. God[xx]
and Christ[xxi] are
faithful, many individual Christians[xxii]
and groups of Christians[xxiii]
are specified as being faithful, and all those who believe[xxiv]
are the faithful.[xxv] While there are certainly degrees of
faithfulness, and indwelling sin is present and ever active in the regenerate,
nonetheless all Christians are specified as faithful, and no text indicates that any believer is unfaithful.[xxvi] On the contrary, only those who are
lost are specified by the adjective unfaithful or unbelieving.[xxvii] The faithful are all those who have
received spiritual grace, been adopted into God’s family, and consequently
become church members, rather than only a subcategory of the church or a
subclass of Christian.[xxviii] The faithful are those who enter the
everlasting kingdom rather than burning in hell,[xxix]
and those who receive the crown of life and who will be with the Lamb rather
than being separated from Him forever.[xxx] Those who come to believe in Christ are
made, by supernatural grace, into those who will continue to entrust themselves
to Him. God makes them into those
who are characteristically faithful, rather than being unfaithful.
[i]
pisteu/w.
The verb appears 248 times in the New Testament: Matthew 8:13; 9:28;
18:6; 21:22, 25, 32; 24:23, 26; 27:42; Mark 1:15; 5:36; 9:23–24, 42; 11:23–24,
31; 13:21; 15:32; 16:13–14, 16–17; Luke 1:20, 45; 8:12–13, 50; 16:11; 20:5;
22:67; 24:25; John 1:7, 12, 50; 2:11, 22–24; 3:12, 15–16, 18, 36; 4:21, 39,
41–42, 48, 50, 53; 5:24, 38, 44, 46–47; 6:29–30, 35–36, 40, 47, 64, 69; 7:5,
31, 38–39, 48; 8:24, 30–31, 45–46; 9:18, 35–36, 38; 10:25–26, 37–38, 42; 11:15,
25–27, 40, 42, 45, 48; 12:11, 36–39, 42, 44, 46–47; 13:19; 14:1, 10–12, 29;
16:9, 27, 30–31; 17:8, 20–21; 19:35; 20:8, 25, 29, 31; Acts 2:44; 4:4, 32;
5:14; 8:12–13, 37; 9:26, 42; 10:43; 11:17, 21; 13:12, 39, 41, 48; 14:1, 23;
15:5, 7, 11; 16:31, 34; 17:12, 34; 18:8, 27; 19:2, 4, 18; 21:20, 25; 22:19;
24:14; 26:27; 27:25; Romans 1:16; 3:2, 22; 4:3, 5, 11, 17–18, 24; 6:8; 9:33;
10:4, 9–11, 14, 16; 13:11; 14:2; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 3:5; 9:17; 11:18;
13:7; 14:22; 15:2, 11; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Galatians 2:7, 16; 3:6, 22;
Ephesians 1:13, 19; Philippians 1:29; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; 2:4, 10, 13; 4:14; 2
Thessalonians 1:10; 2:11–12; 1 Timothy 1:11, 16; 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus
1:3; 3:8; Hebrews 4:3; 11:6; James 2:19, 23; 1 Peter 1:8, 21; 2:6–7; 1 John
3:23; 4:1, 16; 5:1, 5, 10, 13; Jude 5.
[ii]
Romans
4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23.
[iii]
Romans
1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; pi÷stiß. The noun appears 244 times in the New Testament:
Matthew 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29; 15:28; 17:20; 21:21; 23:23; Mark 2:5; 4:40; 5:34;
10:52; 11:22; Luke 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:5–6, 19; 18:8, 42; 22:32; Acts
3:16; 6:5, 7–8; 11:24; 13:8; 14:9, 22, 27; 15:9; 16:5; 17:31; 20:21; 24:24;
26:18; Romans 1:5, 8, 12, 17; 3:3, 22, 25–28, 30–31; 4:5, 9, 11–14, 16, 19–20;
5:1–2; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 8, 17; 11:20; 12:3, 6; 14:1, 22–23; 16:26; 1 Corinthians
2:5; 12:9; 13:2, 13; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 4:13; 5:7; 8:7;
10:15; 13:5; Galatians 1:23; 2:16, 20; 3:2, 5, 7–9, 11–12, 14, 22–26; 5:5–6,
22; 6:10; Ephesians 1:15; 2:8; 3:12, 17; 4:5, 13; 6:16, 23; Philippians 1:25,
27; 2:17; 3:9; Colossians 1:4, 23; 2:5, 7, 12; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 8; 3:2,
5–7, 10; 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4, 11; 2:13; 3:2; 1 Timothy 1:2, 4–5, 14, 19;
2:7, 15; 3:9, 13; 4:1, 6, 12; 5:8, 12; 6:10–12, 21; 2 Timothy 1:5, 13; 2:18,
22; 3:8, 10, 15; 4:7; Titus 1:1, 4, 13; 2:2, 10; 3:15; Philemon 1:5–6; Hebrews
4:2; 6:1, 12; 10:22, 38–11:1; 11:3–9, 11, 13, 17, 20–24, 27–31, 33, 39; 12:2; 13:7;
James 1:3, 6; 2:1, 5, 14, 17–18, 20, 22, 24, 26; 5:15; 1 Peter 1:5, 7, 9, 21;
5:9; 2 Peter 1:1, 5; 1 John 5:4; Jude 1:3, 20; Revelation 2:13, 19; 13:10;
14:12.
Note also the 67 uses of the adjective pisto/ß: Matthew 24:45; 25:21, 23; Luke 12:42; 16:10–12;
19:17; John 20:27; Acts 10:45; 13:34; 16:1, 15; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 4:2, 17;
7:25; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 6:15; Galatians 3:9; Ephesians 1:1; 6:21;
Colossians 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Timothy
1:12, 15; 3:1, 11; 4:3, 9–10, 12; 5:16; 6:2; 2 Timothy 2:2, 11, 13; Titus 1:6,
9; 3:8; Hebrews 2:17; 3:2, 5; 10:23; 11:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 5:12; 1 John 1:9; 3
John 1:5; Revelation 1:5; 2:10, 13; 3:14; 17:14; 19:11; 21:5; 22:6.
The words pisto/w (2 Timothy
3:4), aÓpiste÷w (Mark 16:11, 16; Luke 24:11, 41; Acts 28:24; Romans
3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13), aÓpisti÷a (Matthew 13:58; 17:20; Mark 6:6; 9:24; 16:14; Romans
3:3; 4:20; 11:20, 23; 1 Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 3:12, 19), a‡pistoß (Matthew 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; 12:46; John
20:27; Acts 26:8; 1 Corinthians 6:6; 7:12–15; 10:27; 14:22–24; 2 Corinthians
4:4; 6:14–15; 1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 1:15; Revelation 21:8) and ojligo/pistoß (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; Luke 12:28)
complete the word group in the New Testament. Naturally, at different points the various words in the word
group are placed together; e. g.,
1 Corinthians 14:22 contrasts toiç pisteu/ousin with
toiç
aÓpi÷stoiß.
[iv]
The
classification in the rest of this paragraph is not a comprehensive examination
of all that is involved in every usage of pisteu/w
in the New Testament. It provides
an overview of all uses as background for the uses of pisteu/w that relate to sanctification, the subject of the
paragraphs that follow. The
classification of the uses of pi÷stiß follows the
examination of the uses of pisteu/w.
[v]
The aorist
of pisteu/w is employed for receipt of revelation about Christ
that preceeds the aorist act of saving faith in John 4:21; 10:38; Acts 13:41;
Romans 10:16 & Hebrews 11:6. In
John 4:21, Christ commands the woman at the well to believe (Gu/nai, pi÷steuso/n moi) in the Word of God that He is speaking and revealing,
so that she might come to saving faith, for receiving the Word is necessary to
come to saving faith in Christ (John 10:38), although the unbeliever can
exercise a kind of faith in Divine revelation that falls short of saving faith
(John 2:23-3:3; Acts 8:13; 26:27-28).
[vi]
The aorist
of pisteu/w is employed for the instantaneous transaction of
justifying faith in Matthew 21:32 (publicans and harlots believe the gospel as
preached by John the Baptist, while the chief priests and elders did not
believe, nor feel remorse, in order that they might believe); Mark 16:15-17;
Luke 8:12; John 1:7; 4:39-41; 4:53; 5:44; 6:29-30; 7:31, 48; 8:24, 30; 9:36;
10:38 (where aorist belief in Christ’s miracles, receipt of revelation about
Christ, preceeds the aorist act of saving faith); 10:42; 11:42, 45; 12:38, 47;
17:8, 21; 19:35; 20:29, 31; Acts 4:4, 32; 8:12-13 (genuine conversion in most,
spurious “faith” in Simon the sorceror); 9:42; 11:17, 21; 13:12, 48; 14:1;
15:7; 16:31; 17:12, 34; 18:8; 19:2 (what Paul assumes was a true conversion,
although it was not one at this point); 19:4; Romans 10:9 (summary action for
both belief and confession, although belief, unlike confession, must take place
at the moment of regeneration); 10:14; 13:11; 1 Corinthians 3:5; 15:2, 11; Galatians
2:16; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:12 (cf. v. 11-13); 1 Timothy 3:16;
Hebrews 4:3.
The future of pisteu/w likewise regularly represents the point of saving conversion, a fact
supported in the contexts where belief as receiving the Word is under consideration (John 3:12; 5:47), where belief is shown to be entrusting (Luke 16:11), and, of course, where specifically
saving belief is in view (John
11:48, cf. v. 42, 45 & 12:11; John 17:20; Romans 10:14). In Matthew 27:42 (cf. the aorist
subjunctive in Mark 15:32) the Jewish religious leaders make a mocking promise
to believe if Christ rejects the way of the cross, while one of the thieves crucified with
Christ comes to saving faith in the crucified Christ (Luke 23:42), and after
Christ’s death, because of His High Priestly intercession, the guard of Gentile
soldiers watching Him are born again (Luke 23:34, 47; Matthew 27:54).
[vii]
Thus, many
of the aorists of pisteu/w in John express the
initial action of saving faith, which leads to continuing faith. For example, the aorist belief of John
4:39-42 leads to the present tense belief of 4:42; the aorist belief of 8:30 leads to the faith expressed with
a perfect participle in 8:31;
9:35-38 presents the sequence: “Are you a believer (present tense, pisteu/eiß)?” (9:35);
“Who do I need to believe (aorist, pisteu/sw)
on?” (9:36); “Me,” (9:37); “I am a believer [having just become
one]; Pisteu/w,” (9:38) and so I now recognize You as Lord and God,
the One who deserves worship: Pisteu/w, Ku/rie: kai« proseku/nhsen. Outside
of John, comparisons are present such as the present participle in Acts 2:44
and the aorist participle in Acts 4:32, or the aorist imperative in Acts 16:31
and the perfect participle in 16:34, or the present and aorist in 10:43 and
11:17, or the interplay of tenses in Romans 10:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; cf.
also the contrast in the aorist and present subjunctives in 1 John 3:23.
The handful of instances of the imperfect of pisteu/sw provide only limited further support for a durative character
of saving faith. In John 12:11,
the imperfect is iterative and distributive, used of many coming to saving
faith in Christ at different times because of the raising of Lazarus (cf. John
11:42, 45, 48). Acts 18:8 is another distributive use of the imperfect for many
coming to conversion and being baptized.
John 7:5 & 12:37 speak of continuing unbelief in Christ, as does
John 5:46. John 5:46b does, however,
provide some evidence for a durative character to saving faith—if those spoken
of had been believing in Moses, they would have been believing in Christ (2nd
class, present contrary-to-fact condition). Finally, John 2:24 speaks of Christ not entrusting or
commiting Himself to those who had not truly come to saving faith in Him (cf.
2:23-3:3).
[viii]
Thus, note
the present infinitive of believe
in Philippians 2:13; the people of
God have faith in both its initial and continuing aspects given to them. The other present infinitives of pisteu/w in the New Testament are durative; see Luke 24:25; John 12:39; Romans
15:13; 1 Timothy 1:16 (not an exception because of the present tense of me÷llw—the verb appears 92 times in the present tense, 17
times in the imperfect, once in the future, and never in the aorist).
[ix]
Thus,
Scripture frequently employs a substantival present tense participle of pisteu/w to designate believers. Note Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; John 1:12; 3:15, 16, 18, 36;
5:24; 6:35, 40, 47, 64; 7:38-39; 11:25-26; 12:44 (belief in the Son is belief
in the Father also); 12:46; 14:12; Acts 2:44; 5:14 (believers added to the
Lord’s church through baptism); 10:43; 13:39 (note the present tense of
“justified”; compare the sense of Genesis 15:6; all who have their confidence in Christ are currently justified
through the sole instrumentality of faith, a condition that began at the moment
of conversion); 22:19; Romans 1:16; 3:22; 4:5, 11, 24; 9:33; 10:4; 10:11; 1
Corinthians 1:21; 14:22; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:7;
2:10, 13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:21; 2:6, 7; 1 John 5:1, 5, 10, 13.
It is worthy of note that all believers, not a
subcategory of believers who have entered a Higher Life, are designated with
the substantival present participle of pisteu/w; no text in the Bible indicates that
only some believers are specified with the substantival present participle of believe, or contrasts some believers that are within this
category with other believers who are allegedly not so, while the category of
being one who is believing is entered into at the moment of saving faith (cf.
John 9:38 & many other texts), not at some later point.
The present indicative of pisteu/w in relation to conversion provides further evidence
that the people of God are those who are believing in Christ’s Person, work,
and Word. Note John 1:50; 8:45-46;
9:35, 38; 12:44; 14:10 (a question with ouj expects
a positive answer); Acts 8:37; 27:25; Romans 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14. Note also the present adverbial
participle in 1 Peter 1:8 and the present imperatives in Mark 1:15 & John
12:36, indicating that the response to the gospel is not initial belief alone,
but also continuing faith. The use
of the present tense of in matters other than conversion also supports a
durative idea; see Acts 9:26;
15:11; 24:14; 26:27; Romans 6:8; 14:2; 1 Corinthians 11:18; 13:7; 1 John 4:1.
[x]
The aspect
of the Greek perfect of pisteu/w encapsulates the
combination of the point of conversion and the continuing faith in the
regenerate; see John 3:18; 6:69;
8:31; 11:27; 16:27; 20:29; Acts 15:5; 16:34; 18:27; 19:18; 21:20, 25; 2 Timothy
1:12; Titus 3:8; 1 John 4:16; 5:10.
The two instances where pisteu/w in the
perfect is not used for personal conversion (1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians
2:17) also both illustrate the aspect of the perfect as a portrayal of point
action with continuing results.
[xi]
The idea
of committal or entrustment in pisteu/w is
exemplified in Luke 16:11 (committing or entrusting true riches to a person);
John 2:24 (Christ’s not committing Himself to the unregenerate); Romans 3:2
(the Word of God being entrusted or commited to Israel); 1 Corinthians 9:17;
Galatians 2:7; 1 Timothy 1:11; Titus 1:3 (an administration of the gospel being
committed or entrusted to Paul, or (1 Thessalonians 2:4) to Paul and his
associates.
[xii]
The
element of assurance in pisteu/w is validated in all
the texts where the idea of trusting
or entrusting is prominent; cf. Luke 16:11; Ephesians 1:13; 1
Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Timothy 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:12. Compare 2 Timothy 3:14’s use of pisto/w, “to be sure about something because of
its reliability, feel confidence, be convinced” (BDAG), for “the things which thou . . . hast been
assured of,” and also the important pei÷qw word
group.
[xiii]
Compare
the uses of aÓpiste÷w, used in the New Testament only for disbelief in the
resurrection of Christ (Mark 16:11; Luke 24:11, 41) and for those who do not
believe and are consequently are eternally damned (Mark 16:16; Acts 28:24;
Romans 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13 (cf. 2:13 with 2:12b)).
[xiv]
John 6:36,
64; 10:25-26, 37-38; 16:9 (present tense); 7:5 (imperfect); 1 John 5:10
(present participle and perfect tense verb)
[xv]
That is,
they can have a temporary belief without possessing a root in themselves (Luke
8:13), a belief that the Lord Jesus is from God and a doer of miracles without
genuine saving faith and the new birth (John 2:23-3:3; Acts 8:13-24), a belief
that does not displace a predominant love of self, so that one is unwilling to
confess Christ and endure religious persecution (John 12:42-43), and a belief
that Christ speaks the truth (John 4:50) or that is an assent to doctrinal
orthodoxy (James 2:19). Scripture
never uses the perfect tense of pisteu/w
for the “faith” of the unconverted, and John never uses the present tense in
such a manner, either. The use of
the present tense in Luke 8:13 is specifically limited in context (oi≠ pro\ß kairo\n
pisteu/ousi), and the character of the
belief as mere assent is also very clear in the context of James 2:19. The testimony of Scripture is clear
that saints exercise saving faith at a particular moment in time, and that
their belief then continues, while the ungodly neither exercise saving faith
nor have a persevereing faith.
[xvi]
In Jude 5,
those spoken of are eternally destroyed because they are those who never come
to faith (tou\ß
mh\ pisteu/santaß, aorist participle). In John 3:18, the one in a state of
unbelief (oJ
. . . mh\ pisteu/wn,
contrasted with oJ pisteu/wn ei˙ß aujto\n)
is already condemned (h¡dh ke÷kritai) because he
has never come to place his faith in the Son of God (o¢ti mh\ pepi÷steuken
ei˙ß to\ o¡noma touv monogenouvß ui˚ouv touv Qeouv).
[xvii]
Mark
16:15-17.
[xviii]
Believing
in a person and believing his message are closely related (Luke 22:67; John
10:25-26; Matthew 21:25, 32; Mark
11:31; Luke 20:5; all these texts
are aorists). The Jews do not have
God’s Word abiding (to\n lo/gon . . . oujk e¶cete me÷nonta) in them, because they do not believe (ouj pisteu/ete) in Christ (John 5:38). They should believe the testimony involved in Christ’s works
(toiç
e¶rgoiß pisteu/sate) in order that they
might come to faith (iºna . . . pisteu/shte) in
Christ as the Divine Messiah (John 10:25-26, 37-38). In John 5:44-47, the unconverted Jews were not able to come
to faith in Christ (du/nasqe . . . pisteuvsai) because
they were seeking honor of each other and not seeking the honor that comes from
God alone (do/xan
para» aÓllh/lwn lamba¿nonteß, kai« th\n do/xan th\n para» touv monou Qeouv ouj
zhtei√te) and because, although they
trusted in (hjlpi÷kate) Moses, they were actually in a state of unbelief in
the Word written by Moses, and so were unable to believe in Christ or His Word
(ei˙ ga»r
e˙pisteu/ete MwshØv, e˙pisteu/ete a·n e˙moi÷: peri« ga»r e˙mouv e˙kei√noß
e¶grayen. ei˙ de« toi√ß e˙kei÷nou gra¿mmasin ouj pisteu/ete, pw◊ß toi√ß e˙moi√ß
rJh/masi pisteu/sete). Furthermore, remaining in unbelief
concerning earthly things testified to by Christ (John 3:12a, present tense)
prevents one from believing in heavenly things He speaks of (John 3:12b, future
tense; cf. the example of unbelief (in the aorist) in Christ’s miraculous
healing of the man born blind, John 9:18). Apart from signs and wonders the Jews would by no means
believe (∆Ea»n
mh\ shmei√a kai« te÷rata i¶dhte, ouj mh\ pisteu/shte, John 4:48, cf. 20:29), but even after Christ did vast
numbers of miracles, they could not believe because of their hardened hearts
and blinded eyes (John 12:38-39).
Because the unconverted refuse to believe the Word, they will believe a
Satanic lie (pisteuvsai . . . twˆ◊ yeu/dei)
when it is set before them and be damned because they did not believe the truth
(oi˚ mh\
pisteu/santeß thØv aÓlhqei÷a, 2
Thessalonians 2:11-13; contrasted with aÓdelfoi hjgaphme÷noi uJpo\ Kuri÷ou who have pi÷stei aÓlhqei÷aß).
[xix]
pisto/ß. The
translational difference between faithful and believing is a
product of the adjective presenting the passive or active ideas of pisteu/w; pisto/ß is either “1. pertaining to being worthy of belief or trust, trustworthy,
faithful, dependable, inspiring trust/faith,
pass. aspect of pisteu/w” or “2.
pert. to being trusting, trusting, cherishing faith/trust act. aspect of pisteu/w” (BDAG). The large majority of the time in the New Testament pisto/ß refers specifically to
faithfulness; it is translated faithful 53 times, and believe or believing only 8 times out
of its 67 appearances. All the
references where is predicated of non-animate objects necessarily refer to
faithfulness, as only animated beings can actively believe; hence deeds can be faithful (3 John 5,
“a faithful thing thou doest,” pisto\n poiei√ß), the mercies of David are “sure” or faithful (Acts
13:44), Scripture is faithful (Titus 1:9), and various sayings, in particular
the words of God (Revelation 21:5; 22:6), are true and faithful (1 Timothy
1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8). The complete list of references is: Matthew 24:45; 25:21,
23; Luke 12:42; 16:10–12; 19:17; John 20:27; Acts 10:45; 13:34; 16:1, 15; 1
Corinthians 1:9; 4:2, 17; 7:25; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 6:15; Galatians 3:9;
Ephesians 1:1; 6:21; Colossians 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2
Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Timothy 1:12, 15; 3:1, 11; 4:3, 9–10, 12; 5:16; 6:2; 2
Timothy 2:2, 11, 13; Titus 1:6, 9; 3:8; Hebrews 2:17; 3:2, 5; 10:23; 11:11; 1
Peter 4:19; 5:12; 1 John 1:9; 3 John 5; Revelation 1:5; 2:10, 13; 3:14; 17:14;
19:11; 21:5; 22:6.
[xx]
1
Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2
Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 10:23; 11:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 John
1:9.
Lightfoot points out the close connection
between believing and faithfulness in the idea of pisto/ß
and its Hebrew and English cognates:
The Hebrew hÎn…wmTa, the Greek pi÷stiß, the Latin ‘fides,’ and the English ‘faith,’ hover
between two meanings; trustfulness,
the frame of mind which relies on another; and trustworthiness, the frame of mind which can be relied upon. Not only
are the two connected together grammatically, as active and passive senses of
the same word, or logically, as subject and object of the same act; but there
is a close moral affinity between them. Fidelity, constancy, firmness,
confidence, reliance, trust, belief—these are the links which connect the two
extremes, the passive with the active meaning of ‘faith.’ Owing to these
combined causes, the two senses will at times be so blended together that they
can only be separated by some arbitrary distinction. When the members of the
Christian brotherhood, for instance, are called ‘the faithful,’ oi˚ pistoi÷, what is meant by this? Does it imply their constancy,
their trustworthiness, or their faith, their belief? In all such cases it is
better to accept the latitude, and even the vagueness, of a word or phrase,
than to attempt a rigid definition, which after all can be only artificial. And
indeed the loss in grammatical precision is often more than compensated by the
gain in theological depth. In the case of ‘the faithful’ for instance, does not
the one quality of heart carry the other with it, so that they who are trustful
are trusty also; they who have faith in God are stedfast and immovable in the
path of duty? (Lightfoot, Commentary on Galatians, sec. “The Words Denoting ‘Faith’”)
[xxi]
Christ is
a faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:2; cf. 3:5, Moses’ faithfulness as a
type of Christ), and a faithful witness, (Revelation 1:5; 3:14; 19:11). Christ’s faithfulness in Revelation is
set forth as a pattern for the believer’s faithfulness. Christ was a faithful witness unto
death, and Christians must likewise be faithful unto death (Revelation 1:5;
2:10, 13; 3:14; 17:14; 19:11).
[xxii]
Moses as a
type of the faithful Christ (Hebrews 3:5); Paul (1 Corinthians 7:25; 1 Timothy 1:12); Timothy (1 Corinthians 4:17); Tychicus
(Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7);
Epaphras (Colossians 1:7); Onesimus (Colossians 4:9); Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12); Antipas (Revelation 2:13) & Abraham
(Galatians 3:9). The use of pi÷stoß for Abraham illustrates the continuity between those
who are believing and those who
are faithful; Abraham is the father and the pattern
of the people of God, for he was faithful/believing and so are they. Similarly, those who love Christ—as all do who will be saved
(John 8:42; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Ephesians 6:24)—are the faithful/believing who receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10; James
1:12).
[xxiii]
Paul and
his coworkers (1 Corinthians 4:2);
the wives of deacons (1 Timothy 3:11); the children of qualified overseers (Titus 1:6); & male church members with the
ability to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2;
“faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also,” pistoi√ß aÓnqrw¿poiß, oiºtineß
i˚kanoi« e¶sontai kai« e˚te÷rouß dida¿xai,
are all the regenerate men, the believing and faithful men, in the church with
teaching ability; Scripture gives
no category of unfaithful and unbelieving men who are properly church
members—the unfaithful are the unregenerate who are eternally damned,
Revelation 21:8).
[xxiv]
Acts
10:45; 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Timothy 4:3, 10, 12, 5:16; 6:2. None of these passages even hint that
some who believe are not faithful.
Indeed, 1 Timothy 6:2 (And they that have
believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers
of the benefit. These things teach and exhort, oi˚ de« pistou\ß
e¶conteß despo/taß mh\ katafronei÷twsan, o¢ti aÓdelfoi÷ ei˙sin: aÓlla» ma◊llon
douleue÷twsan, o¢ti pistoi÷ ei˙si kai« aÓgaphtoi« oi˚ thvß eujergesi÷aß
aÓntilambano/menoi. tauvta di÷daske kai« paraka¿lei.) specifically identifies the believing and the faithful. Those with “believing”
masters—clearly all Christian masters, all who are “brethren”—are to honor
their masters because they are “faithful and beloved.” pistoi÷ . . . kai« aÓgaphtoi÷ is translated correctly in the Authorized Version,
for as “beloved” (aÓgaphto/ß) in the verse
signifies “one being loved,” the passive sense of aÓgapa¿w, so “faithful” (pisto/ß)
is the passive sense of of pisteu/w, that is,
“faithful” rather than “believing.”
That is, the masters are specified as “faithful and beloved,” rather
than “believing and beloved.”
Consequently, the two senses of pisto/ß
are equated as identical categories in 1 Timothy 6:2. The “believing” are the “faithful.”
[xxv]
Matthew
24:45; 25:21, 23; Luke 12:42; 16:10-12; 19:17; Acts 16:15; Ephesians 1:1;
Colossians 1:2; Revelation 2:10; 17:14.
[xxvi]
John
20:27, the verse containing the only use of pisto/ß
in John’s Gospel, as well as the only use of a‡pistoß, is no exception. (The
noun pi/stiß does
not appear in John’s Gospel.) The
Apostle Thomas is not specified as one who is in the category of the faithless,
but as one who is on the way to such a category, but is stopped from becoming
faithless by the almighty power of the resurrected Christ—a power He exercises
on behalf of all His people. Thomas
had affirmed that he would by no means come to faith in Christ’s resurrection
without seeing physical evidence of it (ouj mh\ pisteu/sw, John 20:25—an attitude Christ had condemned in the unregenerate Jews,
4:48), but upon the appearance of Christ in His resurrected body, the Lord
exhorted Thomas to not become faithless and unbelieving, but faithful and
believing (mh\
gi÷nou a‡pistoß, aÓlla» pisto/ß, John 20:27),
accompanying His exhortation with supernatural grace and power, the kind of
supernatural grace and power exerted by the risen Christ whenever He brings a
sinner from darkness into light (cf. John 6:44), resulting in Thomas’s great
confession of Christ as his own Lord and his own God (ÔO Ku/rio/ß mou kai« oJ
Qeo/ß mou, 20:28), and Christ’s recognition
that, as evidenced by his confession, Thomas was now in a state of believing,
having passed out of his position on the road to faithlessness to a state of
faith and consequent faithfulness (pepi÷steukaß, 20:29, so that Thomas was now pisto/ß, not one on the path to a‡pistoß,
20:27). The Lord Jesus’ word, mh\ gi÷nou a‡pistoß,
aÓlla» pisto/ß, was Christ’s command to
Thomas not to continue on the pathway toward becoming a faithless unbeliever,
but rather to become a faithful believer, and His command was accompanied by
effectual grace that made His Word so.
By His word of command, Christ created the universe out of nothing (cf.
the uses of gi÷nomai
in John 1:3; 10 & Genesis 1:3, 6,
etc.), and by the same omnipotent word of command, He created faith within
Thomas. By his unbelief in the act
of the resurrection, Thomas was in danger of becoming an unbeliever in Christ
generally, and the Lord effectually interposed to deliver His beloved sheep
from such a possibility by bringing him to a belief in the resurrection. “Stop becoming an unbeliever,” or “Do
not be becoming an unbeliever,” mh\ gi÷nou a‡pistoß, using gi÷nomai,
“to become,” is a different command than mh\ i¶sqi a‡pistoß, “Do not continue to be an unbeliever,” using ei˙mi÷, “to be.”
John’s Gospel is very capable of clearly distinguishing gi÷nomai and ei˙mi÷ (cf. John
1:1–2, 4, 8–10, 15, 18 & John 1:3, 6, 10, 12, 14–15, 17). As Peter’s faith was, considered
independently of Christ, able to fail, but because of Christ’s High Priestly
intercession for Peter, the Apostle’s faith was certainly not going to fail,
but would certainly be strengthened (Luke 22:32), so the Apostle Thomas’s
faith, considered independently, was capable of failure, but Christ’s effectual
work on his behalf as Mediator guaranteed that Thomas would not become an
unbeliever (cf. John 17); instead,
Christ’s command of power in John 20:27 immediately and effectually turned
Thomas from the path towards unbelief and brought the Apostle to make his great
confession to Christ, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
Indeed, as John 20 is the climax of John’s
Gospel, Thomas’ confession of the crucified and resurrected Christ as his own
Lord and God (20:28), consequent upon Christ’s effectual command and exercise
of supernatural efficacy upon Thomas to be a believer (20:27; cf. 6:44-45, 65),
is a paradigm of the character of saving faith in the Son of God as exercised
by the unbeliever (John 20:29-31).
Thomas’s faith-response to the revelation of Christ is paradigmatic for
the Divinely-enabled response of faith in the conversion of the lost and for
the continuing Divinely-enabled faith-response to greater revelations of the
Person and work of the Triune God to the believer. Thus, considered in context, John 20:27 is so far from
proving that a true Christian can be a‡pistoß,
“unbelieving/unfaithful,” instead of pisto/ß,
“faithful/believing,” that it affirms both that conversion involves a
transition from being a‡pistoß to being pisto/ß and that Christ prevents His people from ever falling
into the category of a‡pistoß as He preserves
every last one of them unto His eternal kingdom.
[xxvii]
a‡pistoß. The
complete list of references is: Matthew 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; 12:46;
John 20:27; Acts 26:8; 1 Corinthians 6:6; 7:12–15; 10:27; 14:22–24; 2
Corinthians 4:4; 6:14–15; 1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 1:15; Revelation 21:8. In every instance, with the sole
exception of Acts 26:8, where reference is not made to persons, but to an event
that is deemed hard to believe or incredible, it is very clear that the a‡pistoß is an unconverted person, one who is contrasted with
the people of God, one who is under the control of Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4)
and whose eternal destiny is the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).
However, the noun aÓpisti÷a is used in the Gospels for not only for the lack of faith of the unsaved (Matthew 13:58;
Mark 6:6) but also for the weakness of faith of the people of God (Mark 16:14)
that reduces their effectiveness in service (Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:24). Paul restricts aÓpisti÷a to the unconverted (Romans 3:3; 4:20; 11:20, 23; 1
Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 3:12, 19) in the manner that the entirety of the New
Testament restricts the status of a‡pistoß
to the unconverted.
[xxviii]
Ephesians
1:1, cf. 1:2ff.; Colossians 1:2.
[xxix] Matthew 24:45 vs. 51; 25:21, 23 vs. 25:30; Luke
12:42 vs. 46; 16:10-14 (the unfaithful are without true, spiritual riches, like
the unconverted Pharisees); 19:17 vs. 22-27.
[xxx]
Revelation
2:10; 17:14.
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