Faith and Faithfulness (Part 2)

This is the second in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness. (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for a table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)

The word faith, as used in the King James Version New Testament, is used to translate pistis 239 out of 245 occurrences.  Five of the remaining occurrences are translations of oligopistos (ολιγοπιστος – G3640), meaning of little faith, which is derived from pistis.  The single remaining occurrence of faith used in the KJV translates elpis (ελπις – G1680), which means hope.  Elpis is translated 53 out of 54 times in the KJV as hope, and the single instance that the KJV translates elpis as faith (Hbr 10:23) is not translated that way by most of the other translations including NKJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, RSV and NRSV.  The point I am making is that we can focus on the Greek word pistis in order to understand the use of the word faith in the New Testament.

faith  (245 total occurrences in the KJV New Testament)

            G1680  elpis  ελπις  = 1
            G3640  oligopistos  ολιγοπιστος  = 5
            G4102  pistis  πιστις  = 239

The Greek word pistis is used 32 times in the canonical books in the Septuagint (i.e. not in the Apocrypha).  Here are the references.

Deut 32:20; 1 Sam 21:3; 26:23; 2 Kgs 12:16; 22:7; 1 Chr 9:22, 26, 31; 2 Chr 31:12, 15, 18; 34:12; Neh 10:1; Ps 32:4; Prov 3:3; 12:17, 22; 14:22; 15:27–28; Song 4:8; Jer 5:1, 3; 7:27; 9:2; 15:18; 35:9; 39:41; 40:6; Hos 2:22; Hab 2:4

Of these texts, only two of them—Deuteronomy 32:20 and Habakkuk 2:4 — are translated in the KJV using the word faith. 

Deut 32:20 KJV – And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

Hab 2:4 KJV – Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 is a special case since it was quoted in the New Testament.   I will look at Habakkuk 2:4 in more detail later.   Deuteronomy 32:20 contains the first occurrence of pistis in the Septuagint.  Let's look at it in more detail now.

Deut 32:20 NKJV – And He said: “I will hide My face from them,  I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith.

Deut 32:20 NET – He said, “I will reject them, I will see what will happen to them; for they are a perverse generation, children who show no loyalty.

Deut 32:20 NIV – I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.

Deut 32:20 ESV – And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.

Deut 32:20 NASB – "Then He said, 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness.

Deut 32:20 YLT – And He saith: I hide My face from them, I see what is their latter end; For a froward generation are they, Sons in whom is no stedfastness.

Deut 32:20 Douay-Rheims – And he said: I will hide my face from them, and will consider what their last end shall be: for it is a perverse generation, and unfaithful children.

Deut 32:20 GOD's Word – He said, "I will turn away from them and find out what will happen to them. They are devious people, children who can't be trusted.

Deut 32:20 Wycliffe – And the Lord seide, Y schal hyde my face fro hem, and Y schal biholde `the laste thingis of hem; for it is a waiward generacioun, and vnfeithful sones.

Deut 32:20 Schocken – He said: I will conceal my face from them, I will see what is their future.  Indeed, a generation of overturning are they, children in whom one cannot trust.

Deut 32:20 NETS – And he said: I will turn away my face from them, and I will show what will happen to them at the end, for it is a perverse generation, sons who have no faithfulness in them.

Deut 32:20 Septuagint (Greek) – και ειπεν Αποστρεψω το προσωπον μου απ αυτων και δειξω τι εσται αυτοις επ εσχατων· οτι γενεα εξεστραμμενη εστιν, υιοι, οις ουκ εστιν πιστις εν αυτοις.

Deut 32:20 Hebrew – ‏ויאמר אסתירה פני מהם אראה מה אחריתם כי דור תהפכת המה בנים לא אמן בם׃

As we saw in part one, faith and faithfulness can have a range of meanings.   Most translators have chosen to emphasize a sense of loyalty, stedfastness, reliability and fidelity (or lack of it) in the translation of Deuteronomy 32:20.   Although belief may be a part of what is being talked about in this text, it does not seem to be the main point.

The next text that we will look at is 1 Samuel 26:23 in which David spares Saul's life.  The Greek Septuagint translates this text using the same word as it used in Deuteronomy 32:20.  As with the previous text, this text is speaking of a sense of faithfulness or loyalty rather than belief.

1 Sam 26:23 KJV – The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.

1 Sam 26:23 NET – The LORD rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty. 15 Even though today the LORD delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the LORD’s chosen one.

1 Sam 26:23 NIV – The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed.

1 Sam 26:23 Douay-Rheims – And the Lord will reward every one according to his justice, and his faithfulness: for the Lord hath delivered thee this day into my hand, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed.

1 Sam 26:23 GOD's Word – The LORD will reward any person who is righteous and faithful. The LORD handed you over to me today, but I refused to attack the LORD's anointed king.

1 Sam 26:23 CEV – The LORD put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The LORD rewards people who are faithful and live right.

1 Sam 26:23 HCSB – May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn't willing to lift my hand against the LORD's anointed, even though the LORD handed you over to me today.

1 Sam 26:23 Septuagint (Greek) – και κυριος επιστρεψει εκαστω τας δικαιοσυνας αυτου και την πιστιν αυτου, ως παρεδωκεν σε κυριος σημερον εις χειρας μου και ουκ ηθελησα επενεγκειν χειρα μου επι χριστον κυριου·

ESV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ASV, YLT, and many others – translate as faithfulness

The next two texts are clearly about being trustworthy and reliable.   To interpret pistis as as a "mental acceptance of and confidence in a claim as truth without proof supporting the claim" would not make sense in this context.

2 Kgs 12:15 KJV – Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

2 Kgs 22:7 KJV – Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

The Bible in Basic English translates these texts using the word faith, but clearly in a sense of reliability and conscientiousness.

2 Kgs 12:15 BBE – And they did not get any statement of accounts from the men to whom the money was given for the workmen, for they made use of it with good faith.

2 Kgs 22:7 BBE – They did not have to give any account of the money which was handed to them, for they made use of it with good faith.

Let's summarize for a moment so that it is clear where this study is going.   The word faith as used in English versions of the New Testament is a translation of the Greek word pistis.  This same Greek word— pistis— is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint.  In most, if not all, of the Old Testament contexts, pistis is used in a sense of faithfulness, loyalty and reliability rather than of belief.  After looking at these Old Testament examples, we will look at the New Testament to see if some instances of the word faith might be better understood as faithfulness.

Following is a quick survey of some more Old Testament texts that use the Greek word pistis in the Septuagint.  The verse reference is a link to page with the text in many versions and languages.  Notice how this word is used— it is about faithfulness.

1 Chr 9:22 NKJV – All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted office.

1 Chr 9:26 GOD's Word – The four chief Levite gatekeepers were in charge of the rooms and treasures in God's temple because of their faithfulness.

1 Chr 9:31 NASB – Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the responsibility over the things which were baked in pans.

2 Chr 31:12 KJV – And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.

2 Chr 31:15 NKJV – And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.

2 Chr 31:18 NET – and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves.

2 Chr 34:12 NASB – The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments.

Let's look at the next— Nehemiah 9:38— text in several versions.

Neh 9:38 KJV – And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

Neh 9:38 BBE – And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing; and our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.

Neh 9:38 GOD's Word – We are making a binding agreement and putting it in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.

Neh 9:38 YLT – And for all this we are making a stedfast covenant, and are writing, and over him who is sealed are our heads, our Levites, our priests.

Neh 9:38 ESV – Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

As with previous examples, these texts are talking about faithfulness rather than belief.   I will continue looking at the Septuagint (Old Testament) uses of pistis in the next study in this series.

I think that the Apostle James, in James 2:14-26, was making a similar point about an incorrect interpretation of faith as no more than belief.

James 2:18 GOD's Word – Another person might say, "You have faith (in the sense of mere belief), but I do good things." Show me your faith (belief) apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith (faithfulness) by the good things I do.  19 You believe that there is one God. That's fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.  20 You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith (belief) which does nothing (that is not faithful in the sense of "good and faithfull servant" – Matt 25:21,23) is useless?

Faith: It is about faithfulness!