pistos · faithful, believing

What it means

pistos (πιστός) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “faithful, believing”.

Faithful, trustworthy; also believing, a believer.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Someone you can rely on.
2. Someone who trusts in Jesus.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Faithful: worthy of trust, one who does what he says; and, in another sense, one who believes, a believer. It is the adjective of πίστις (faith, faithfulness, G4102); its opposite is ἄπιστος (unbelieving).

• The slave faithful in little Matthew 25:21Luke 16:10
• “God is faithful” 1 Corinthians 10:131 John 1:9Hebrews 10:23
• “The word is trustworthy” 1 Timothy 1:15
• “The faithful witness” Revelation 1:5
• Believer over against unbeliever John 20:27Acts 16:12 Corinthians 6:15

How we translate it

“Faithful” 45 times and “trustworthy” 6 when the word speaks of someone or something that can be trusted (1 Timothy 1:15); “believing” 5, “believers” 4, “believer” 3 when it names one who believes, above all over against ἄπιστος (“do not be unbelieving, but believing”, John 20:27). This edition's glossary renders pistis “faith”, with “faithfulness” when it is a quality of someone; this adjective follows the same double sense.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• faithful ×45
• trustworthy ×6
• believing ×5
• believers ×4
• believer ×3
• believe ×2
• faithfully ×1
• sure ones ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×5
• Luke×6
• John×1
• Acts×4
• 1 Corinthians×5
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Galatians×1
• Ephesians×2
• Colossians×4
• 1 Thessalonians×1
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• 1 Timothy×11
• 2 Timothy×3
• Titus×3
• Hebrews×5
• 1 Peter×3
• 1 John×1
• 3 John×1
• Revelation×8

• Matthew 24:45

  Who, then, is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

• Matthew 25:21

  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

• Matthew 25:23

  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

• Luke 12:42

  And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master will put in charge over his household staff to give them their food allowance at the proper time?

• Luke 16:10

  The one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is unjust in very little is also unjust in much.

• Luke 16:11

  If then you have not been faithful with the unjust wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

• Luke 16:12

  And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

• Luke 19:17

  And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’

• John 20:27

  Then he says to Thomas, “Bring your finger here and see my hands; and bring your hand and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

• Acts 10:45

  And the believers from among the circumcised, as many as had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the nations.

• Acts 13:34

  And that he raised him from the dead, no longer destined to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the sure ones.’

• Acts 16:1

  And he arrived also at Derbe and at Lystra. And look, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but of a Greek father.

• Acts 16:15

  And when she was immersed, and her household, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be a believer in the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

• 1 Corinthians 1:9

  God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

• 1 Corinthians 4:2

  Here, moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

• 1 Corinthians 4:17

  For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways that are in the Messiah Jesus, just as I teach them everywhere in every assembly.

• 1 Corinthians 7:25

  Now concerning virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who has received mercy from the Lord to be faithful.

• 1 Corinthians 10:13

  No temptation has seized you except a human one; and God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also provide the way out, so as to be able to endure it.

• 2 Corinthians 1:18

  But as God is faithful, our word to you is not “Yes and No.”

• 2 Corinthians 6:15

  And what harmony has the Messiah with Beliar? Or what share has a believer with an unbeliever?

• Galatians 3:9

  So then those of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

• Ephesians 1:1

  Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in the Messiah Jesus:

• Ephesians 6:21

  But so that you also may know my affairs, what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you everything;

• Colossians 1:2

  to the saints in Colossae, and faithful brothers in the Messiah: grace to you and peace from God our Father.

• Colossians 1:7

  just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of the Messiah on behalf of us,

• Colossians 4:7

  Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all the things concerning me.

• Colossians 4:9

  with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the things here.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:24

  Faithful is the one who calls you, who will also do it.

• 2 Thessalonians 3:3

  But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

• 1 Timothy 1:12

  I give thanks to him who strengthened me, the Messiah Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to service,

• 1 Timothy 1:15

  The word is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance: the Messiah Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first.

• 1 Timothy 3:1

  The word is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.

• 1 Timothy 3:11

  Women likewise must be honorable, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

• 1 Timothy 4:3

  who forbid marriage and require abstaining from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

• 1 Timothy 4:9

  The word is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance.

• 1 Timothy 4:10

  For to this end we labor and are reproached, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

• 1 Timothy 4:12

  Let no one look down on your youth, but be an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

• 1 Timothy 5:16

  If any believing woman has widows, let her help them, and do not let the assembly be burdened, so that it may help those who are truly widows.

• 1 Timothy 6:2

  And those who have believing masters must not look down on them because they are brothers; rather, let them serve them as slaves all the more, because those who benefit from the good service are believers and beloved. Teach these things and exhort.

• 2 Timothy 2:2

  and what you heard from me through many witnesses, entrust these things to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.

And 27 more times.