Original Word: πιστός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pistos
Pronunciation: pis-TOS
Phonetic Spelling: (pis-tos')
KJV: believe(-ing, -r), faithful(-ly), sure, true
NASB: faithful, trustworthy, believers, believer, believe, believing, faithful one
Word Origin: [from G3982 (πείθω - persuaded)]

1. (objectively) trustworthy
2. (subjectively) trustful

believing, faithful, sure, true.

From peitho; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful -- believe(-ing, -r), faithful(-ly), sure, true.

see GREEK peitho

Cognate: 4103 pistós (an adjective, derived from 3982 /peíthō, "persuaded") – properly, faithful (loyalty to faith; literally, fullness of faith); typically, of believing the faith God imparts.

[The root of 4103 /pistós, "faithful" and 4100 /pisteúō, "faith," are the same (pist-), referring to persuasion.]

Word Origin
from peithó
Definition
faithful, reliable
NASB Translation
believe (2), believer (4), believers (5), believing (1), faithful (44), faithful one (1), faithfully (1), sure (1), trustworthy (7), who believe (1).

STRONGS NT 4103: πιστός

πιστός, πιστή, πιστόν (πείθω (which see)) (from Homer down), the Sept. mostly for נֶאֱמָן;

1. trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties: δοῦλος, Matthew 24:45; Matthew 25:21, 23; οἰκονόμος, Luke 12:42; 1 Corinthians 4:2; διάκονος, Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:7; ἀρχιερεύς, Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:2; of God, abiding by his promises, 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23; Hebrews 11:11; 2 Timothy 2:13; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 4:19; add, 1 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 4:9; 1 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 3:5; 1 Peter 5:12; πιστός ἐν τίνι, in a thing, Luke 16:10-12; Luke 19:17; 1 Timothy 3:11; ἐπί τί, Matthew 25:23; ἄχρι θανάτου, Revelation 2:10. one who kept his plighted faith, Revelation 2:13; worthy of trust; that can, be relied on: 1 Corinthians 7:25; 2 Timothy 2:2: Christ is called μάρτυς ὁ πιστός, Revelation 1:5; with καί ἀληθινός, added, Revelation 3:14; (cf. Revelation 19:11). of things, that can be relied on: ὁ λόγος, 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9; (Titus 3:8; οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι, Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:6); with πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος added, 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:9; τά ὅσια Δαυις τά πιστά (see ὅσιος, at the end), Acts 13:34.

2. easily persuaded; believing, confiding, trusting (Theognis, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, others); in the N. T. one who trusts in God's promises, Galatians 3:9; is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead, opposed to ἄπιστος, John 20:27; one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the author of salvation (opposed to ἄπιστος, see πιστεύω, 1 b. γ. and πίστις, 1 b.) (a believer): Acts 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Timothy 5:16; with the addition of τῷ κυρίῳ, dative of the person in whom faith or trust is reposed, Acts 16:15; plural in Colossians 1:2 (where cf. Lightfoot); 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 6:2; Titus 1:6; Revelation 17:14; οἱ πιστοί, substantively (see Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 157), Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:3, 12; with ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ added (cf. Buttmann, 174 (152)), Ephesians 1:1; εἰς Θεόν κτλ. 1 Peter 1:21 L T Tr text WH; πιστόν ποιεῖν τί, to do something harmonizing with (Christian) faith (R. V. a faithful work), 3 John 1:5.

Term and Range of Meaning

Strong’s Greek 4103 (pistos) portrays the concept of steadfast reliability—one who inspires confidence because promises match performance. In Scripture the word embraces both objective dependability (“trustworthy”) and subjective loyalty (“faithful”), and it is applied to God, to Jesus Christ, to the gospel message, and to believers who walk in covenant integrity.

Divine Faithfulness: The Unchanging Reliability of God

The New Testament frequently uses pistos of the Father, anchoring the believer’s hope in His unwavering character. “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son” (1 Corinthians 1:9). His fidelity safeguards against temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), secures sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:24), guards from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and assures forgiveness upon confession (1 John 1:9). Revelation twice labels His prophetic word “faithful and true” (Revelation 21:5; 22:6), underscoring that eschatological promises are as certain as historical acts already fulfilled (Acts 13:34).

The Faithfulness of the Son

Jesus Christ embodies pistos both in earthly ministry and exalted reign. Hebrews presents Him as “faithful to the One who appointed Him” (Hebrews 3:2), a merciful High Priest who perfectly fulfilled His mission (Hebrews 2:17). Post-resurrection titles intensify the theme: “the faithful witness” (Revelation 1:5), “the Amen, the faithful and true Witness” (Revelation 3:14), and “Faithful and True” mounted on a white horse to judge and wage war (Revelation 19:11). Thomas is urged, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27), linking personal faith to the Messiah’s proven trustworthiness.

The Gospel as a Faithful Word

Five times Paul designates concise doctrinal summaries as “trustworthy sayings” (πιστὸς ὁ λόγος): 1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8. In each case pistos guarantees the veracity of foundational gospel assertions—Christ’s saving mission, the nobility of pastoral oversight, the value of godliness, the believer’s union with Christ, and justification by grace. These sayings functioned as creedal anchors for early congregations.

Faithfulness Required of Stewards and Servants

Parabolic teaching insists on fidelity in seemingly small matters. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21, 23; cf. Luke 19:17). Household managers are to be “faithful and wise” (Matthew 24:45; Luke 12:42). The steward theme resurfaces in apostolic ethics: “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Believers as the Faithful

Church audiences are repeatedly greeted as “the saints and faithful brothers in Christ” (Colossians 1:2; cf. Ephesians 1:1). The term distinguishes those whose allegiance to Christ has resulted in saving union (Galatians 3:9) and practical obedience (Luke 16:10-12). At Cornelius’s house Spirit-filled Hebrew Christians are called “the believers” (Acts 10:45), and Lydia is described as “a believer in the Lord” (Acts 16:15). The designation establishes a covenant identity rather than a mere psychological state.

Pastoral and Domestic Qualifications

Leadership in the assembly demands demonstrable fidelity. Overseers must have “children who are faithful” (Titus 1:6) and wives who are “dignified, not slanderers, but faithful in all things” (1 Timothy 3:11). Paul instructs Timothy to commit doctrine “to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2), ensuring a multi-generational chain of trustworthy transmission.

Faithfulness Amid Suffering

Hebrews exhorts believers to “hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Peter encourages those who suffer “according to God’s will” to “entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good” (1 Peter 4:19). Revelation blesses martyrs who remain “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10) and promises final victory to “those with Him—called and chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

Assurance of Final Preservation

Because Christ and the Father are faithful, believers can rely on covenant preservation even when personal faith falters: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). The church’s endurance rests not on human constancy but on divine reliability.

Historical Context and Theological Implications

In Greco-Roman culture pistis often described contractual loyalty or patron-client fidelity. New Testament writers infuse the term with covenant depth, grounding it in God’s salvific acts. The shift is not merely semantic; it reorients honor culture around grace. Early Christian communities counted fidelity—not social status—as the chief credential for ministry, creating an egalitarian pathway for men like Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), Onesimus (Colossians 4:9), and Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12).

Practical Ministry Application

1. Character Formation: Consistent obedience in private matters prepares believers for larger Kingdom responsibilities.
2. Leadership Development: Churches discern potential leaders by observing proven faithfulness rather than charisma.
3. Counseling and Assurance: God’s faithfulness offers comfort to the tempted, the penitent, and the persecuted.
4. Teaching and Preaching: “Trustworthy sayings” provide ready summaries of core doctrine for catechesis and proclamation.
5. Mission and Stewardship: Reliability in finances and truth-telling showcases the gospel’s transformative power in a skeptical world.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4103 weaves a golden thread through the New Testament, portraying the immutable faithfulness of God, the perfect fidelity of Christ, the trustworthy integrity of the gospel, and the covenant loyalty expected of every disciple. Because the Lord is faithful, His people are called—and empowered—to be faithful in all things until the consummation when the Faithful and True rides forth in final victory.

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