good faith is the best

ἀφορμ-ή, ἡ,

A starting-point, esp. in war, base of operations,

ἀναχώρησίς τε καὶ ἀ. Th.1.90

, cf. Plb.1.41.6, etc.; place of safety, E.Med. 342.

2 generally, starting-point, origin, occasion or pretext,

ἀφορμαὶ λόγων Id.Hec. 1239

, Ph. 199;

ἀφορμὴν παρέχειν D.18.156

;

δεδωκέναι Id.21.98

, cf. 2 Ep.Cor.5.12;

λαβεῖν ἀ. Isoc.4.61

, Ep.Rom.7.8;

εὑρεῖν BGU615.6

(ii A. D.), 923.22 (i/ii A. D.);

ἵνα ἀ. γένοιτο τιμῆς Inscr.Prien.105.16

(i B. C.);

ἀ. καὶ πρόφασις Plb. 2.52.3

; occasion, origin of an illness, Hp.Epid.2.1.11, Sor.1.29; εἰδέ τις οἴεται μικρὰν ἀ. εἶναι σιτηρέσιον τοῖς στρατευομένοις ὑπάρχειν a small inducement, D.4.29;

τὸ γὰρ εὖ πράττειν παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀ. τοῦ κακὼς φρονεῖν Id.1.23

; instigation, incitement, POxy.237 vii 21 (ii A. D.).

3 means with which one begins a thing, resources,

ἀ. τοῦ βίου Lys.24.24

;

εἰς τὸν βίον X.Mem.3.12.4

;

τίνας εἶχεν ἀφορμὰς ἡ πόλις; D.18.233

;

ἀφελεῖν τὴν ἀ. δι' ἣν ὑβρίζει Id.21.98

; πίστις ἀ. μεγίστη πρὸς χρηματισμόν good faith is the best asset for business, Id.36.44, cf. 11.16; ἀ. ἐπί .. Id.3.33; esp. means of war, And.1.109;

ἀ. εἰς ξένους χιλίους

means for levying

1000

mercenaries, X.HG4.8.33; ἀ. ἔργων means for undertaking.., Id.Mem.2.7.11, cf.3.5.11;

πρὸς ἀφορμὴν ἐμπορίας ἢ γεωργίας Arist.Pol. 1320a39

;

πάντων ἀ. τῶν καλῶν Philem.110

.

4 capital of a banker, etc., Lys.Fr.1.2, X.Mem.2.7.12, Lycurg.26,D.14.30,36.11; ἀφορμῆς δίκη suit for restitution of capital, Arg.D.36.

5 Rhet., food for argument, material, subject,

ὑποθέσεις καὶ ἀφορμαὶ λόγων Luc.Rh.Pr.18

, cf. Men.Rh.p.334S., Aps.p.264H.

6 aptitude, inclination,

εἰς φιλανθρωπίαν Phld.Ir.p.53

W. (pl.).

II Stoic term for repulsion (opp. ὁρμή), Chrysipp.Stoic.3.42, cf. 40, Simp. in Epict.p.22D.

III release of water from sluice, PAmh.2.143.17 (iv A. D.).

πιστεύω (Trag.+) impf. ἐπίστευον; 1 aor. ἐπίστευσα; pf. πεπίστευκα; plpf. πεπιστεύκειν Ac 14:23 (on the omission of the augment s. B-D-F §66, 1; Mlt-H. 190). Pass.: fut. 3 pl. πιστευθήσονται Gen 42, 20; 1 aor. ἐπιστεύθην; pf. πεπίστευμαι (the word does not occur in Phlm, 2 Pt, 2 and 3J, Rv, MPol, or D. But it is a special favorite of J and 1J, where it is found 96 times and 9 times respectively; πίστις is not found in the gospel at all, and occurs in 1J only once, 5:4. Our lit. uses it quite predominantly in a transcendent sense, or at least w. transcendent coloring).

① to consider someth. to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust, believe

ⓐ believe (in) someth., be convinced of someth., w. that which one believes (in) indicated

α. by acc. of thing (Soph., Oed. Rex 646 τάδε; Aristot., Analyt. Pr. 2, 23, 68b, 13 ἅπαντα; PSI 494, 14 μηθέν; UPZ 70, 29 [152/151 B.C.] π. τὰ ἐνύπνια; ApcEsdr 7:12 p. 32, 26 τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο) ἡ ἀγάπη πάντα πιστεύει 1 Cor 13:7. πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην we believe in the love 1J 4:16. πιστεύεις τοῦτο; J 11:26b. Cp. Ac 13:41 (Hab 1:5). Pass. ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν our testimony was believed 2 Th 1:10b (cp. Aristot., EN 10, 2 p. 1172b, 15 ἐπιστεύοντο οἱ λόγοι; Gen 42:20).

β. by means of a ὅτι-clause believe that (Plut., Mor. 210d; Aelian, VH 1, 16 p. 8, 9; Herm. Wr. 4, 4: Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24; PLond III, 897, 12 p. 207 [I A.D.]; Tob 10:8 S; Job 9:16; 15:31; 39:12; La 4:12; 4 Macc 7:19; TestAbr A 18 p. 100, 18 [Stone p. 48]; ParJer 6:7; Just., A I, 18, 2 al.; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 89, 16) μακαρία ἡ πιστεύσασα ὅτι ἔσται τελείωσις Lk 1:45 (ὅτι here may=for: s. ὅτι 4b).—Mk 11:23; cp. vs. 24; J 8:24 (ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι 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; Hs 2:5.—[ὅτι εἷς θεός] καὶ εἷς χριστός AcPl Ha 1, 17; AcPlCor 1:8. π. περί τινος ὅτι believe concerning someone that J 9:18 (M. Ant. 1, 15, 5 πιστεύειν περὶ ὧν λέγοι ὅτι οὕτως φρονεῖ=believe concerning whatever he might say, that it was what he actually thought; Just., D. 10, 1 π. ἡμῶν• ὅτι ἐσθίομεν ἀνθρώπους.—π. περί τινος as Plut., Lyc. 19, 4; Jos., Ant. 14, 267).

γ. by the acc. and inf. (pres. Pla., Gorg. 524a; PTebt 314, 3 [II A.D.]; 4 Macc 5:25; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 160; Just., A I, 8, 2 al.; Ath. 20, 3) πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Ac 8:37b.—GMary 463, 8.—IRo 10:2.—By the inf. (Thu 2, 22, 1; Job 15:22; AscIs 2:10 εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι) πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι Ac 15:11 (difft. JNolland, NTS 27, ’80, 112f [inf. of result: ‘we believe (in order) to be saved’]).—By the acc. and ptc. ἐν σαρκὶ αὐτὸν πιστεύω ὄντα I believe that he was in the flesh ISm 3:1.

δ. by means of the dat. of thing give credence to, believe (Aeschyl., Pers. 786 θεῶν θεσφάτοισιν; Soph., Phil. 1374 τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις, El. 886; Pla., Phd. 88c, Leg. 7, 798d; Polyb. 5, 42, 9; 9, 33, 1; Herodian 7, 5, 5 ἐλπίδι κρείττονι; BGU 674, 6 τῷ λόγῳ; 2 Ch 9:6 τοῖς λόγοις; Ps 105:24; Pr 14:15; Sir 19:15; En 104:13 ταῖς βίβλοις; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 229 τοῖς κενοῖς λογισμοῖς, Virt. 68 the sayings of God; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 286, Ant. 10, 39 τ. λόγοις; Tat. 18, 2 ὕλης οἰκονομία; Ath. 30, 2 ταῖς γοναῖς τοῦ Διό; Iren. 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I 92, 4] ἡ ἐκκλησία … π. τούτοις [sc. κήρυγμα and πίστις]) οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου Lk 1:20 (cp. Iambl., ViPyth. 28, 148 περὶ θεῶν μηδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἀπιστεῖν ‘concerning the gods nothing is so marvelous that it should occasion unbelief’). τῇ γραφῇ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ J 2:22. Cp. 4:50; 5:47ab. τοῖς γεγραμμένοις Ac 24:14 (Diod S 16, 52, 7 πιστεύσαντες τοῖς γεγραμμένοις). τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ 2 Cl 11:1 (Diod S 1, 53, 10 τῇ τοῦ προρρήσει πιστεύειν; 19, 90, 3). τῷ ψεύδει, τῇ ἀληθείᾳ 2 Th 2:11, 12. τῇ καταλαλιᾷ Hm 2:2. τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν (Is 53:1; cp. Jos., C. Ap. 2, 14 π. ἀκοῇ πρεσβυτέρων) J 12:38; Ro 10:16; 1 Cl 16:3. τοῖς ἔργοις J 10:38b (=their testimony); Hm 6, 2, 10a (that they are good and must be followed).—Pass. ἐπιστεύθη τῷ λόγῳ μου they believed my word Hm 3:3.

ε. w. prepositional expressions: εἰς Ro 4:18, if εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτόν here is dependent on ἐπίστευσεν. πιστεύειν εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίαν believe in the witness 1J 5:10c. ὁ Χριστιανισμὸς οὐκ εἰς Ἰουδαϊσμὸν ἐπίστευσεν the Christian way of life/Christianity did not commit itself to the Judean way/Judaism (s. Hdb. ad loc.) I Mg 10:3a; cp. b (Χριστιανισμόν, εἰς ὸ̔ν πᾶσα γλῶσσα πιστεύσασα). On πιστεύειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομά τινος s. 2aβ below. πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ believe in the gospel (so Ps 105:12 ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ. Rather in the sense ‘put one’s trust in’ Sir 32:21 μὴ πιστεύσῃς ἐν ὁδῷ ἀπροσκόπῳ. See B-D-F §187, 6; Rob. 540. ALoisy, Les Évangiles synopt. I 1907, 430; 434; comm.) 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). ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ οὐ πιστεύω IPhld 8:2 (s. Bihlmeyer ad loc.).—ἐπί τινι: πιστεύειν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ἐλάλησαν οἱ προφῆται Lk 24:25; Ro 9:33 (Is 28:16).

ⓑ 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 τοῖς εἰδόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν; 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; JosAs 13:10; Philo, Praem. 49; Just., A I, 33, 5, D 7, 2 al.) τοῖς θεασαμένοις αὐτὸν ἐγηγερμένον οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν they did not believe those who saw him after he was raised from the dead Mk 16:14. Cp. Mt 21:25, 32abc; Mk 11:31; 16:13; Lk 20:5; J 5:46a; Ac 8:12; 26:27a (τ. προφήταις as Jos., Ant. 11, 96); 1J 4:1; Hm 6, 1, 2ab.—Also of Jesus and God whom one believes, in that one accepts their disclosures without doubt or contradiction: Jesus: Mt 27:42 v.l.; J 5:38, 46b; 6:30; 8:45, 46; 10:37, 38a. God: J 5:24; Ro 4:3 (Gen 15:6), 17 κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ (= κατέναντι θεοῦ ᾧ ἐπίστευσεν); Gal 3:6; Js 2:23; 1 Cl 10:6 (all three Gen 15:6). ὁ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ θεῷ ψεύστην πεποίηκεν αὐτόν 1J 5:10b. AcPl Ha 3, 7.

ⓒ w. pers. and thing added π. τινί τι believe someone with regard to someth. (X., Apol. 15 μηδὲ ταῦτα εἰκῇ πιστεύσητε τῷ θεῷ) Hm 6, 2, 6.—W. dat. of pers. and ὅτι foll. (ApcEsdr 4:35 p. 29, 12 Tdf.): πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί J 14:11a. Cp. 4:21; Ac 27:25.

ⓓ abs. (in which case the context supplies the obj., etc.; cp. ParJer 7:19 γέγονε δὲ τοῦτο, ἵνα πιστεύσωσιν) ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ• ἰδοὺ ὧδε ὁ Χριστός, μὴ πιστεύσητε do not believe (him or it [the statement]) Mt 24:23; cp. vs. 26; Mk 13:21; Lk 22:67; J 3:12ab; 10:25f; 12:47 v.l.; 14:29; 16:31; 19:35; 20:8, 25; cp. GJs 19:3. J 20:29ab πιστεύσαντες those who have nevertheless believed (it=the fact of the Resurrection); Ac 4:4; 26:27b; 1 Cor 11:18 πιστεύω I believe (it=that there are divisions among you); 15:11; Js 2:19b even the daemons believe this; Jd 5. Pass. καρδίᾳ πιστεύεται with (or in) the heart men believe (it=that Jesus was raised fr. the dead) Ro 10:10.

ⓔ believe = let oneself be influenced κατά τινος against someone Pol 6:1.

ⓕ πιστεύομαι I am believed, I enjoy confidence (X., An. 7, 6, 33; Diod S 5, 80, 4 τοῖς μάλιστα πιστευομένοις ἐπηκολουθήσαμεν; 17, 32, 1; 1 Km 27:12; Jos., Ant. 10, 114; PGM 12, 279 πιστευθήσῃ=you will be believed) of Eve παρθένος πιστεύεται people believe that she is a virgin Dg 12:8, or perh. a virgin is entrusted (to someone without fear). S. 3 below.

② to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, w. implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. In our lit. God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that their revelations or disclosures are true. The obj. is

ⓐ given

α. in the dat. (cp. Soph., Philoct. 1374 θεοῖς πιστ.; X., Mem. 1, 1, 5; Ps.-Pla., Epinom. 980c πιστεύσας τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχου; Ptolem. Lagi [300 B.C.]: 138 Fgm. 8 Jac.; Maximus Tyr. 3, 8k τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι; Epict., app. E, 10 p. 488 Sch. θεῷ; Himerius, Or. 8 [=23], 18 πῶς Διονύσῳ πιστεύσω; how can I trust D.?; UPZ 144, 12 [164 B.C.] τ. θεοῖς; Jdth 14:10; Wsd 16:26; 4 Macc 7:21 al. in LXX; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 229 πιστεύειν θεῷ, Rer. Div. Her. 92 μόνῳ θεῷ, Op. M. 45, Sacr. Abel. 70 τῷ σωτήρι θεῷ, Abr. 269, Mos. 1, 225, Virt. 216 [on faith in Philo s. Bousset, Rel.³ 446ff; EHatch, Essays in Biblical Gk. 1889, 83ff; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; EBréhier, Les idées philosophiques et religieuses de Philon d’Alexandrie 1908, ²1925; HWindisch, Die Frömmigkeit Philos 1909, 23ff; HWolfson, Philo ’47 I, 143–56, esp. II, 215–18; WPeisker, D. Glaubensbegriff bei Philon, diss. ’36]; Jos., Ant. 2, 117; 333; 3, 309; 20, 48, Bell. 3, 387 [s. ASchlatter, D. Theol. d. Judentums nach d. Bericht des Jos. ’32, 104ff]; Just., A I, 18, 6 al.). 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: π. τῷ θεῷ (Orig., C. Cels. 4, 89, 15) Ac 16:34; 13:12 D; Tit 3:8; PtK 4 p. 16, 2; B 16:7; Hm 12, 6, 2; Hs 5, 1, 5. Cp. m 1:2; AcPl Ha 10, 13f. τῷ κυρίῳ (Sir 11:21; 2:8) Hv 4, 2, 6. οἱ πιστεύσαντες τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Hs 9, 13, 5. τῷ θεῷ w. ὅτι foll. m 9:7; cp. Hs 1:7.—Of Christ: Mt 27:42 v.l. (for ἐπʼ αὐτόν); J 6:30 (σοί=vs. 29 εἰς ὸ̔ν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος); J 8:31 (αὐτῷ=vs. 30 εἰς αὐτόν, but see Mlt. 67f; JSwetnam argues for a plpf. sense here: Biblica 61, ’80, 106–9); Ac 5:14; 18:8a (both τῷ κυρίῳ); Ro 10:14b (οὗ οὐκ ἤκουσαν = τούτῳ [about equivalent to εἰς τοῦτον; cp. vs. 14a] οὗ οὐκ ἤκ.); 2 Ti 1:12; ITr 9:2; Hs 8, 3, 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; Just., D. 7, 3; Tat. 10, 2. S. B-D-F §312, 1; also s. Rob. 815f) ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ 1 Ti 3:16.—π. τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ 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.

β. w. εἰς (cp. Hippol., Elench. 6, 19, 7 W. οἱ εἰς τὸν Σίμωνα καὶ τὴν Ἑλένην πεπιστευκότες; Just., D. 35, 8 al.) God (BGU 874, 11 π. εἰς τὸν θεόν): J 12:44b; 14:1a (cp. ET 21, 1910, 53–57; 68–70; 138f); 1 Pt 1:21 v.l.=Pol 2:1.—Christ: Mt 18:6; Mk 9:42; J 2:11; 3:15 v.l., 16, 18a, 36; 4:39; 6:29, 35, 40, 47 v.l.; 7:5, 31, 38f, 48; 8:30; 9:35f; 10:42; 11:25, 26a, 45, 48; 12:11, 36 (εἰς τὸ φῶς), 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; AcPlCor 2:31; Hs 8, 3, 2.—εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ (or αὐτοῦ, etc.) J 1:12; 2:23; 3:18c; 1J 5:13 (s. ὄνομα 1dβ and s. 2aα above, end). π. εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ITr 2:1. π. εἰς τὸ αἷμα Χριστοῦ ISm 6:1.

γ. w. ἐπί and 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); 1 Ti 1:16.

δ. w. ἐπί and acc. (Wsd 12:2; Just., D. 46, 1 al.) of God: Ac 16:34 D; Ro 4:5, 24; PtK 3 p. 15, 12. Of Christ: Mt 27:42; J 3:15 v.l.; Ac 9:42; 11:17; 16:31; 22:19.

ε. π. ἔν τινι believe in someone (Jer 12:6; Da 6:24 Theod.; Ps 77:22) is questionable in our lit.: in J 3:15 the best rdg. is ἐν αὐτῷ and is prob. to be construed w. ἔχῃ (in J πιστεύω usually takes the prep. εἰς when expressing the obj. of belief, as in 3:16); in Eph 1:13 both occurrences of ἐν ᾧ are prob. to be construed w. ἐσφραγίσθητε (=‘in connection with whom you have been sealed’ [cp. 4:30]); the acts of hearing and believing are coordinate, and πιστεύσαντες, along w. ἀκούσαντες, is used abs. (so REB; less clearly NRSV). But s. 1aε above: π. ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ Mk 1:15; IPhld 8:2.

ⓑ not expressed at all (the abs. πιστεύειν in a transcendent sense: Aeschin., In Ctesiph. 1 ἐγὼ πεπιστευκὼς ἥκω πρῶτον τοῖς θεοῖς; Aristot., Rhet. 2, 17, 1391b, 1ff; Plut., Mor. 170f; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24 πιστεῦσαι δεῖ, ὅτι [=because] μόνη σωτηρία ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐπιστροφή; Herm. Wr. 9, 10ab ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; cp. 1, 32 πιστεύω καὶ μαρτυρῶ=PapBerl 9795 [RReitzenstein, Studien z. antiken Synkretismus 1926, 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; τότε πιστεύσεις θέλων καὶ μὴ θέλων Theoph. Ant. 1, 8 [p. 74, 7]) Mk 15:32; 16:16f; Lk 8:12f; J 1:7, 50; 3:15, 18b; 4:41f, 48, 53; 5:44; 6:36, 47, 64ab, perh. 69 (MEnslin, 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 9:3; B 11:11; ISm 3:2; Hs 8, 10, 3; 9, 17, 4; 9, 22, 3. τὸ πιστεύειν faith IMg 9:2. ἐν ἀγάπῃ πιστεύειν IPhld 9:2 (ἐν ἀγάπῃ is here used adv.).—Participles in the var. tenses are also used almost subst.: (οἱ) πιστεύοντες (the) believers, (the) Christians (Orig., C. Cels. 1, 13, 34; Did., Gen. 106, 6) Ac 2:44; Ro 3:22; 1 Cor 14:22ab (opp. οἱ ἄπιστοι); 1 Th 1:7; Hs 8, 3, 3. (οἱ) πιστεύσαντες (those) who made their commitment = (those) who became believers, (the) Christians, Ac 2:44 v.l.; 4:32; 2 Th 1:10a; 2 Cl 2:3; Hs 9, 19, 1. οἱ πεπιστευκότες those who became (and remained) believers Ac 19:18; 21:20 (Just., D. 122, 2).—οἱ μέλλοντες πιστεύειν future believers 1 Cl 42:4; Hm 4, 3, 3a. οἱ νῦν πιστεύσαντες those who have just come to believe ibid. 4, 3, 3b.

ⓒ A special kind of this faith is the confidence that God or Christ is in a position to help suppliants out of their distress, have confidence (some of the passages already mentioned might just as well be classified here) abs. ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι may it be done to you in accordance with the confidence you have Mt 8:13. ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσητε πιστεύοντες whatever you pray for with confidence 21:22. Cp. Mk 5:36; 9:23f; Lk 8:50; 2 Cor 4:13a (Ps 115:1), b. W. ὅτι foll.: πιστεύετε ὅτι δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; do you have confidence that I am able to do this? Mt 9:28.—Mk 11:23.

③ entrust τινί τι someth. to someone (X., Mem. 4, 4, 17; Plut., Mor. 519e; Athen. 8, 341a; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 25, 1; SIG² 845, 7, see for numerous other examples index VI p. 384b. Cp. Wsd 14:5; 1 Macc 8:16; 4 Macc 4:7; TestJob 11:11; Jos., Bell. 4, 492; Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 6) τὸ ἀληθινὸν τίς ὑμῖν πιστεύσει; Lk 16:11. αὐτῷ τοσούτων πιστευο̣μ̣έ̣ν̣ω̣ν̣ since so many (or so much) were ( was) entrusted to him AcPl Ha 7, 21 (connection uncertain). αὐτόν (so N. and Tdf.; v.l. ἑαυτόν) τινι trust oneself to someone (Brutus, Ep. 25; Plut., Mor. 181d ἀνδρὶ μᾶλλον ἀγαθῷ πιστεύσας ἑαυτὸν ἢ ὀχυρῷ τόπῳ=entrusting himself to a good man rather than to a stronghold; EpArist 270; Jos., Ant. 12, 396) J 2:24 (EStauffer, CDodd Festschr., ’56, 281–99.—Diod S 34 + 35 Fgm. 39a οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσι φίλοις ἑαυτὸν ἐπίστευσεν=he did not trust himself to casual friends).—Pass. πιστεύομαί τι (B-D-F §159, 4) I am entrusted with someth. (Pla., Ep. 1, 309a; Polyb. 8, 17, 5; 31, 26, 7; Diod S 20, 19, 2; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 136 §568 ἃ ἐπιστεύθην; ins; pap [e.g. PLond I, 121, 608 p. 203]; Jos., Bell. 5, 567, Vi. 137; Ath. 24, 3. Cp. Esth 8:12e.—Dssm., LO 320f [LAE 379]). ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ Ro 3:2. πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον Gal 2:7 (PGM 13, 140 ὁ ὑπό σου πάντα πιστευθείς; 446); cp. 1 Th 2:4; 1 Ti 1:11.—Tit 1:3. οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι 1 Cor 9:17; cp. Dg 7:1. S. also 7:2; IMg 6:1; IPhld 9:1ab. πιστεύομαί τι παρά τινος I am entrusted by someone with someth. (Polyb. 3, 69, 1; Jos., Bell. 1, 667): οἱ πιστευθέντες παρὰ θεοῦ ἔργον τοιοῦτο 1 Cl 43:1.

④ be confident about, a unique use found in ὸ̔ς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, someth. like the one is confident about eating anything Ro 14:2 (a combination of two ideas: ‘the pers. is so strong in the faith’ and: ‘the pers. is convinced that it is permissible to eat anything’; in brief: not cultically fussy. See Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but also B-D-F §397, 2). Another probability is the sense

⑤ think/consider (possible), in Ro 14:2 perh. holds everything possible; cp. J 9:18 οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν they refused to entertain the possibility, and Ac 9:26. S. 4 above.—For lit. s. πίστις, end. DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW.

κρᾰτιστ-ος, η, ον, [dialect] Ep. [pref] κάρτ- (as always in Hom.), isolated Superl. from κρατύς,

A strongest, mightiest, Il.1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. Pi.O.14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, S.Ph.3: in Prose,

εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν Th.7.67

; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, Id.5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ. the strength or flower of.., X.Cyr.6.1.28, etc.; of things, καρτίστην.. μάχην fiercest fight, Il.6.185;

δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locr.99a

.

2 generally, best, most excellent, as [comp] Sup. of ἀγαθός, Pi.I.1.17, S.Ant. 1050, etc.: colloquially, "

ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών Thphr. Char.5.2

; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, X.HG7.1.42, v. ἀγαθός 1; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας ib.3.4.20.

b as a title or mode of address,

κράτιστε Θεόφιλε Ev.Luc. 1.3

; esp. = Lat. egregius,

ὁ κ. ἡγεμών PFay.p.33

(i A.D.);

ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος BGU 891

(ii A.D.); ἡ κ., of a woman of the equester ordo, IG14. 1346; also, = Lat. clarissimus, of Senators, ὁ κ. ἀνθὐπατος ib.9(1).61;

ὁ κ. συγκλητικός IGRom.3.581

, etc.;

ἡ κ. βουλή POxy.2108.6

(iii A. D.).

c with modal words added,

κ. τὴν ψυχήν Th.2.40

; πάντων πάντα κ. best of all in.., X.An.1.9.2;

ἔν τινι Id.Mem.3.4.5

;

εἴς τι Pl. Phlb. 67b

;

περί τι Id.Plt. 257a

;

πρός τι X.HG3.4.16

: c. inf., best at doing, Th.2.81, Pl.Phdr. 267d, X.Mem.1.4.1, etc.: c. part.,

τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων Id.Cyr.1.3.15

.

3 neut. folld. by inf., φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, Od.12.120, cf. E.El. 379, Ar.Eq.80, etc.: in pl.,

κράτιστα.. ἑλεῖν E.Med. 384

: abs., ὅπερ κ. the main point, Th.1.143.

4 Adv. usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, Plb.8.17.4;

κατὰ τὸ κ. D.H.2.22

: neut. pl. κράτιστα as Adv., X.HG3.4.16, Ages.1.25.—The [comp] Comp. in use is κρείσσων (q.v.).

κοινωνία, ας, ἡ (s. prec. entry; Pind.+; ins, pap, LXX; JosAs 7:6 cod. A; Philo [Mos. 1, 158 of communion w. God]; Joseph.; loanw. in rabb.; Just.; Tat. 18, 2; Ath.; Iren. 4, 18, 5 [Harv. II 205, 4] w. ἕνωσις).

① close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship, close relationship (hence a favorite expr. for the marital relationship as the most intimate betw. human beings Isocr. 3, 40; BGU 1051, 9 [I A.D.]; 1052, 7; POxy 1473, 33; 3 Macc 4:6; Jos., Ant. 1, 304; Did., Gen 235, 18. But s. also Diod S 10, 8, 2 ἡ τοῦ βίου κ.=the common type or bond of life that unites the Pythagoreans) τινός with or to someone (Amphis Com. [IV B.C.] 20, 3; Herodian 1, 10, 1; τοῦ θεοῦ Orig., C. Cels. 3, 56, 6); hence there is linguistic warrant to transl.: κ. τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ fellowship with God’s Son 1 Cor 1:9 (s. 4 below) and κ. τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος fellowship w. the Holy Spirit 2 Cor 13:13 (so JSickenberger comm. [Bonnerbibel 1919; 4th ed. ’32] ad loc. in the Trinitarian sense but s. WKümmel, appendix to HLtzm. comm. [Hdb]). Others take the latter gen. as a subjective gen. or gen. of quality fellowship brought about by the Holy Spirit (APlummer, w. reservations, comm. 2 Cor [ICC] et al.; TSchmidt, D. Leib Christi 1919, 135; s. 4 below). Corresp. κ. πνεύματος fellowship w. the Spirit Phil 2:1 (Synes., Prov. 1, 15 p. 108c κ. γνώμης=community of will and s. 2 below).—κοινωνία(ν ἔχειν) μετά τινος ( have) fellowship w. someone (cp. Job 34:8) w. God 1J 1:3b, 6 (cp. Epict. 2, 19, 27 περὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Δία κοινωνίας βουλευόμενον; Jos., Bell. 7, 264, C. Ap. 1, 35 [both πρός w. acc.]); w. fellow Christians vss. 3a, 7. εἴς τι (POxf 5f) ἡ κ. εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον close relationship w. the gospel Phil 1:5. ηὐδόκησαν κ. τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχούς they have undertaken to establish a rather close relation w. the poor Ro 15:26 (sim. GPeterman, Make a Contribution or Establish Fellowship: NTS 40, ’94, 457–63; but some prefer 3 below).—κ. πρός w. acc. connection with, relation to (Pla., Symp. 188c; Galen, Protr. 9 p. 28, 7 J.; SIG 646, 54 [170 B.C.]; Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 110 τίς οὖν κοινωνία πρὸς Ἀπόλλωνα τῷ μηδὲν οἰκεῖον ἐπιτετηδευκότι; cp. Jos., C. Ap. 2, 208; τοῦ πατρὸς πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν κ. Ath. 12, 2; πρὸς τὸ θειότερον κ. Orig., C. Cels. 3, 28, 47) τίς κ. φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; what does darkness have in common with light? 2 Cor 6:14 (cp. Sir 13:2, 17f; Aristoph., Thes. 140 τίς κατόπτρου καὶ ξίφους κοινωνία;).—Abs. fellowship, (harmonious) unity (Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 26) Ac 2:42 (s. JFitzmyer, PSchubert Festschr. ’66, 242–44 [Acts-Qumran] suggests that ‘community of goods’ [יחד] may be meant here, as 1QS 1, 11–13; 6, 17. On the problem of this term s. HBraun, Qumran u. d. NT, I, ’66; 143–50; s. also ACarr, The Fellowship of Ac 2:42 and Cognate Words: Exp. 8th ser., 5, 1913, 458ff). δεξιὰς κοινωνίας διδόναι τινί give someone the right hand of fellowship Gal 2:9 (JSampley, Pauline Partnership in Christ ’80, argues for a legal notion of ‘consensual societas’ but s. New Docs 3, 19).—κ. also has the concrete mng. society, brotherhood as a closely knit majority, naturally belonging together: Maximus Tyr. 15, 4b τί ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς κοινωνίας συμβόλαιον; what is the contribution (i.e., of the philosopher) to the community or (human) society? 16, 2m δημώδεις κοινωνίαι=meetings of the common people.—On ancient clubs and associations s. Poland; also JWaltzing, Étude historique sur les corporations professionnelles chez les Romaine, 4 vols. 1895–1900; EZiebarth, Das griechische Vereinswesen 1896.

② attitude of good will that manifests an interest in a close relationship, generosity, fellow-feeling, altruism (Epict. in Stob. 43 Sch. χρηστότητι κοινωνίας; Arrian, Anab. 7, 11, 9 κ. beside ὁμόνοια; Herm. Wr. 13, 9 [opp. πλεονεξία]) ἁπλότης τῆς κ. εἴς τινα 2 Cor 9:13. W. εὐποιί̈α Hb 13:16. The context permits this mng. also Phil 2:1 (s. 1 above). The transition to the next mng. is easy.

③ abstr. for concr. sign of fellowship, proof of brotherly unity, even gift, contribution (Lev 5:21; ins of Asia Minor: κ.=‘subsidy’ [Rdm.² 10]) Ro 15:26 (s. 1 above). Under this head we may perh. classify κοινωνία τ. αἵματος (σώματος) τοῦ Χριστοῦ a means for attaining a close relationship with the blood (body) of Christ 1 Cor 10:16ab (s. 4 below).

④ participation, sharing τινός in someth. (Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 67 §306 κ. τῶν παρόντων=in the present undertakings; 5, 71 §299 κ. τῆς ἀρχῆς in the rule; Polyaenus 6, 7, 2 κ. τοῦ μιάσματος in the foul deed; Maximus Tyr. 19, 3b τῆς ἀρετῆς; Synes., Kgdm. 13 p. 12c. κ. τῶν ἔργων=in the deeds of others; Wsd 8:18; Jos., Ant. 2, 62) ὅπως ἡ κ. τῆς πίστεώς σου ἐνεργὴς γένηται that your participation in the faith may be made known through your deeds Phlm 6. γνῶναι κοινωνίαν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ become aware of sharing his sufferings Phil 3:10. ἡ κ. τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους taking part in the relief of God’s people 2 Cor 8:4. Perh. this is the place for 1 Cor 1:9 (s. 1 above); 2 Cor 13:13 ( participation in the Holy Spirit: Ltzm., Kümmel in appendix to Ltzm. comm., Windisch, Seesemann [s. below] 70; Goodsp., Probs. 169f; s. 1 above.—Cp. τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος κ. of ecstasy Did., Gen. 230, 16); 1 Cor 10:16 (participation in the blood [body] of Christ. So ASchlatter, Pls der Bote Jesu ’34, 295f et al.; s. 3 above. But perh. here κοινωνία w. gen. means the common possession or enjoyment of someth. [Diod S 8, 5, 1 ἀγελῶν κ.= of the flocks; Maximus Tyr. 19, 3b ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς ἀρετῆς=for the common possession of excellence; Diog. L. 7, 124; Synes., Kgdm. 20 p. 24b; Hierocles 6, 428: we are to choose the best man as friend and unite ourselves with him πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν κοινωνίαν=for the common possession or enjoyment of virtues; 7, 429 τῶν καλῶν τὴν κ.]. Then 1 Cor 10:16 would be: Do not the cup and the bread mean the common partaking of the body and blood of Christ? After all, we all partake of one and the same bread). Eph 3:9 v.l. (for οἰκονομία)—JCampbell, Κοινωνία and Its Cognates in the NT: JBL 51, ’32, 352–80; EGroenewald, Κοινωνία (gemeenskap) bij Pls, diss. Amst. ’32; HSeesemann, D. Begriff Κοινωνία im NT ’33; PEndenburg, Koinoonia … bij de Grieken in den klass. tijd ’37; HFord, The NT Conception of Fellowship: Shane Quarterly 6, ’45, 188–215; GJourdan, Κοινωνία in 1 Cor 10:16: JBL 67, ’48, 111–24; KNickle, The Collection, A Study in Paul’s Strategy, ’66.—EDNT additional bibl. S. also RAC IX 1100–1145.—DELG s.v. κοινός. M-M. TW. Sv.