The Faith OF Jesus

[Solus Christus]

I have always wondered why faith was the english word chosen over trust. 
 

 

[Michael37]

4 hours ago, Solus Christus said:

I have always wondered why faith was the english word chosen over trust. 

Linguistic convention:

The Greek word pistos is translated to English as faith rather than trust because it is typically used in the context of religious belief and faith. In Greek mythology, Pistis was the personification of good faith, trust and reliability. In Christianity and in the New Testament, pistis is typically translated as “faith” ¹. The word is mentioned together with such other personifications as Elpis (Hope), sophrosyne (Prudence), and the Charites, who were all associated with honesty and harmony among people ¹.

In rhetoric, pistis are the elements to induce true judgment through enthymemes, hence to give proof of a statement ¹. There are three modes by which this is employed. The first mode is the “subject matter capable of inducing a state of mind within the audience.” The second pistis is the “subject itself considered under an appeal to the intellect or in its logical aspects.” The third pistis is the “logical, rational, and intellectual aspect of the issue under discussion.” All three modes of pistis occur in logos as it appeals to logical persuasion ¹.

I hope that helps! [BingoChat]

[Solus Christus]

25 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Linguistic convention:

The Greek word pistos is translated to English as faith rather than trust because it is typically used in the context of religious belief and faith. In Greek mythology, Pistis was the personification of good faith, trust and reliability. In Christianity and in the New Testament, pistis is typically translated as “faith” ¹. The word is mentioned together with such other personifications as Elpis (Hope), sophrosyne (Prudence), and the Charites, who were all associated with honesty and harmony among people ¹.

In rhetoric, pistis are the elements to induce true judgment through enthymemes, hence to give proof of a statement ¹. There are three modes by which this is employed. The first mode is the “subject matter capable of inducing a state of mind within the audience.” The second pistis is the “subject itself considered under an appeal to the intellect or in its logical aspects.” The third pistis is the “logical, rational, and intellectual aspect of the issue under discussion.” All three modes of pistis occur in logos as it appeals to logical persuasion ¹.

I hope that helps! [BingoChat]

This was immensely helpful, thank you for taking the time to give a succinct yet in depth explanation.  

[Neighbor]

9 hours ago, Solus Christus said:

I have always wondered why faith was the english word chosen over trust. 
 

 

Perhaps it is the small difference in general usage that faith is always a noun while trust  may be either noun or used as a verb.

By contrast Gene Scott had a grand time using faith as a verb as it was used in some antiquity, declaring it ( faith) to be an action verb to faithe; James declaration that  faith without works (Action) is dead makes faith more than a trust.

Gene used to describe "faithing" as action in trust by faith  more than trust in what is seen. That teaching still influences my own understanding as I read the word faith. I tend to trust what  I see while I have faith and act upon my own faithing in that which is of God alone that I do not "see".

[Vine Abider]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Perhaps it is the small difference in general usage that faith is always a noun while trust  may be either noun or used as a verb.

By contrast Gene Scott had a grand time using faith as a verb as it was used in some antiquity, declaring it ( faith) to be an action verb to faithe; James declaration that  faith without works (Action) is dead makes faith more than a trust.

Gene used to describe "faithing" as action in trust by faith  more than trust in what is seen. That teaching still influences my own understanding as I read the word faith. I tend to trust what  I see while I have faith and act upon my own faithing in that which is of God alone that I do not "see".

Gene Scott - now there's a name you don't see every day!  "Colorful" brother . . . I catch his widow preaching every so often on an obscure channel. 

[Vine Abider]

Here's something I read in T. Austin Sparks related to Christ having faith for us.

What faith the Lord Jesus had for those men! It was not that He had faith in them, neither was it that He had faith for them because of what He saw in them; but He had infinite faith in the Father for them. His attitude was: "Well, nothing is impossible with God. Here are these men; they are difficult and they could easily be My despair; they never seem to understand what I say! They always seem to get the wrong interpretation; they always seem to miss the point. When I say a thing they get it from an altogether wrong angle; they are utterly materialistic in their outlook, in their expectation and in their desires. They never see far beyond this world and their own personal interests. They seem totally incapable of getting a spiritual conception. And yet the Father can do wonders with a handful of men like that; nothing is impossible."

[Solus Christus]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Perhaps it is the small difference in general usage that faith is always a noun while trust  may be either noun or used as a verb.

By contrast Gene Scott had a grand time using faith as a verb as it was used in some antiquity, declaring it ( faith) to be an action verb to faithe; James declaration that  faith without works (Action) is dead makes faith more than a trust.

Gene used to describe "faithing" as action in trust by faith  more than trust in what is seen. That teaching still influences my own understanding as I read the word faith. I tend to trust what  I see while I have faith and act upon my own faithing in that which is of God alone that I do not "see".

So there is a distinction between faith and trust, interesting. 

[PATrobas]

1 minute ago, Solus Christus said:

So there is a distinction between faith and trust, interesting. 

I think of it as this: the faith of Christ is presented to us as a decision making aid when the will of God is presented for us to do. The moment we agree with Him (as to His will,) we obey the directive, the faith of Christ is imputed to us becoming "our" faith, which in turn is our trust in the will of God. Faith has become our trust.

[com7fy8]

In a King James Bible we have the word "trust" used. It seems to mean to hope ahead of something . . . in one case, to put hope in Jesus before He does all He does > Ephesians 1:12 > which says "we who first trusted in Christ". The word for trust, here is not the same as is used for "faith". 

The word for "faith" often is #4102 in the Strong's Greek dictionary. It seems to include meanings like "belief". It is translated, too, as "fidelity" in Titus 2:10, and as "belief" in 2 Thessalonians 2:23.

But either word can include trusting. You trust so you put hope in some future benefit from Jesus. And if you believe something, you are trusting what you believe and trusting your source. 

So, my opinion is that "faith" indeed can mean trust, included. And if we believe God's word is true, we are acting with trust in what we believe. 

If you believe your house is on fire, you are trusting and acting 

But what about "the faith of Jesus", in Galatians 2:20? I think this means the faith which Jesus Himself has. I think Jesus Christ's faith can mean His certainty which is based in how He is perfectly one with our Father. So, it is not only faith of belief of ideas and promises, but it includes how Jesus is one with our Father, and this oneness is the true certainty and assurance.

If we truly trust a person, we can become one flesh with the person. And, like this, if we truly trust God, we are one with Him > "one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17) in submission with Him. And our actual union with God, spiritually, is the substance of our hope of having all we can with God, and our actual union with Him is our evidence that He is and that He rewards us for seeking Him diligently > Hebrews 11:1-6.

Seeking Him comes with being in union with Him, so we can submit to Him and all He does with us. And it can be like how a plant seeks sunlight by receiving the sunlight and being affected by the light within the plant. And it seeks the light by then growing toward the light.

We seek God by growing in Jesus. So, our trust of God includes growing in Jesus as our new inner Person > Galatians 4:19.

Edited July 29, 2023 by com7fy8

[Neighbor]

On 7/28/2023 at 12:19 PM, Vine Abider said:

Gene Scott - now there's a name you don't see every day!  "Colorful" brother . . . I catch his widow preaching every so often on an obscure channel. 

She is a doodle ( Borrowing from the movie Driving Miss Daisy).

"Mean Gene" Scott God's "angry man" was indeed colorful, but not such an affront as his daughter/wife seems to be ( To me anyway) today. He had his own tv tower on Mt Baldy, got into a long running dispute with the FCC, lost the tower license and so started satellite casts back in the day when one would make their own satellite dish  from common items according to his instructions. He also bought time on the Playboy channel very late at night, actually after midnight.

His teaching sessions would open up with just awful music that played over and over until enough people logged in by phone and also completed their financial pledges. Once that happened he would teach, saying a teacher is worth his wage.  I followed his "sales" technique and his teaching nearly each day for two years while at Los Angeles. He was brilliant, absolutely went nutso, but still was brilliant.

Loved his teaching on the Great Pyramid, his teachings on the feasts and seasons, and especially his doing Resurrection Sunday topics at Christmas and Christmas topics at what  is generally called Easter. He was a kick!