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Study Resources :: Dictionaries :: Faithful, Faithfully, Faithless

Dictionaries :: Faithful, Faithfully, Faithless

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Below are articles from the following dictionary:
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
1 Strong's Number: g4103 Greek: pistos

Faithful, Faithfully, Faithless:

a verbal adjective, akin to peitho (see FAITH), is used in two senses,

(a) Passive, "faithful, to be trusted, reliable," said of God, e.g., 1Cr 1:9; 10:13; 2Cr 1:18 (AV, "true"); 2Ti 2:13; Hbr 10:23; 11:11; 1Pe 4:19; 1Jo 1:9; of Christ, e.g., 2Th 3:3; Hbr 2:17; 3:2; Rev 1:5; 3:14; 19:11; of the words of God, e.g., Act 13:34, "sure;" 1Ti 1:15; 3:1 (AV, "true"); 4:9; 2Ti 2:11; Tts 1:9; 3:8; Rev 21:5; 22:6; of servants of the Lord, Mat 24:45; 25:21, 23; Act 16:15; 1Cr 4:2, 17; 7:25; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7; 4:7, 9; 1Ti 1:12; 3:11; 2Ti 2:2; Hbr 3:5; 1Pe 5:12; 3Jo 1:5; Rev 2:13; 17:14; of believers, Eph 1:1; Col 1:2;

(b) Active, signifying "believing, trusting, relying," e.g., Act 16:1 (feminine); 2Cr 6:15; Gal 3:9 seems best taken in this respect, as the context lays stress upon Abraham's "faith" in God, rather than upon his "faithfulness." In Jhn 20:27 the context requires the Active sense, as the Lord is reproaching Thomas for his want of "faith." See No. 2.

With regard to believers, they are spoken of sometimes in the Active sense, sometimes in the Passive, i.e., sometimes as believers, sometimes as "faithful." See Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 155.

Note: In 3Jo 1:5 the RV has "thou doest a faithful work," for AV, "thou doest faithfully." The lit. rendering is "thou doest (poieo) a faithful thing, whatsoever thou workest (ergazo)." That would not do as a translation. To do a "faithful" work is to do what is worthy of a "faithful" man. The AV gives a meaning but is not exact as a translation. Westcott suggests "thou makest sure (piston) whatsoever thou workest" (i.e., it will not lose its reward). The change between poieo, "to do," and ergazo, "to work," must be maintained. Cp. Mat 26:10 (ergazo and ergon).

2 Strong's Number: g571 Greek: apistos

Faithful, Faithfully, Faithless:

is used with meanings somewhat parallel to No. 1;

(a) "untrustworthy" (a, negative, and No. 1), not worthy of confidence or belief, is said of things "incredible," Act 26:8;

(b) "unbelieving, distrustful," used as a noun, "unbeliever," Luk 12:46; 1Ti 5:8 (RV, for AV, "infidel"); in Tts 1:15; Rev 21:8, "unbelieving;" "faithless" in Mat 17:17; Mar 9:19; Luk 9:41; Jhn 20:27. The word is most frequent in 1 and 2 Corinthians.
See BELIEVE, INCREDIBLE, INFIDEL, UNBELIEVER, UNFAITHFUL. (In the Sept., Pro 17:6; 28:25; Isa 17:10.)

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