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Faith and the New Testament


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Author's Bias | Interpretation: conservative


And he was preaching, and saying, 'After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.' In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (Mark 1:7-9)

As one examines the New Testament, the Hebrew meaning of 'āman is carried over into the Greek word group of "pistis". The Greek noun "pistis" essentially means "faith" or "a trustful human response to God's self revelation via His words or actions."

Derived from "pist-", the Greek verb, pisteuō, means "believe" or "trust." Pisteuō is used consistently in reference to the saving faith and trust of a believer with a focus on the promises of God made through instruments such as Moses (John 5:46), prophets (Luke 24:25; Acts 26:27), angels (Luke 1:20-45; Acts 27:25) and Scripture (John 2:22; Acts 24:14).

Frequently "pisteuō" is used in combination with a Greek preposition forming "pisteuō eis", which means "believe in" (Gal 2:16; John 1:12; 3:18). This thought is not common in the LXX nor in Roman-Greco thought, which call for faith as "believe that." This form of missionary preaching, "believe in," brings a focus on the object of faith Jesus Christ Himself.

Just as there was the objective historical fact of the Exodus that formed the basis of faith in the Old Testament, there is an objective historical fact of Jesus Christ for the basis of faith in the New Testament.

1. Believe that the invisible God is alive and historically real, because He sent His only Son ( John 1:29-34) whose resurrection proved He died for your sins (John 20:30-31).

2. Trust that engenders an obedience to God's word.


For deeper study:

What is the concept of "faith" in the New Testament?



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Series: The Doctrine on Salvation
A Relationship Between Fact and Faith

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Series: The Doctrine on Salvation
Faith and John 1:1


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