part 2
B1. Belief, Believe, Believers [Noun] pistis "faith," is translated "belief" in
Rom 10:17; 2 Thess 2:13.Its chief significance is a conviction respecting God and His Word and the believer's relationship to Him. See
ASSURANCE,
FAITH,
FIDELITY.
Note: In
1 Cor 9:5 the word translated "believer" (RV), is adelphe, "a sister,"
so 1 Cor 7:15;
Rom 16:1;James 2:15, used, in the spiritual sense, of one connected by the tie of the Christian faith.
C1. Belief, Believe, Believers [Adjective] pistos
(a) in the Active sense means "believing, trusting;"
(b) in the Passive sense, "trusty, faithful, trustworthy." It is translated "believer" in
2 Cor 6:15; "them that believe" in
1 Tim 4:12, RV (AV, "believers"); in
1 Tim 5:16, "if any woman that believeth," lit., "if any believing woman." So in
1 Tim 6:2, "believing masters." In
1 Pet 1:21 the RV, following the most authentic mss., gives the noun form, "are believers in God" (AV, "do believe in God"). In
John 20:27 it is translated "believing."
It is best understood with significance
C1(a), e.g., in
Gal 3:9; Acts 16:1; 2 Cor 6:15; Titus 1:6; it has significance
C1(b), e.g., in
1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3 (see Notes on Thess. p. 211, and Gal. p. 126, by Hogg and Vine). See
FAITHFUL,
SURE.
Notes:
(1) The corresponding negative verb is apisteo,
2 Tim 2:13, AV, "believe not" RV, "are faithless," in contrast to the statement "He abideth faithful."
(2) The negative noun apistia, "unbelief," is used twice in Matthew (
Matt 13:58; Matt 17:20), three times in Mark (
Mark 6:6; Mark 9:24; Mark 16:14), four times in Romans (
Rom 3:3; Rom 4:20; Rom 11:20,23); elsewhere in
1 Tim 1:13; Heb 3:12,19.
(3) The adjective apistos is translated "unbelievers" in
1 Cor 6:6; 2 Cor 6:14; in
2 Cor 6:15, RV, "unbeliever" (AV, "infidel"); so in
1 Tim 5:8; "unbelieving" in
1 Cor 7:12-15; 1 Cor 14:22-24; 2 Cor 4:4;Titus 1:15; Rev 21:8; "that believe not" in
1 Cor 10:27. In the Gospels it is translated "faithless" in
Matt 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; John 20:27, but in
Luke 12:46, RV, "unfaithful," AV, "unbelievers." Once it is translated "incredible,"
Acts 26:8. See
FAITHLESS,
INCREDIBLE,
UNBELIEVER.
(4) Plerophoreo, in
Luke 1:1 (AV, "are most surely believed," lit., "have had full course"), the RV renders "have been fulfilled." See
FULFILL,
KNOW,
PERSUADE,
PROOF.
Result 2- Unbeliever
apistos an adjective, is used as a noun, rendered "unbeliever" in
2 Cor 6:15; 1 Tim 5:8, RV; plural in
1 Cor 6:6; 2 Cor 6:14; AV only,
Luke 12:46 (RV, "unfaithful"). See
BELIEF FAITHLESS,
INCREDIBLE.
Result 3- Disbelieve
apisteo "to be unbelieving" (a, negative, pistis, "faith;" cp. apistos, "unbelieving"), is translated "believed not," etc., in the AV (except in
1 Pet 2:7, "be disobedient"); "disbelieve" (or "disbelieved") in the RV, in
Mark 16:11,16; Luke 24:11,41; Acts 28:24; "disbelieve" is the best rendering, implying that the unbeliever has had a full opportunity of believing and has rejected it; some mss. have apeitheo, "to be disobedient," in
1 Pet 2:7; Rom 3:3, RV, "were without faith;"
2 Tim 2:13, RV, "are faithless. Cp.
apeitheo under
DISOBEDIENT. See
BELIEVE.