Bible Word Study
πίστις
pistis · faith, belief, trust
πίστις
faith, belief, trust
Definition
Pistis fundamentally means 'faith' or 'trust,' denoting a personal conviction and reliance, especially upon God and Christ. In the New Testament, it often refers to the act of believing for salvation, as seen in Ephesians 2:8 ('For by grace you have been saved through faith'). It also describes the content of what is believed, the 'faith' as a body of doctrine (Jude 1:3). Furthermore, pistis can mean 'faithfulness' or 'fidelity,' describing reliable character, as in Galatians 5:22 where it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit.
Biblical Usage
Pistis is used extensively across the New Testament, especially in the Pauline epistles and the Gospels. In the Gospels, it frequently describes the active, trusting faith of individuals seeking healing from Jesus (e.g., Matthew 9:22). Paul uses it heavily to explain the mechanism of justification and the believer's relationship with God (e.g., Romans 3:28). The word also appears in lists of virtues (2 Peter 1:5) and can describe steadfastness or reliability (Romans 3:3).
Etymology
Derived from the Greek verb πείθω (peithō, G3982), meaning 'to persuade' or 'to trust.' The noun pistis carries the core idea of being persuaded, leading to trust, confidence, and faithfulness. This root connection highlights that biblical faith is not blind but involves a convinced mind and a committed trust.
Semantic Range
Pistis is a cornerstone of New Testament theology. It is central to the doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide), defining how humans are made right with God (Romans 5:1). It describes the essential posture of the Christian life—trusting in Christ from start to finish (Hebrews 12:2). Understanding its range from personal trust to doctrinal content enriches reading by showing that faith is both relational and propositional. In the Greco-Roman world, pistis could refer to general trustworthiness or good faith in social and commercial agreements. The New Testament authors infused this common term with profound theological meaning, anchoring it specifically in trust in the God of Israel as revealed in Jesus Christ. This shifted the focus from general reliability to a saving, covenantal relationship. ἐλπίς (elpis, G1680) — hope; a forward-looking trust and expectation. πληροφορία (plērophoria, G4136) — full assurance or complete certainty, often a result of strong faith. πιστεύω (pisteuō, G4100) — the verb 'to believe' or 'to have faith,' denoting the action.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]