Is This an "Invitation to Salvation?"

[TCGreek]

I would be more than glad to answer your questions.
In order to understand your first question, I need to know which gospel you are asking about. What is the gospel? Literally the answer would be the good news. BUT there is more than one good news in the Bible.
The gospel of grace? The gospel of the Kingdom? Paul's gospel? etc.

Concerning your second question: What Gospel did Jesus tell them to believe in?
If you are still in Mk. 1:15 it is the gospel of the Kingdom. Not the gospel of grace which was yet to be set before them. This gospel of Mk. 1:15 is not the death burial and ressurection and that He was seen gospel.

1. There's one gospel. Do not mistake the different phases and attributes attached to the gospel to mean clones or something of that nature.

2. This same gospel was preached to Abraham (Gal. 3:6-9). That's why Abraham is seen throughout Scripture as the prototype of those saved by faith. We are children of Abraham (Rom 4; Gal 3:26-29).

3. Everyone who has ever been justified and will ever be justified, is declared so by faith alone: "But the justified shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17).

4. So the ceremonial observances under the Old Covenant, were shadows of what is to come, but the body [soma] is of Christ (Col. 2:17).

5. I cringe when I hear people say that the Old was not of grace. I wonder if they know God and really read their bibles.

6. When Paul say that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, you need to keep in mind biblical theology. There's a golden thread the runs through all of Scripture.

a. The blood sacrifices under the OT pointed to the Christ.

b. One aspect of the gospel is its historical validity: Christ had to die and be raised. That is the gospel all along.

c. But why did he have to die and then be raised.

d. So all the blood shed over the centuries were pointing all along to the Lamb of God. So on the cross the sins of the many became his and his righteousness became theirs, so that he might bring them to God (1 Pet. 3:18). This is the Gospel. I know of no other.

6. So can you tell me what are all these other gospels: the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of grace, Paul's gospel, etc? I will let you venture your own views. But they are nothing but the one gospel viewed from different angles.

 

[npetreley]

This whole "other gospel" thing presents an interesting paradox. If what the ME folks say is true, then by preaching another gospel they have accursed themselves, and are sending themselves to 1,000 years in outer darkness/fire/hell.

 

[TCGreek]

This whole "other gospel" thing presents an interesting paradox. If what the ME folks say is true, then by preaching another gospel they have accursed themselves, and are sending themselves to 1,000 years in outer darkness/fire/hell.

Which is the logical end of their reasoning. But if anyone can preach "another gospel" and escape the 1000yrs of outer darness, it's the ME guys. They can pull it off.

 

[npetreley]

Which is the logical end of their reasoning. But if anyone can preach "another gospel" and escape the 1000yrs of outer darness, it the ME guys. They can pull it off.

:laugh::laugh: Ignorance is bliss. And trust me, the clear rebuke of Galatians will get ignored because there is no reasonable response to it. :laugh::laugh:

 

[Faith alone]

John MacArthur is an excellent teacher and I believe he is dead on in the passage referring to sinners. I won't answer your first question because I think you are baiting with it on a cheap point.

Baiting?!

C'mon! It's a fair question. I too like much of the stuff MacArthur has produced, but not in the area of the gospel. He said that James 4:7-10 was the most comprehensive invitation to salvation in the NT letters... ??? What in the following has a thing to do with the gospel? James was writing to believers. the context in chapter 4 is of dealing with believers.

James 4:7-10 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Christians sin too, right? Wasn't James' concern about such clear earlier?

In 4:1 James said, "What is the source of the wars and the fights among you?Don't they come from the cravings that are at war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask." The "you" is obviously believers. And it is believers who are told to ask God for things - to pray. Look at the verse following 10...

"Don't criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge."

In vs. 15 we read, "Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." Are unbelievers expected to say, "If the Lord wills..."?

James was writing to believers. 4:7-10 has nothing to do with the gospel of grace - of how to become a child of God! I think you are refusing to answer a fair question.

MacArthur said this was the most comprehensive invitation to salvation in the NT letters!?! I gotta ask, where's the evidence of such a claim?

Appreciate much of what else you've posted here, but had to say something here.

Thx,

FA

 

[Accountable]

Lou,

TC is doing a much better job in this thread than I would, so I don't want to get involved. But I just wanted to point out that I've been fighting, off and on, tooth and nail against a horde of kingdom salvation/millenial exclusionists who are perverting the grace of God to preach an anti-gospel of works.

And who am I? I'm not only a Calvinist, I would say I'm supralapsarian in my views. So if I say to you that I can't understand why you think works-based salvation (Lordship Salvation) stems from Calvinism, I hope you believe me. I'm not saying there aren't Calvinists who make that error, but here I am on the side of grace, and I'll bet that most of the KS/ME horde are free-willers.

Okay, it's just one data point (maybe 2, since I believe TC is a Calvinist), but I hope you don't ignore it.

You couldn't be more wrong. I know many Calvanists who are Bible believers int the truths concerning the Kingdom.

 

[npetreley]

You couldn't be more wrong. I know many Calvanists who are Bible believers int the truths concerning the Kingdom.

But you're not one, yourself, right? So how may of those promoting ME here are Calvinists? I count none so far.

Personally, I see a reason. Calvinism = grace. ME = legalism. They don't go together very well.

.

 

[James_Newman]

But you're not one, yourself, right? So how may of those promoting ME here are Calvinists? I count none so far.

Personally, I see a reason. Calvinism = grace. ME = legalism. They don't go together very well.

.

Calvinism hijacked the word grace just like sodomites hijacked the word gay. But do go on.

 

[Faith alone]

...

And who am I? I'm not only a Calvinist, I would say I'm supralapsarian in my views. So if I say to you that I can't understand why you think works-based salvation (Lordship Salvation) stems from Calvinism, I hope you believe me. I'm not saying there aren't Calvinists who make that error, but here I am on the side of grace, and I'll bet that most of the KS/ME horde are free-willers.

Okay, it's just one data point (maybe 2, since I believe TC is a Calvinist), but I hope you don't ignore it.

npetreley,

Very interesting... and good to hear. I believe one reason why Calvinists tend to be LS is because of the perseverance of the saints. Free grace by its nature does not hold to the P... but to "preservation of the saints." So some passages in the NT would seem to say that a Christian loses their salvation if they are viewed as believers, since for the P holders, real Christians do not struggle for a long time with sin, etc. That eliminates texts such as Hebrews 6 from being considered as believers.

I'm interested in how you view some of the problem texts regarding eternal security.

BTW, I hold to unconditional election - there are some free gracers who do so. The philosophy espoused by William Lane Craig of middle knowledge opens that door nicely.

Thx,

FA

 

[npetreley]

npetreley,

Very interesting... and good to hear. I believe one reason why Calvinists tend to be LS is because of the perseverance of the saints. Free grace by its nature does not hold to the P... but to "preservation of the saints." So some passages in the NT would seem to say that a Christian loses their salvation if they are viewed as believers, since for the P holders, real Christians do not struggle for a long time with sin, etc. That eliminates texts such as Hebrews 6 from being considered as believers.

I'm interested in how you view some of the problem texts regarding eternal security.

BTW, I hold to unconditional election - there are some free gracers who do so. The philosophy espoused by William Lane Craig of middle knowledge opens that door nicely.

Thx,

FA

The main reason I have a problem with perserverence of the saints is because the disrespect of the Corinthians led to them becoming sick and (especially) falling asleep. But then it really depends upon what one means by perserverence. Does it require that Spirit motivation always leads to successful action and obedience? I hope not, because I fall short so much I sometimes joke that virtually anyone could lead my life better than i do.

I only know of one passage that appears to refute preservation, though, and that's in Hebrews. I think the key to understanding that passage is "things that pertain to salvation", which is contrasted with the text that many people use to say you can lose your salvation. Obviously, if "things that pertain to salvation" is in contrast to that text, the text can't be about losing your salvation.

 

[Faith alone]

The main reason I have a problem with perserverence of the saints is because the disrespect of the Corinthians led to them becoming sick and (especially) falling asleep. But then it really depends upon what one means by perserverence. Does it require that Spirit motivation always leads to successful action and obedience? I hope not, because I fall short so much I sometimes joke that virtually anyone could lead my life better than i do.

I only know of one passage that appears to refute preservation, though, and that's in Hebrews. I think the key to understanding that passage is "things that pertain to salvation", which is contrasted with the text that many people use to say you can lose your salvation. Obviously, if "things that pertain to salvation" is in contrast to that text, the text can't be about losing your salvation.

Agreed, and I really appreciate your heart. I think if anyone is honest with themselves, they'd admit how far short they fall. Also agreed that Heb 6 is not talking about losing your salvation. There's another thread around here somewhere (True vs. False Believers - http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=41589) in which I posted in detail how I see this as not referring to the loss of salvation - if you're interested.

There are other forms of eternal security besides "perseverance."

Thx,

FA

 

[Lou Martuneac]

Still Time to Vote

Still time to vote in the poll.

In John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus both the original and revised version (pp. 218 & 252 respectively) this statement appears,

"Perhaps the most comprehensive invitation to salvation in (all) the epistles comes in James 4:7-10... The invitation in 4:7-10 is directed at those who are not saved..."

Here is the passage Dr. MacArthur refers to as an “invitation to salvation:”

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up," (James 4:7-10).

I will ask just two questions:

1) Is the epistle of James, and this passage specifically, directed to the lost or to those who are saved already?

2) Do we find salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) in James 4:7-10 as MacArthur suggests?


LM

 

[Faith alone]

Still time to vote in the poll.

In John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus both the original and revised version (pp. 218 & 252 respectively) this statement appears,

"Perhaps the most comprehensive invitation to salvation in (all) the epistles comes in James 4:7-10... The invitation in 4:7-10 is directed at those who are not saved..."

Here is the passage Dr. MacArthur refers to as an “invitation to salvation:”

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up," (James 4:7-10).

I will ask just two questions:

1) Is the epistle of James, and this passage specifically, directed to the lost or to those who are saved already?

2) Do we find salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) in James 4:7-10 as MacArthur suggests?


LM

Lou,

Already addressed this. The context of the entire letter is clearly that of James writing to believers about having a good testimony for Christ in the world. We are not saved by...

• submitting to God
• resisting the devil
• cleansing our hands of our sin
• purifying our hearts
• being afflicted, mourning and weeping (though that may result from the conviction of the Spirit)
• humbling yourself (though with a proud heart the Spirit cannot draw you to His Son nor convict you of sin)
• drawing near to God is kinda iffy (I'd have to go along with it, though it doesn't tell us how we draw near to God - through faith)

We gain eternal life by simply believing the gospel - trusting in Christ, who died in our place. He didn't just die for us, He did it all - He died in our place. IOW, we do absolutely nothing, zip, nada. The points above all focus on us asking God to help us save ourselves. That is simply not the gospel. Though I have a lot of respect for MacArthur, in the area of the gospel, I'd have to say he's confused. He's confusing discipleship truth with gospel truth.

James 4:7-10 does not talk at all about salvation by grace through faith. Sounds like works soteriology to me.

Thx,

FA

 

[TCGreek]

Still time to vote in the poll.

In John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus both the original and revised version (pp. 218 & 252 respectively) this statement appears,


Here is the passage Dr. MacArthur refers to as an “invitation to salvation:”

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up," (James 4:7-10).

I will ask just two questions:

1) Is the epistle of James, and this passage specifically, directed to the lost or to those who are saved already?

2) Do we find salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) in James 4:7-10 as MacArthur suggests?


LM

Originally Posted by TCGreek
1. I do not know what source you consulted for your definition of pistis. But let me help you out some:

a. Abbott-Smith: pistis in

i. an active sense: "faith, belief, trust, confidence."

ii. a passive sense: "fidelity, faithfulness, a plighted faith, a pledge of fidelity."

b. BDAG:

i. "That which evokes trust and faith: "faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment."

ii. "state of believing on the basis of the reliability fo the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith."

iii. "That which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching."

2. Since we are defining what pistis means, I thought you would like to know that it means "trust, commitment, reliability, confidence, etc.

3. The nuances that you are willing to strip pistis of for you ends.

4. There's a common fallacy people commit as they try to do word-study called Selective and prejudicial use of evidence and I thought a full meaning of pistis would help us stay clear of that fallacy.

 

[TCGreek]

Still time to vote in the poll.

In John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus both the original and revised version (pp. 218 & 252 respectively) this statement appears,


Here is the passage Dr. MacArthur refers to as an “invitation to salvation:”

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up," (James 4:7-10).

I will ask just two questions:

1) Is the epistle of James, and this passage specifically, directed to the lost or to those who are saved already?

2) Do we find salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) in James 4:7-10 as MacArthur suggests?


LM

1. You opened a can of worms when you brought post #10 and now you want to pretend that it didn't happen. Come on! You know better than that.

2. You brought in Eph 2:8-9, while all along we were discussion James 4:7-10. Why are you the only one allowed to bring in other texts to prove your point, but others cannot? Come on! You know better than that.

3. Your subtlety has not eluded me. I will defend the truth of Scripture: Jesus preached Repentance and Faith (Mk 1:15). Paul preached Repentance and Faith (Acts 20:21). Paul preached Jesus as Lord (2 Cor 4:4, 5).

4. Tell me, what then should we preach? Your empty idea of the gospel?
__________________

 

[EdSutton]

OK, I voted.

Ed

 

[Faith alone]

TCGreek,

As I see it, LS has redefined faith so as to include commitment and works. Bah Humbug!

While the idea of "faithfulness" is a rare part of the gloss for PISTEUW, it is not part of how Paul uses the term. To believe in Greek is essentially the same as in English.

FA

 

[TCGreek]

TCGreek,

As I see it, LS has redefined faith so as to include commitment and works. Bah Humbug!

While the idea of "faithfulness" is a rare part of the gloss for PISTEUW, it is not part of how Paul uses the term. To believe in Greek is essentially the same as in English.

FA

And what is that definition? What is the source of your definition?

 

[Faith alone]

PISTEUW - part I

And what is that definition? What is the source of your definition?

The two major lexicons used by professionals: BGAD and L & S... I'll have to make this in two posts, since BGAD is so long. In fact, I had to cut it in half.

πιστεύω (trag.+; inscr., pap., LXX, En., Ep. Arist., Philo, Joseph., Test. 12 Patr.) impf. ejpivsteuon; 1 aor. ejpivsteusa; pf. pepivsteuka; plpf. pepisteuvkein Ac 14:23 (on the omission of the augment s. Bl-D. §66, 1; Mlt.-H. 190). Pass.: pf. pepivsteumai; 1 aor. ejpisteuvqhn (the word does not occur in Phlm, 2 Pt, 2 and 3 J, Rv, MPol, or D. On the other hand it is a special favorite of J and 1 J, where it is found 96 times and six times respectively; pivsti" is not found in the gospel at all, and occurs in 1 J only once, 5:4. Our lit. uses it quite predominantly in the relig. sense, or at least w. relig. coloring).
1. believe—
a. believe (in) someth., be convinced of someth., w. that which one believes (in) added—a. in the acc. of the thing (Soph., Oed. Rex 646 tavde; Aristot., Analyt. Pr. 2, 23 p. 68b, 13 a{panta; PSI 494, 14 mhqevn; UPZ 70, 29 [152/1 bc] p. ta; ejnuvpnia) hJ ajgavph pavnta pisteuvei 1 Cor 13:7. pepisteuvkamen th;n ajgavphn we believe in the love 1J 4:16. pisteuvei" tou`to; J 11:26b. Cf. Ac 13:41 (Hab 1:5). Pass. ejpisteuvqh to; martuvrion hJmw`n our testimony was believed 2 Th 1:10b (cf. Aristot., Eth. Nic. 10, 2 p. 1172b, 15 ejpisteuvonto oiJ lovgoi; Gen 42:20).
b. by means of a o{ti-clause believe that (Plut., Mor. 210d; Aelian, V.H. 1, 16 p. 8, 9; Herm. Wr. 4, 4: Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24; PLond. 897, 12 [I ad]; Tob 10:8 S; Job 9:16; 15:31; 39:12; La 4:12; 4 Macc 7:19) makariva hJ pisteuvsasa o{ti e[stai teleivwsi" Lk 1:45 (o{ti here may=for: s. o{ti 3b).—Mk 11:23; cf. vs. 24; J 8:24 (o{ti ejgwv eijmi as Is 43:10); 11:27, 42; 13:19; 14:10; 16:27, 30; 17:8, 21; 20:31a; Ac 9:26; Ro 6:8; 10:9; 1 Th 4:14; Hb 11:6; Js 2:19a; 1J 5:1, 5; Hv 3, 8, 4; 4, 2, 4; m 1:1; 6, 2, 10b; s 2:5.—p. periv tino" o{ti believe concerning someone that J 9:18 (M. Ant. 1, 15, 5 pisteuvein peri; w|n levgoi o{ti ou{tw" fronei`=‘believe, w. respect to what he says, that he thinks in this way’.—p. periv tino" as Plut., Lyc. 19, 4; Jos., Ant. 14, 267).
g. by the acc. and inf. (pres. Pla., Gorg. 524a; PTebt. 314, 3 [II ad]; 4 Macc 5:25; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 160) pisteuvw to;n uiJo;n tou` qeou` ei\nai to;n jIhsou`n Ac 8:37b.—IRo 10:2.—By the inf. (Thu 2, 22, 1; Job 15:22) pisteuvomen swqh`nai Ac 15:11.—By the acc. and ptc. ejn sarki; aujto;n pisteuvw o[nta I believe that he was in the flesh ISm 3:1.
d. by means of the dat. of the thing give credence to, believe (Aeschyl., Pers. 786 qew`n qesfavtoisin; Soph., Phil. 1374 toi`" ejmoi`" lovgoi", El. 886; Pla., Phaedo 88c, Leg. 7 p. 798d; Polyb. 5, 42, 9; 9, 33, 1; Herodian 7, 5, 5 ejlpivdi kreivttoni; BGU 674, 6 tw`/ lovgw/; 2 Ch 9:6 toi`" lovgoi"; Ps 105:24; Pr 14:15; Sir 19:15; En. 104, 13 tai`" bivbloi"; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 229 toi`" kenoi`" logismoi`", Virt. 68 the sayings of God; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 286, Ant. 10, 39 t. lovgoi") oujk ejpivsteusa" toi`" lovgoi" mou Lk 1:20. th`/ grafh`/ kai; tw`/ lovgw/ J 2:22. Cf. 4:50; 5:47a, b. toi`" gegrammevnoi" Ac 24:14 (Diod. S. 16, 52, 7 pisteuvsante" toi`" gegrammevnoi"). th`/ ejpaggeliva/ tou` qeou` 2 Cl 11:1 (Diod. S. 1, 53, 10 th`/ tou` prorrhvsei pisteuvein; 19, 90, 3). tw`/ yeuvdei, th`/ ajlhqeiva/ 2 Th 2:11, 12. th`/ katalalia`/ Hm 2:2. th`/ ajkoh`/ hJmw`n (Is 53:1; cf. Jos., C. Ap. 2, 14 p. ajkoh`/ presbutevrwn) J 12:38; Ro 10:16; 1 Cl 16:3. toi`" e[rgoi" J 10:38b (=their testimony); Hm 6, 2, 10a (that they are good and must be followed).—Pass. ejpisteuvqh tw`/ lovgw/ mou they believed my word Hm 3:3.
e. w. prepositional expressions: eij" Ro 4:18, if eij" to; genevsqai aujtovn here is dependent on ejpivsteusen. pisteuvein eij" th;n marturivan believe in the witness 1J 5:10c. oJ Cristianismo;" oujk eij" jIoudai>smo;n ejpivsteusen Christianity did not believe in Judaism (s. Hdb. ad loc.) IMg 10:3a; cf. b (Cristianismovn, eij" o}n pa`sa glw`ssa pisteuvsasa). On pisteuvein eij" to; o[nomav tino" s. 2ab below. pisteuvete ejn tw`/ eujaggelivw/ believe in the gospel (so Ps 105:12 ejpivsteusan ejn toi`" lovgoi" aujtou`. Rather in the sense ‘put one’s trust in’ Sir 32:21 mh; pisteuvsh/" ejn oJdw`/ ajproskovpw/. Cf. Bl-D. §187, 6 w. app.; Rob. 540. ALoisy, Les Évangiles synopt. I ’07, 430; 434; Wlh., JWeiss, PDausch, EKlostermann, JSchniewind ad loc.) Mk 1:15 (Hofmann understands it as ‘on the basis of’, Wohlenberg ‘bei’; Lohmeyer is undecided; Dssm. and Mlt. 67f ‘in the sphere of’; s. p. 235). ejn touvtw/ by this J 16:30.—ejpiv tini: pisteuvein ejpi; pa`sin oi|" ejlavlhsan oiJ profh`tai Lk 24:25.
b. w. the pers. to whom one gives credence or whom one believes, in the dat. (Demosth. 18, 10; Aristot., Rhet. 2, 14 p. 1390a, 32; Polyb. 15, 26, 6 toi`" eijdovsi th;n ajlhvqeian; Herodian 2, 1, 10; PHib. 72, 18; POxy. 898, 29; PTebt. 418, 15; Ex 4:1, 5; 3 Km 10:7; 2 Ch 32:15; Tob 2:14; Jer 47:14; Philo, Praem. 49) toi`" qeasamevnoi" aujto;n ejghgermevnon oujk ejpivsteusan they did not believe those who saw him after he was raised from the dead Mk 16:14. Cf. Mt 21:25, 32a, b, c; Mk 11:31; 16:13; Lk 20:5; J 5:46a; Ac 8:12; 26:27a (t. profhvtai" as Jos., Ant. 11, 96); 1J 4:1; Hm 6, 1, 2a, b.—Also of Jesus and God whom one believes, in that he accepts their disclosures without doubt or contradiction: Jesus: Mt 27:42 t.r.; J 5:38, 46b; 6:30; 8:45, 46; 10:37, 38a. God: J 5:24; Ro 4:3 (Gen 15:6), 17 (katevnanti ou| ejpivsteusen qeou`=katevnanti qeou` w|/ ejpivsteusen); Gal 3:6; Js 2:23; 1 Cl 10:6 (all three Gen 15:6). oJ mh; pisteuvwn tw`/ qew`/ yeuvsthn pepoivhken aujtovn 1J 5:10b.
c. w. pers. and thing added p. tiniv ti believe someone with regard to someth. (X., Apol. 15 mhde; tau`ta eu]kh`/ pisteuvshte tw`/ qew`/) Hm 6, 2, 6.—W. dat. of the pers. and o{ti foll.: pisteuvetev moi o{ti ejgw; ejn tw`/ patriv J 14:11a. Cf. 4:21; Ac 27:25.
d. abs. (in which case the context supplies the obj., etc.) ejavn ti" uJmi`n ei[ph/, ijdou; w|de oJ Cristov", mh; pisteuvshte do not believe (him or it [the statement]) Mt 24:23; cf. vs. 26; Mk 13:21; Lk 22:67; J 3:12a, b; 10:25f; 12:47 t.r.; 14:29; 16:31; 19:35; 20:8, 25, 29a, b (pisteuvsante" those who have nevertheless believed [it=the fact of the Resurrection]); Ac 4:4; 26:27b; 1 Cor 11:18 (pisteuvw I believe [it=that there are divisions among you]); 15:11; Js 2:19b (even the demons believe this); Jd 5. Pass. kardiva/ pisteuvetai with (or in) the heart men believe (it=that Jesus was raised fr. the dead) Ro 10:10.
e. believe=let oneself be influenced katav tino" against someone Pol 6:1.
f. pisteuvomai I am believed, I enjoy confidence (X., An. 7, 6, 33; Diod. S. 5, 80, 4 toi`" mavlista pisteuomevnoi" ejphkolouqhvsamen; 17, 32, 1; 1 Km 27:12; Jos., Ant. 10, 114; PGM 12, 279 pisteuqhvsh/=you will be believed) of Eve parqevno" pisteuvetai men believe that she is a virgin Dg 12:8, or perh. a virgin is entrusted (to someone without fear). Cf. 3 below.

BGAD to be continued

FA

 

[Faith alone]

PISTEUW continued

BGAD continued:

2. believe (in), trust of relig. belief in a special sense, as faith in theDivinity that lays special emphasis on trust in his power and his nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that he exists and that his revelations or disclosures are true. In our lit. God and Christ are objects of this faith. The obj. is
a. given—a. in the dat. (cf. Soph., Philoct. 1374 qeoi`" pist.; X., Mem. 1, 1, 5; Ps.-Pla., Epinom. 980c pisteuvsa" toi`" qeoi`" eu[cou; Ptolem. Lagi [300 bc]: 138 fgm. 8 Jac.; Maximus Tyr. 3, 8k tw`
<snipped - still too long>
83ff; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT4 ’27; EBréhier, Les idées philosophiques et religieuses de Philon d’Alexandrie ’08, 2’25; HWindisch, Die Frömmigkeit Philos ’09, 23ff; HAWolfson, Philo ’47 I, 143-56, esp. II, 215-8]; Jos., Ant. 2, 117; 333; 3, 309; 20, 48, Bell. 3, 387 [cf. ASchlatter, D. Theol. d. Judentums nach d. Bericht des Jos. ’32, 104ff]). Some of the passages referred to in 1b above, end, are repeated, since they may be classified here or there w. equal justification. Of God: p. tw`/ qew`/ Ac 16:34; 13:12 D; Tit 3:8; PK 4 p. 16, 2; B 16:7; Hm 12, 6, 2; s 5, 1, 5. Cf. m 1:2. tw`/ kurivw/ (Sir 11:21; 2:8) v 4, 2, 6. oiJ pisteuvsante" tw`/ kurivw/ dia; tou` uiJou` aujtou` s 9, 13, 5. tw`/ qew`/ w. o{ti foll. m 9:7; cf. s 1:7.—Of Christ: Mt 27:42 t.r. (for ejpÆ aujtovn); J 6:30 (soiv=vs. 29 eij" o}n ajpevsteilen ejkei`no"); J 8:31 (aujtw`/=vs. 30 eij" aujtovn, but see Mlt. 67f); Ac 5:14; 18:8a (both tw`/ kurivw/); Ro 10:14b (ou| oujk h[kousan=touvtw/ [about equivalent to eij" tou`ton; cf. vs. 14a] ou| oujk h[k.); 2 Ti 1:12; ITr 9:2.—Pass. be believed in (X., Cyr. 4, 2, 8; 6, 1, 39; Pla., Lach. 181b; Ps.-Demosth. 58, 44 al.; 1 Km 27:12. Cf. Bl-D. §312, 1; cf. Rob. 815f) ejpisteuvqh ejn kovsmw/ 1 Ti 3:16.—p. tw`/ ojnovmati tou` uiJou` believe in the name of the Son, i.e. believe in the Son and accept what his name proclaims him to be 1J 3:23.
b. w. eij" (cf. Hippolyt., Elench. 6, 19, 7 W. oiJ eij" to;n Sivmwna kai; th;n JElevnhn pepisteukovte") God (BGU 874, 11 p. eij" to;n qeovn): J 12:44b; 14:1a (cf. ET 21, ’10, 53-7; 68-70; 138f); 1 Pt 1:21 t.r.=Pol 2:1.—Christ: Mt 18:6; Mk 9:42 t.r.; J 2:11; 3:15 t.r., 16, 18a, 36; 4:39; 6:29, 35, 40, 47 t.r.; 7:5, 31, 38f, 48; 8:30; 9:35f; 10:42; 11:25, 26a, 45, 48; 12:11, 36 (eij" to; fw`"), 37, 42, 44a, 46; 14:1b, 12; 16:9; 17:20; Ac 10:43; 14:23; 18:8 D; 19:4; Ro 10:14a; Gal 2:16; Phil 1:29; 1 Pt 1:8; 1J 5:10a; Hs 8, 3, 2.—eu]" to; o[noma jIhsou` (or aujtou`, etc.) J 1:12; 2:23; 3:18c; 1J 5:13 (cf. o[noma I 4b and s. 2aa above, end). p. eu]" to;n qavnaton aujtou` ITr 2:1. p. eu]" to; ai|ma Cristou` ISm 6:1.
g. w. ejpiv and the dat., of God Ac 11:17 D. Of Christ: Mt 27:42 v.l.; J 3:15 v.l.; Ro 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pt 2:6 (the last three Is 28:16 a
AQ); 1 Ti 1:16.
d. w. ejpiv and the acc. (Wsd 12:2) of God: Ac 16:34 D; Ro 4:5, 24; PK 3 p. 15, 12. Of Christ: Mt 27:42; J 3:15 v.l.; Ac 9:42; 11:17; 16:31; 22:19.
e. p. e[n tini believe in someone (Jer 12:6; Da 6:24 Theod.; Ps 77:22) is not found in our lit. at all, except J 3:15 (B, al.; Nestle); Eph 1:13 if ejn w|/ is connected w. pisteuvsante"; it is possible to hold that p. stands abs. both times. But s. 1ae above p. ejn tw`/ eujaggelivw/ Mk 1:15.
b. not expressed at all (Aristot., Rhet. 2, 17 p. 1391b, 1ff; Plut., Mor. 170f; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24 pisteu`sai dei`, o{ti [=because] movnh swthriva hJ pro;" to;n qeo;n ejpistrofhv; Herm. Wr. 9, 10a, b ejpivsteuse kai; ejn th`/ kalh`/ pivstei ejpanepauvsato; cf. 1, 32 pisteuvw kai; marturw`=Pap. Berol. 9795 [RReitzenstein, Studien z. antiken Synkretismus ’26, p. 161, 2]; Num 20:12; Ps 115:1; Is 7:9; Sir 2:13; 1 Macc 2:59; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 14; 101, Deus Imm. 4, Mut. Nom. 178) Mk 15:32; 16:16f; Lk 8:12f; J 1:7, 50; 3:15, 18b; 4:41f, 48, 53; 5:44; 6:36, 47, 64a, b, perh. 69 (MSEnslin, The Perf. Tense in the Fourth Gosp.: JBL 55, ’36, 121-31, esp. 128); 9:38; 10:26; 11:15, 40; 12:39; 20:31b; Ac 4:4; 8:13, 37a; 11:21; 13:12, 39, 48; 14:1; 15:5, 7; 17:12, 34; 18:8b, 27; 19:2; 21:25; Ro 1:16; 3:22; 4:11; 10:4; 13:11; 15:13; 1 Cor 1:21; 3:5; 15:2; Gal 3:22; Eph 1:13, 19; 1 Th 2:10, 13; Hb 4:3; 1 Pt 2:7; 1 Cl 12:7; 2 Cl 17:3; 20:2; B 9:4; 11:11; ISm 3:2; Hs 8, 10, 3; 9, 17, 4; 9, 22, 3. to; pisteuvein faith IMg 9:2. ejn ajgavph/ pisteuvein IPhld 9:2.—The participles in the var. tenses are also used almost subst.: (oiJ) pisteuvonte" (the) believers, (the) Christians Ac 2:44 t.r.; Ro 3:22; 1 Cor 14:22a, b (opp. oiJ a[pistoi); 1 Th 1:7; Hs 8, 3, 3. (oiJ) pisteuvsante" (those) who became Christians, (the) Christians, believers Ac 2:44; 4:32; 2 Th 1:10a; 2 Cl 2:3; Hs 9, 19, 1. oiJ pepisteukovte" those who became (and remained) believers Ac 19:18; 21:20.—oiJ mevllonte" pisteuvein future believers 1 Cl 42:4; Hm 4, 3, 3a. oiJ nu`n pisteuvsante" those who have just come to believe ibid. b.
c. A special kind of this faith is the confidence that God or Christ is in a position to help the suppliant out of his distress, have confidence (some of the passages already mentioned might just as well be classified here) abs. wJ" ejpivsteusa" genhqhvtw soi may it be done to you in accordance with the confidence you have Mt 8:13. o{sa a]n aijthvshte pisteuvonte" whatever you pray for with confidence 21:22. Cf. Mk 5:36; 9:23f; Lk 8:50; 2 Cor 4:13a (Ps 115:1), b. W. o{ti foll.: pisteuvete o{ti duvnamai tou`to poih`sai; do you have confidence that I am able to do this? Mt 9:28.—Mk 11:23.
3. entrust tiniv ti someth. to someone (X., Mem. 4, 4, 17; Plut., Mor. 519e; Athen. 8 p. 341a; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 25, 1; Dit., Syll.2 845, 7, cf. for numerous other examples index VI p. 384b. Cf. Wsd 14:5; 1 Macc 8:16; 4 Macc 4:7; Jos., Bell. 4, 492) to; ajlhqino;n tiv" uJmi`n pisteuvsei; Lk 16:11. auJtovn tini trust oneself to someone (Lysias 30, 7; Brutus, Ep. 25; Plut., Mor. 181d ajndri; ma`llon ajgaqw`/ pisteuvsa" eJauto;n h] ojcurw`/ tovpw/; Ep. Arist. 270; Jos., Ant. 12, 396) J 2:24 (EStauffer, CHDodd-Festschr., ’56, 281-99.—Diod. S. 34+35 fgm. 39a ouj toi`" tucou`si fivloi" eJauto;n ejpivsteusen=he did not trust himself to casual friends).—Pass. pisteuvomaiv ti I am entrusted with someth. (Pla., Ep. 1 p. 309a; Polyb. 8, 17, 5; 31, 26, 7; Diod. S. 20, 19, 2; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 136 §568 a} ejpisteuvqhn; inscr., pap.; Jos., Bell. 5, 567, Vi. 137. Cf. Esth 8:12e.—Dssm., LO 320f [LAE 379]). ejpisteuvqhsan ta; lovgia tou` qeou` Ro 3:2. pepivsteumai to; eujaggevlion Gal 2:7 (PGM 13, 140 oJ uJpov sou pavnta pisteuqeiv"; 446); cf. 1 Th 2:4; 1 Ti 1:11.—Tit 1:3. oijkonomivan pepivsteumai 1 Cor 9:17; cf. Dg 7:1. S. also 7:2; IMg 6:1; IPhld 9:1a, b. pisteuvomaiv ti parav tino" I am entrusted by someone with someth. (Polyb. 3, 69, 1; Jos., Bell. 1, 667): oiJ pisteuqevnte" para; qeou` e[rgon toiou`to 1 Cl 43:1.
4. A unique use is found in o}" me;n pisteuvei fagei`n pavnta, someth. like the one trusts himself to eat anything Ro 14:2 (a combination of two ideas: ‘he is so strong in the faith’ and: ‘he is convinced that he may’. Cf. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.). Another possibility is the sense think or consider (possible), in Ro 14:2 perh. holds everything possible; cf. J 9:18 oujk ejpivsteusan they refused to entertain the possibility, and Ac 9:26.—For lit. s. pivsti", end. M-M.**
Bauer, Walter, Gingrich, F. Wilbur, and Danker, Frederick W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) 1979.

Where do you find the concept of faith that includes commitment? Here's Liddell & Scott:

πιστεύω, f. euvsw: plqpf. pepisteuvkein: (pivsti"):
1. to trust, trust to or in, put faith in, rely on, believe in a person or thing, c. dat., p. tiniv Hdt., Att.; with neut. Adj., lovgoi" ejmoi`si pivsteuson tavde believe my words herein, Eur.:—later, p. eij" Qeovn to believe on or in God, N.T.; p. ejpi; to;n Kuvrion Ib.:—absol. to believe, Hdt., Thuc.:—Pass. to be trusted or believed, Plat.; pisteuvesqai uJpov tino" to enjoy his confidence, Xen.; p. parav tini, prov" tina Dem.; wJ" pisteuqhsovmeno" as if he would be believed, Id.:—Med. to believe mutually, Id.
2. to comply, Soph.
3. c. inf. to believe that, feel sure or confident that a thing is, will be, has been, Eur., etc.; p. poiei`n to dare to do a thing, Dem.:—Pass., pisteuvomai ajlhqeuvsein I am believed likely to speak truth, Xen.
4. c. dat. et inf., toi`si ejpivsteue siga`n to whom he trusted that they would keep silence, in whose secresy he confided, Hdt.
5. to believe, have faith, N.T.
II. p. tiv tini to entrust something to another, Xen., etc.:—Pass., pisteuvomaiv ti I am entrusted with a thing, have it committed to me, Id.
Liddell, H. G., and Scott, Abridged Greek-English Lexicon, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) 1992.

PISTEUW in the NT means to trust in, believe in, to rely upon, etc.. But people look for some obscure definition of PISTEUW so that they can hang their theology on it. L & S considers attic Greek and classical Greek as well as koine Greek in their definitions, which is why #5 above makes it clear that in the NT the primary meaning is simply "to believe, to have faith." That is also perhaps why L & s is used almost exclusively by translators - more than even BGAD. (Check with the Bible translation egroup (BTRANS) moderated by Wayne Leman. BGAD is used more than any other lexicon by seminaries. It contains a suggested translation for every usage of a word in the NT.

These are the two most authoritive sources. These are the only two sources I use, though I am interested in the AT Robertson's Word Pictures for various texts as well as Kittel's work. Where do you get your definition... whatever it is? Just curious. Let's keep this respectful.

Thx,

FA