spirit level

κόσμος, ου, ὁ (Hom.+)

① that which serves to beautify through decoration, adornment, adorning (Hom.+; Diod S 20, 4, 5 τῶν γυναικῶν τὸν κόσμον; OGI 531, 13; SIG 850, 10; IMaronIsis 41; PEleph 1, 4; PSI 240, 12 γυναικεῖον κόσμον; LXX; TestJud 12:1; JosAs 2:6 al.; Philo, Migr. Abr. 97 γυναικῶν κ.; Jos., Ant. 1, 250; 15, 5; Just., A II, 11, 4f) of women’s attire, etc. ὁ ἔξωθεν … κόσμος external adorning 1 Pt 3:3 (Vi. Hom. 4 of the inward adornment of a woman, beside σωφροσύνη; Crates, Ep. 9; Pythag., Ep. 11, 1; Plut., Mor. 141e; on the topic of external adornment cp. SIG 736, 15–26).

② condition of orderliness, orderly arrangement, order (Hom. et al.; s. HDiller, Die vorphilosophische Gebrauch von κ. und κοσμεῖν: BSnell Festschr., ’56, 47–60) μετὰ κόσμου in order Dg 12:9 (text uncertain; s. μετακόσμιος).

③ the sum total of everything here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe, in philosophical usage (so, acc. to Plut., Mor. 886b, as early as Pythagoras; certainly Heraclitus, Fgm. 66; Pla., Gorg. 508a, Phdr. 246c; Chrysipp., Fgm. 527 v. Arnim κόσμος σύστημα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις περιεχομένων φύσεων. Likew. Posidonius in Diog. L. 7, 138; Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 2 p. 391b, 9ff; 2 and 4 Macc; Wsd; EpArist 254; Philo, Aet. M. 4; Jos., Ant. 1, 21; Test12Patr; SibOr 7, 123; AssMos Fgm. b Denis [=Tromp p. 272]; Just., A I, 20, 2 al.; Ath. 19, 2 al.; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 68, 14; Did., Gen. 36, 7; 137, 13.—The other philosoph. usage, in which κ. denotes the heaven in contrast to the earth, is prob. without mng. for our lit. [unless perh. Phil 2:15 κ.=‘sky’?]). ἡ ἀέναος τοῦ κ. σύστασις the everlasting constitution of the universe 1 Cl 60:1 (cp. OGI 56, 48 εἰς τὸν ἀέναον κ.). Sustained by four elements Hv 3, 13, 3. πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κ. εἶναι before the world existed J 17:5. ἀπὸ καταβολῆς [κόσμου] from the beginning of the world Mt 13:35; 25:34; Lk 11:50; Hb 4:3; 9:26; Rv 13:8; 17:8. Also ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κ. Mt 24:21 or ἀπὸ κτίσεως κ. Ro 1:20.—B 5:5 ἀπὸ καταβ. κ. evidently means at the foundation of the world (s. Windisch, Hdb. ad loc.). πρὸ καταβολῆς κ. before the foundation of the world J 17:24; Eph 1:4; 1 Pt 1:20 (on the uses w. καταβολή s. that word, 1). οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κ. no idol has any real existence in the universe (Twentieth Century NT) 1 Cor 8:4. Of the creation in its entirety 3:22. ὁ κόσμος ὅλος = πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις (Sallust. 21 p. 36, 13; TestSol 5:7; TestJob 33:4) Hs 9, 2, 1; 9, 14, 5. φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ stars in the universe Phil 2:15 (s. above). Esp. of the universe as created by God (Epict 4, 7, 6 ὁ θεὸς πάντα πεποίηκεν, τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον; Wsd 9:9; 2 Macc 7:23 ὁ τοῦ κ. κτίστης; 4 Macc 5:25; Just., A I, 59, 1 al.; Ath. 8, 2 al.) ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κ. who has made the world Ac 17:24. ὁ κτίστης τοῦ σύμπαντος κ. 1 Cl 19:2; ὁ κτίσας τὸν κ. Hv 1, 3, 4; cp. m 12, 4, 2. ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κ. κυριεύων B 21:5. οὐδʼ εἶναι τὸν κόσμον θεοῦ ἀλλὰ ἀγγέλων AcPlCor 1:15. Christ is called παντὸς τοῦ κ. κύριος 5:5; and the κ. owes its origin to his agency J 1:10b. The world was created for the sake of the church Hv 2, 4, 1.—The universe, as the greatest space conceivable, is not able to contain someth. (Philo, Ebr. 32) J 21:25.

④ the sum total of all beings above the level of the animals, the world, as θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν (i.e. οἱ ἀπόστολοι) τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις 1 Cor 4:9. Here the world is divided into angels and humans (cp. the Stoic definition of the κόσμος in Stob., Ecl. I p. 184, 8 τὸ ἐκ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων σύστημα; likew. Epict 1, 9, 4.—Acc. to Ocellus Luc. 37, end, the κ. consists of the sphere of the divine beyond the moon and the sphere of the earthly on this side of the moon).

⑤ planet earth as a place of inhabitation, the world (SIG 814, 31 [67 A.D.] Nero, ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου κύριος; the meaning of the birthday of Augustus for the world OGI 458, 40 [=IPriene 105]; 2 Macc 3:12; Jos., Ant. 9, 241; 10, 205; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 68)

ⓐ gener. Mk 16:15. τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κ. Mt 4:8; ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κ. 26:13. Cp. 13:38 (cp. Hs 5, 5, 2); Mk 14:9; Hs 9, 25, 2. τὸ φῶς τοῦ κ. τούτου the light of this world (the sun) J 11:9. In rhetorical exaggeration ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τ. κόσμῳ Ro 1:8 (cp. the Egypt. grave ins APF 5, 1913, 169 no. 24, 8 ὧν ἡ σωφροσύνη κατὰ τὸν κ. λελάληται). Abraham as κληρονόμος κόσμου heir of the world 4:13.—Cp. 1 Cor 14:10; Col 1:6. ἡ ἐν τῷ κ. ἀδελφότης the brotherhood in the (whole) world 1 Pt 5:9. ἐγένετο ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ κ. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν our Lord has assumed the sovereignty of the world Rv 11:15. τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ κ. (not LXX, but prob. rabbinic אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם=humankind apart fr. Israel; Billerb. II 191; Dalman, Worte 144f) the unconverted in the world Lk 12:30. In this line of development, κόσμος alone serves to designate the polytheistic unconverted world Ro 11:12, 15.—Other worlds (lands) beyond the ocean 1 Cl 20:8.—Many of these pass. bear the connotation of

ⓑ the world as the habitation of humanity (as SibOr 1, 160). So also Hs 9, 17, 1f. εἰσέρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κ. of entrance into the world by being born 1 Cl 38:3. ἐκ τοῦ κ. ἐξελθεῖν leave this present world (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 5 ἔξω τ. κόσμου φεύγειν; s. ἐξέρχομαι 5; cp. Hippol., Ref. 5, 16, 7) 1 Cor 5:10b; 2 Cl 8:3. γεννηθῆναι εἰς τὸν κ. be born into the world J 16:21. ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κ. 2 Cl 8:2. οὐδὲν εἰσφέρειν εἰς τὸν κ. (Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 294 τὸν μηδὲν εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσενηνοχότα) 1 Ti 6:7 (Pol 4:1). πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κ. 2J 7.—ἐν τῷ κόσμω τούτῳ J 12:25 (κ. need not here be understood as an entity hostile to God, but the transition to the nuance in 7b, below, is signalled by the term that follows: ζωὴν αἰώνιον). ἵνα εἰς κόσμον προέλθῃ AcPlCor 2:6.

ⓒ earth, world in contrast to heaven (Dio Chrys. 19 [36], 59; Iren., 1, 4, 2 [Harv. I 35, 5]; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 15, 24) ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ 2 Cl 19:3.—Esp. when mention is made of the preexistent Christ, who came fr. another world into the κόσμος. So, above all, in John (Bultmann, index I κόσμος) ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κ. (τοῦτον) J 6:14; 9:39; 11:27; 16:28a; 18:37; specif. also come into the world as light 12:46; cp. 1:9; 3:19. Sending of Jesus into the world 3:17a; 10:36; 17:18; 1J 4:9. His εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ J 1:10a; 9:5a; 17:12 v.l. Leaving the world and returning to the Father 13:1a; 16:28b. Cp. 14:19; 17:11a. His kingship is not ἐκ τοῦ κ. τούτου of this world i.e. not derived from the world or conditioned by its terms and evaluations 18:36ab.—Also Χρ. Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τ. κόσμον 1 Ti 1:15; cp. ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ (opp. ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ) 3:16.—εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸν κ. Hb 10:5.

ⓓ the world outside in contrast to one’s home PtK 3 p. 15, 13; 19.

⑥ humanity in general, the world (TestAbr B 8 p. 113, 11 [Stone p. 74]; ApcEsdr 3:6 p. 27, 14; SibOr 1, 189; Just., A I, 39, 3 al.)

ⓐ gener. οὐαὶ τῷ κ. ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων woe to humankind because of the things that cause people to sin Mt 18:7; τὸ φῶς τοῦ κ. the light for humanity 5:14; cp. J 8:12; 9:5. ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κ. 4:42; 1J 4:14 (this designation is found in inscriptions, esp. oft. of Hadrian [WWeber, Untersuchungen z. Geschichte des Kaisers Hadrianus 1907, 225; 226; 229]).—J 1:29; 3:17b; 17:6.—κρίνειν τὸν κ. (SibOr 4, 184; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 11 [Stone p. 32]; ApcMos 37) of God, Christ J 12:47a; Ro 3:6; B 4:12; cp. Ro 3:19. Of believers 1 Cor 6:2ab (cp. Sallust. 21 p. 36, 13 the souls of the virtuous, together w. the gods, will rule the whole κόσμος). Of Noah διʼ ἧς (sc. πίστεως) κατέκρινεν τὸν κ. Hb 11:7. ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κ. εἰσῆλθεν Ro 5:12; likew. θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κ. 1 Cl 3:4 (Wsd 2:24; 14:14). Cp. Ro 5:13; 1 Cor 1:27f. περικαθάρματα τοῦ κ. the refuse of humanity 4:13. Of persons before conversion ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κ. Eph 2:12.—2 Cor 1:12; 5:19; Js 2:5; 1J 2:2; 4:1, 3. ἀρχαῖος κόσμος the people of the ancient world 2 Pt 2:5a; cp. vs. 5b; 3:6. Of pers. of exceptional merit: ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κ. of whom the world was not worthy Hb 11:38.—ὅλος ὁ κ. all the world, everybody Ac 2:47 D; 1 Cl 5:7; cp. ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κ. 59:2; εἰς ὅλον τὸν κ. Hs 8, 3, 2. Likew. ὁ κόσμος (cp. Philo, De Prov. in Eus., PE 8, 14, 58) ὁ κ. ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν J 12:19. ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κ. 8:26; ἐν τῷ κ. 17:13; ἐγὼ παρρησίᾳ λελάληκα τῷ κ. 18:20; cp. 7:4; 14:22. ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κ. 14:31; cp. 17:23; ἵνα ὁ κ. πιστεύῃ 17:21.

ⓑ of all humanity, but especially of believers, as the object of God’s love J 3:16, 17c; 6:33, 51; 12:47b.

⑦ the system of human existence in its many aspects, the world

ⓐ as scene of earthly joys, possessions, cares, sufferings (cp. 4 Macc 8:23) τὸν κ. ὅλον κερδῆσαι gain the whole world Mt 16:26; Mk 8:36; Lk 9:25; 2 Cl 6:2 (cp. Procop. Soph., Ep. 137 the whole οἰκουμένη is an unimportant possession compared to ἀρετή). τὰ τερπνὰ τοῦ κ. the delightful things in the world IRo 6:1. οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κ. ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι those who use the world as though they had no use of it or those who deal with the world as having made no deals with it 1 Cor 7:31a. ἔχειν τὸν βίον τοῦ κ. possess worldly goods 1J 3:17. τὰ τοῦ κόσμου the affairs of the world 1 Cor 7:33f; cp. 1J 2:15f. The latter pass. forms an easy transition to the large number of exprs. (esp. in Paul and John) in which

ⓑ the world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds w. anything divine, ruined and depraved (Herm. Wr. 6, 4 [the κόσμος is τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς κακίας]; 13, 1 [ἡ τοῦ κ. ἀπάτη], in Stob. p. 428, 24 Sc.; En 48:7; TestIss 4:6; AscIs 3:25; Hdb., exc. on J 1:10; Bultmann ad loc.—cp. Sotades Maronita [III B.C.] 11 Diehl: the κόσμος is unjust and hostile to great men) IMg 5:2; IRo 2:2. ὁ κόσμος οὗτος this world (in contrast to the heavenly realm) J 8:23; 12:25, 31a; 13:1; 16:11; 18:36; 1J 4:17; 1 Cor 3:19; 5:10a; 7:31b; Hv 4, 3, 2ff; D 10:6; 2 Cl 5:1, 5; (opp. ὁ ἅγιος αἰών) B 10:11. ‘This world’ is ruled by the ἄρχων τοῦ κ. τούτου the prince of this world, the devil J 12:31b; 16:11; without τούτου 14:30. Cp. ὁ κ. ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται the whole world lies in the power of the evil one 1J 5:19; cp. 4:4; also ὁ αἰὼν τοῦ κ. τούτου Eph 2:2 (s. αἰών 4).—Christians must have nothing to do with this world of sin and separation fr. God: instead of desiring it IRo 7:1, one is to ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κ. keep oneself untainted by the world Js 1:27. ἀποφεύγειν τὰ μιάσματα τοῦ κ. 2 Pt 2:20; cp. 1:4 (s. ἀποφεύγω 1).—Pol 5:3. ἡ φιλία τοῦ κ. ἔχθρα τ. θεοῦ ἐστιν Js 4:4a; cp. vs. 4b. When such an attitude is taken Christians are naturally hated by the world IRo 3:3; J 15:18, 19ad; 17:14a; 1J 3:13, as their Lord was hated J 7:7; 15:18; cp. 1:10c; 14:17; 16:20.—Also in Paul: God and world in opposition τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κ. and τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ the spirit of the world and the spirit that comes fr. God 1 Cor 2:12; σοφία τοῦ κ. and σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ 1:20f. ἡ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη and ἡ τοῦ κ. λύπη godly grief and worldly grief 2 Cor 7:10. The world is condemned by God 1 Cor 11:32; yet also the object of the divine plan of salvation 2 Cor 5:19; cp. 1 Cl 7:4; 9:4. A Christian is dead as far as this world is concerned: διʼ οὗ (i.e. Ἰ. Χρ.) ἐμοὶ κ. ἐσταύρωται κἀγὼ κόσμῳ through Christ the world has been crucified for me, and I have been (crucified) to the world Gal 6:14; cp. the question τί ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κ. δογματίζεσθε; Col 2:20b. For στοιχεῖα τοῦ κ. Gal 4:3; Col 2:8, 20a s. στοιχεῖον.—The use of κ. in this sense is even further developed in John. The κ. stands in opposition to God 1J 2:15f and hence is incapable of knowing God J 17:25; cp. 1J 4:5, and excluded fr. Christ’s intercession J 17:9; its views refuted by the Paraclete 16:8. Neither Christ himself 17:14c, 16b; 14:27, nor his own 15:19b; 17:14b, 16a; 1J 3:1 belong in any way to the ‘world’. Rather Christ has chosen them ‘out of the world’ J 15:19c, even though for the present they must still live ‘in the world’ 17:11b; cp. 13:1b; 17:15, 18b. All the trouble that they must undergo because of this, 16:33a, means nothing compared w. the victorious conviction that Christ (and the believers w. him) has overcome ‘the world’ vs. 33b; 1J 5:4f, and that it is doomed to pass away 2:17 (TestJob 33:4; Kephal. I 154, 21: the κόσμος τῆς σαρκός will pass away).

⑧ collective aspect of an entity, totality, sum total (SIG 850, 10 τὸν κόσμον τῶν ἔργων (but s. 1 above); Pr 17:6a) ὁ κ. τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται the tongue becomes (or proves to be) the sum total of iniquity Js 3:6 (so, approx., Meinertz; FHauck.—MDibelius, Windisch and ASchlatter find mng. 7b here, whereas ACarr, Exp. 7th ser., 8, 1909, 318ff thinks of mng. 1). Χρ. τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου τῶν σῳζομένων σωτηρίας παθόντα Christ, who suffered or died (s. πάσχω 3aα) for the salvation of the sum total of those who are saved MPol 17:2.—FBytomski, D. genet. Entwicklung des Begriffes κόσμος in d. Hl. Schrift: Jahrb. für Philos. und spekul. Theol. 25, 1911, 180–201; 389–413 (only the OT); CSchneider, Pls u. d. Welt: Αγγελος IV ’32, 11–47; EvSchrenck, Der Kosmos-Begriff bei Joh.: Mitteilungen u. Nachrichten f. d. evang. Kirche in Russland 51, 1895, 1–29; RLöwe, Kosmos u. Aion ’35; RBultmann, D. Verständnis v. Welt u. Mensch im NT u. im Griechentum: ThBl 19, ’40, 1–14; GBornkamm, Christus u. die Welt in der urchr. Botschaft: ZTK 47, ’50, 212–26; ALesky, Kosmos ’63; RVölkl, Christ u. Welt nach dem NT ’61; GJohnston, οἰκουμένη and κ. in the NT: NTS 10, ’64, 352–60; NCassem, ibid. 19, ’72/73, 81–91; RBratcher, BT 31, ’80, 430–34.—B. 13; 440. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.

μυστήριον, ου, τό ‘secret, secret rite, secret teaching, mystery’ a relig. t.t. (predom. pl.) applied in the Gr-Rom. world mostly to the mysteries w. their secret teachings, relig. and political in nature, concealed within many strange customs and ceremonies. The principal rites remain unknown because of a reluctance in antiquity to divulge them (Trag.+; Hdt. 2, 51, 2; Diod S 1, 29, 3; 3, 63, 2; Socrat., Ep. 27, 3; Cornutus 28 p. 56, 22; 57, 4; Alciphron 3, 26, 1; OGI 331, 54; 528, 13; 721, 2, SIG s. index; Sb 7567, 9 [III A.D.]; PGM 1, 131; 4, 719ff; 2477 τὰ ἱερὰ μ. ἀνθρώποις εἰς γνῶσιν; 5, 110; 12, 331; 13, 128 τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ. Only the perfected gnostic is τῶν μυστηρίων ἀκροατής Hippol., Ref. 5, 8, 29.—OKern, D. griech. Mysterien d. klass. Zeit 1927; WOtto, D. Sinn der eleusin. Myst. ’40; MNilsson, The Dionysiac Mysteries of the Hell. and Rom. Age, ’57; Kl. Pauly III 1533–42; WBurkert, Antike Mysterien ’90). Also LXX and other versions of the OT use the word, as well as En (of the heavenly secret) and numerous pseudepigr., Philo, Joseph. (C. Ap. 2, 189, 266), apolog. (exc. Ar.); it is a loanw. in rabb. Our lit. uses μ. in ref. to the transcendent activity of God and its impact on God’s people.

① the unmanifested or private counsel of God, (God’s) secret, the secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God (SJCh 78, 9; τὸ μ. τῆς μοναρχίας τῆς κατὰ τὸν θεόν Theoph. Ant. 2, 28 [p. 166, 17]) which are hidden fr. human reason, as well as fr. all other comprehension below the divine level, and await either fulfillment or revelation to those for whom they are intended (the divine Logos as διδάσκαλος θείων μυστηρίων Orig., C. Cels. 3, 62, 9: the constellations as δεῖγμα καὶ τύπον … μεγάλου μυστηρίου Hippol. Ant. 2, 15 [p. 138, 7]; Abraham is τῶν θείων … μέτοχος μυστηρίων Did., Gen. 213, 20).

ⓐ In the gospels μ. is found only in one context, where Jesus says to the disciples who have asked for an explanation of the parable(s) ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον δέδοται τῆς βασιλείας τ. θεοῦ Mk 4:11; the synopt. parallels have the pl. Mt 13:11 (LCerfaux, NTS 2, ’55/56, 238–49); Lk 8:10.—WWrede, D. Messiasgeh. in den Evv. 1901; HEbeling, D. Messiasgeh. u. d. Botschaft des Mc-Evangelisten ’39; NJohansson, SvTK 16, ’40, 3–38; OPiper, Interpretation 1, ’47, 183–200; RArida, St Vladimar Theol. Qtly 38, ’94, 211–34 (patristic exegesis Mk 4:10–12 par.).

ⓑ The Pauline lit. has μ. in 21 places. A secret or mystery, too profound for human ingenuity, is God’s reason for the partial hardening of Israel’s heart Ro 11:25 or the transformation of the surviving Christians at the Parousia 1 Cor 15:51. Even Christ, who was understood by so few, is God’s secret or mystery Col 2:2, hidden ages ago 1:26 (cp. Herm. Wr. 1, 16 τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ κεκρυμμένον μυστήριον μέχρι τῆσδε τῆς ἡμέρας), but now gloriously revealed among the gentiles vs. 27, to whom the secret of Christ, i.e. his relevance for them, is proclaimed, 4:3 (CMitton, ET 60, ’48/49, 320f). Cp. Ro 16:25; 1 Cor 2:1 (cp. Just., D. 91, 1; 131, 2 al. μ. τοῦ σταυροῦ; 74, 3 τὸ σωτήριον τοῦτο μ., τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸ πάθος τοῦ χριστοῦ). The pl. is used to denote Christian preaching by the apostles and teachers in the expr. οἰκονόμοι μυστηρίων θεοῦ 1 Cor 4:1 (Iambl., Vi. Pyth. 23, 104 calls the teachings of Pyth. θεῖα μυστήρια). Not all Christians are capable of understanding all the mysteries. The one who speaks in tongues πνεύματι λαλεῖ μυστήρια utters secret truths in the Spirit which the person alone shares w. God, and which others, even Christians, do not understand 1 Cor 14:2. Therefore the possession of all mysteries is a great joy 13:2 (Just., D. 44, 2). And the spirit-filled apostle can say of the highest stage of Christian knowledge, revealed only to the τέλειοι: λαλοῦμεν θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ we impart the wisdom of God in the form of a mystery (ἐν μυστηρίῳ=in a mysterious manner [Laud. Therap. 11] or =secretly, so that no unauthorized person would learn of it [cp. Cyr. of Scyth. p. 90, 14 ἐν μυστηρίῳ λέγει]) 2:7 (AKlöpper, ZWT 47, 1905, 525–45).—Eph, for which (as well as for Col) μ. is a predominant concept, sees the μ. τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ (sc. θεοῦ) 1:9 or μ. τ. Χριστοῦ 3:4 or μ. τ. εὐαγγελίου 6:19 in acceptance of the gentiles as Christians 3:3ff, 9ff. A unique great mystery is revealed 5:32, where the relation betw. Christ and the Christian community or church is spoken of on the basis of Gen 2:24 (cp. the interpretation of the sun as symbol of God, Theoph. Ant. 2, 15 [p. 138, 8], and s. WKnox, St. Paul and the Church of the Gentiles, ’39, 183f; 227f; WBieder, TZ 11, ’55, 329–43).

ⓒ In Rv μ. is used in ref. to the mysterious things portrayed there. The whole content of the book appears as τὸ μ. τοῦ θεοῦ 10:7. Also τὸ μ. τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀστέρων 1:20; τὸ μ. τῆς γυναικός 17:7, cp. vs. 5, where in each case μ. may mean allegorical significance (so BEaston, Pastoral Epistles ’47, 215).

② that which transcends normal understanding, transcendent/ultimate reality, secret, with focus on Israelite/Christian experience.

ⓐ 1 Ti uses μ. as a formula: τὸ μ. τῆς πίστεως is simply faith 3:9. τὸ τ. εὐσεβείας μ. the secret of (our) piety vs. 16.—τὸ μ. τῆς ἀνομίας 2 Th 2:7 s. ἀνομία 1 (Jos., Bell. 1, 470 calls the life of Antipater κακίας μυστήριον because of his baseness practiced in secret. Cp. also SibOr 8, 58 τὰ πλάνης μυστήρια; 56).—PFurfey, CBQ 8, ’46, 179–91.

ⓑ in Ign.: the death and resurrection of Jesus as μ. IMg 9:1 (τὸ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως μ. Orig., C. Cels. 1, 7, 9). The virginity of Mary, her childbearing, and the Lord’s death are called τρία μ. κραυγῆς three mysteries (to be) loudly proclaimed IEph 19:1 (they are mysteries because they go so contrary to human expectation). So also of the annunciation to Mary and her conception GJs 12:2f. The deacons are οἱ διάκονοι μυστηρίων Ἰ. Χρ. ITr 2:3.

ⓒ Quite difficult is the saying about the tried and true prophet ποιῶν εἰς μυστήριον κοσμικὸν ἐκκλησίας who acts in accord with the earthly mystery of (God’s) assembly D 11:11. This may refer to celibacy; the prophet lives in such a way as to correspond to the relation betw. Christ and the people of God; cp. Eph 5:32 (so Harnack, TU II 1; 2, 1884, 44ff; HWeinel, Die Wirkungen d. Geistes u. der Geister 1899, 131–38; PDrews, Hdb. z. d. ntl. Apokryphen 1904, 274ff; RKnopf, Hdb. ad loc.—Differently CTaylor, The Teaching of the Twelve Apost. 1886, 82–92; RHarris, The Teaching of the Ap. 1887; FFunk, Patr. Apostol.² 1901 ad loc.; Zahn, Forschungen III 1884, 301).

ⓓ μ. occurs oft. in Dg: τὸ τῆς θεοσεβείας μ. the secret of (our) piety 4:6 (what Dg means by μ. is detailed in ch. 5). Likew. of Christian teaching (cp. Ps.-Phocyl. 229 and comments by Horst 260–61) πατρὸς μυστήρια 11:2; cp. vs. 5. Hence the Christian can μυστήρια θεοῦ λαλεῖν 10:7. In contrast to ἀνθρώπινα μ. 7:1. οὗ (sc. τ. θεοῦ) τὰ μυστήρια whose secret counsels 7:2 (the divine will for orderly management of the universe). Of God keeping personal counsel κατεῖχεν ἐν μυστηρίῳ … τὴν σοφὴν αὐτοῦ βουλήν 8:10.—Lghtf., St. Paul’s Ep. to the Col. and Phlm. p. 167ff; JRobinson, St. Paul’s Ep. to the Eph. 1904, 234ff; GWobbermin, Religionsgesch. Studien 1896, 144ff; EHatch, Essays on Bibl. Gk. 1889, 57ff; HvSoden, ZNW 12, 1911, 188ff; TFoster, AJT 19, 1915, 402–15; OCasel, D. Liturgie als Mysterienfeier⁵ 1923; JSchneider, ‘Mysterion’ im NT: StKr 104, ’32, 255–78; TArvedson, D. Mysterium Christi ’37; KPrümm, ‘Mysterion’ v. Pls bis Orig.: ZKT 61, ’37, 391–425, Biblica 37, ’56, 135–61; RBrown, The Semitic Background of ‘Mystery’ in the NT, ’68; cp. KKuhn, NTS 7, 61, 366 for Qumran parallels to various passages in Eph and Ro; ABöhlig, Mysterion u. Wahrheit, ’68, 3–40; JFruytier, Het woord M. in de catechesen van Cyrillus van Jerusalem, ’50; ANock, Hellenistic Mysteries and Christian Sacraments, Essays on Religion and the Ancient World II, ’72, 790–820; AHarvey, The Use of Mystery Language in the Bible: JTS 31, ’80, 320–36.—DELG s.v. μύω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

πίστις, εως, ἡ (Hes., Hdt.+; ranging in meaning from subjective confidence to objective basis for confidence).

① that which evokes trust and faith

ⓐ the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment (X., An. 1, 6, 3; 3, 3, 4; Aristot., Eth. Eud, 7, 2, 1237b, 12; Polyb. 7, 12, 9; 38, 1, 8 al.; Herodian 2, 14, 4 al.; SIG 675, 22; OGI 557, 16; PTebt 27, 6; 51 [II B.C.]; POxy 494, 9; 705, 32; other pap M-M. s.v.; Ps 32:4; Pr 12:22; Jos., Ant. 2, 61; TestAsh 7:7) w. κρίσις and ἔλεος Mt 23:23. (Opp. ἀπιστία as Hes., Op. 370) τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργεῖν nullify the faithfulness/commitment of God (cp. Ps 32:4; Hos 2:22) Ro 3:3. πᾶσαν π. ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν show all good faith(fulness) Tit 2:10 (cp. BGU 314, 19 μετὰ πίστεως ἀγαθῆς). W. other virtues Gal 5:22 (on πίστις, πραΰτης cp. Sir 45:4; 1:27). W. ὑπομονή 2 Th 1:4. τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα I have remained faithful or loyal (πίστιν τηρεῖν as Polyb. 6, 56, 13; 10, 37, 5; Jos., Bell. 2, 121; 6, 345; OGI 339, 46f; IBM III, 587b, 5f [Dssm., LO 262=LAE 309, esp. note 3]) 2 Ti 4:7, though this would be classified by some under 3 below. S. also 1c below.

ⓑ a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 44; 8, 8, 3, Hell. 1, 3, 12; Diod S 14, 9, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §362 μεγάλας πίστεις ἔδωκεν=solemn assurances; 3 Macc 3:10; Jos., Ant. 12, 382) τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν 1 Ti 5:12 (s. also ἀθετέω 1 and cp. CIA app. [Wünsch, Praef. p. xv] of a woman who πρώτη ἠθέτησεν τὴν πίστιν to her husband). Cp. Rv 2:3.

ⓒ a token offered as a guarantee of someth. promised, proof, pledge (Pla., Phd. 70b; Isocr. 3, 8; Aristot., Rhet. 1, 1; 3, 13; Epicurus in Diog. L. 10, 63; 85: πίστις βεβαία=dependable proof; Polyb. 3, 100, 3; Περὶ ὕψους 39, 3=p. 74, 20 V.; Epict. 1, 28, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 119 §500; Jos., Ant. 15, 69) πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτόν (God has appointed a man [Jesus] to be judge of the world, and) he has furnished proof (of his fitness for this office) to all people by raising him (on πίστιν παρέχειν cp. Jos., Ant. 2, 218 πίστιν παρεῖχε; 15, 260; Polyb. 2, 52, 4 πίστιν παρέσχετο=gave a pledge, security; Vett. Val. 277, 29f) Ac 17:31. JBarton, Biblica 40, ’59, 878–84: π. in 2 Ti 4:7= bond deposited by an athlete. But see 3 below.—WSchmitz, ῾Η Πίστις in den Papyri, diss. Cologne, ’64.

② state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith in the active sense=‘believing’, in ref. to deity (Soph. Oed. R. 1445 νῦν γʼ ἂν τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις; Pla., Leg. 12, 966de; Plut. Mor. 402e; 756b; Dio Chrys. 3, 51 παρὰ θεῶν τιμὴ κ. πίστις; Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 226 D.: πίστιν ἐν τ. θεοῖς ἔχειν; Appian, Liby. 57 §248 ἐς θεοὺς πίστις; Ep. 33 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 352, 14]; Herm. Wr. 9, 10 ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 21 τῆς βεβαίας πίστεως, τὸ μεμαθηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοεῖται πάντα. The divinity Πίστις in Plut., Num. 70 [16, 1] and in magic [exx. in Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234f, among them Aberciusins. 12; PGM 4, 1014 ἀλήθεια καὶ πίστις; 12, 228]; Wsd 3:14; 4 Macc 15:24; 16:22; 17:2; Philo, Abr. 270; 271; 273, Mut. Nom. 182, Migr. Abr. 43f, Conf. Lingu. 31, Poster. Cai. 13 [on faith in Philo s. the lit. given under πιστεύω 2aα]; Jos, C. Ap. 2, 163; 169; Just., A I, 52, 1 πίστιν ἔχειν; 53, 11 πειθὼ καὶ πίστιν … ἐμφορῆσαι), in our lit. directed toward God and Christ, their revelations, teachings, promises, their power and readiness to aid.

ⓐ God: πίστις θεοῦ (cp. Jos., Ant. 17, 179.—Cp. π. καὶ φόβος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 7 [p. 72, 26]) faith, trust, confidence in God Mk 11:22; cp. Ac 19:20 D; 1 Cl 3:4; 27:3. π. θείου πνεύμαπος faith in the divine spirit Hm 11:9. ἡ π. τοῦ κυρίου Hs 6, 3, 6. π. (καὶ ἐλπὶς) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21. π. ἐπὶ θεόν Hb 6:1. ἡ πίστις ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν 1 Th 1:8 (on the constr. w. πρὸς τ. θ. cp. Philo, Abr. 268; 271; 273; Just., D. 121, 2 διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον π.).—πίστις can also be characterized as faith in God by the context, without the addition of specific words; so in connection w. OT personalities: Abraham Ro 4:5, 9, 11–13, 16, 19f (s. also 2dα below); 1 Cl 10:7; 31:2; of Rahab 12:1, 8; of Esther 55:6 (ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν). The OT heroes of faith Hb 11:4–33, 39 (w. this catalogue of heroes cp. Il. 4, 457–538; 2 Km 23:8–39; 1 Ch 11:10–12:18; CGordon, Homer, and the Bible: HUCA 26, ’55, 83).—But in Hb it is also true that God is specifically the object of the Christian’s faith, and Christ 12:2 is ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειώτης. Cp. 10:38; 11:3; 13:7. (On faith in Hb s. Schlatter, Der Glaube im NT⁴ 1927, 520ff; BHeigl, Verfasser u. Adresse des Hb 1905, 109–18; GHoennicke, Die sittl. Anschauungen des Hb: ZWT 45, 1902, 26ff; Windisch, Hdb. exc. on Hb 11; Riggenbach and Michel on Hb 11; Strathmann on 10:38. S. ὑπόστασις end.)—ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν Mt 17:20. Opp. doubt 21:21. αἰτεῖν ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Js 1:6. ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως 5:15 (εὐχή 1). ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead Col 2:12.

ⓑ Christ

α. of belief and trust in the Lord’s help in physical and spiritual distress; oft. in the synopt. gospels: Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29 (κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν); 15:28; Mk 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42.—Cp. ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι (the lame man) had faith that he would be cured Ac 14:9.

β. of faith in Christ, designated by the addition of certain words. By the obj. gen. (s. Just., D. 52, 4 διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ) πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ faith in Jesus Christ (and sim. exprs. On interp. as obj. gen. s. AHultgren, NovT 22, ’80, 248–63 [lit.]; response SWilliams, CBQ 49, ’87, 431–47.) Ro 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16ab, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9a; Js 2:1; Rv 14:12; cp. 2:13 (ἡ πίστις μου=faith in me, the Human One [Son of Man]); IMg 1:1. (The πίστις Χριστοῦ in Paul is taken as a subj. gen. by JHaussleiter, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1891, Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?: Greifswalder Studien für HCremer 1895, 161–82 and GKittel, StKr 79, 1906, 419ff. See also Schläger, ZNW 7, 1906, 356–58; BLongenecker, NTS 39, ’93, 478–80 [lit. since ’81]; DCampbell, JBL 113, ’94, 265–85; response BDodd, 114, ’95, 470–73.—ADeissmann, Paulus² 1925, 125f [Paul, tr. WWilson, 1926, 162ff], speaks of the mystical gen., ‘faith in Christ’. Likew. HWeber, Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’: NKZ 31, 1920, 213ff, esp. 231, 3; WWeber, Christusmystik 1924, 82. S. also LAlbrecht, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1921; OSchmitz, Die Christusgemeinschaft des Pls im Lichte seines Genetivgebr. 1924, 91–134; OHoltzmann, D. Glaube an Jes.: Stromata 1930, 11–25; GTaylor, JBL 85, ’66, 58–76: the passages in Gal=Christ’s reliability as a trustee. Cp. GHoward, HTR 60, ’67, 459–65; MHooker, NTS 35, ’89, 321–42.)—By prepositional phrases: πίστις εἰς Χριστόν (and sim. exprs.) faith in Christ Ac 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Col 2:5 (Just., D. 40, 1).—Also πίστις ἐν Χριστῷ (and sim.) Gal 3:26; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Ti 3:13; 2 Ti 3:15; 1 Cl 22:1. In ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι Ro 3:25, ἐν κτλ. prob. goes not w. πίστις, but w. ἱλαστήριον (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; W-S. §20, 5d).—πίστις, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τ. κύριον Ἰησοῦν Phlm 5.—πίστις διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστοῦ Ac 20:21 D; sim. ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ 3:16b (cp. 1 Pt 1:21).—Jesus Christ is called ἡ τελεία πίστις ISm 10:2.

ⓒ πίστις can also be characterized by an objective gen. of the thing: ἡ πίστις τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ faith in his (Jesus’) name Ac 3:16a. ἡ πίστις τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phil 1:27. εὐαγγελίων πίστις Dg 11:6. πίστις ἀληθείας 2 Th 2:13.

ⓓ πίστις is found mostly without an obj., faith, firm commitment

α. as true piety, genuine devotion (Sextus 7a and 7; ParJer 6:7), which for our lit. means being a Christian (τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάσχα … πίστει νονούμενον Hippol., Ref. 8, 18, 1; Did., Gen. 54, 11) Lk 18:8 (s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 288); 22:32; Ac 6:5=vs. 8 v.l.; cp. 11:24.—6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; Ro 1:5, 8, 12, 17ab (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν does not mean a gradation [as, in a way, Appian, Mithrid. 40 §154: Sulla came upon ἕτερον ὅμοιον ἐξ ἑτέρου=one wall, i.e. fortification, after another similar one] or a transition from one kind to another [Himerius, Or.=Ecl. 10, 6 ἐκ ᾠδῆς εἰς ᾠδὴν ἄλλην μετέβαλον=they changed from one kind of song to another], but merely expresses in a rhetorical way that πίστις is the beginning and the end; s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc., and a grave-ins [ANock, Sallust. p. xxxiii, 94] ἐκ γῆς εἰς γῆν ὁ βίος οὗτοσ=‘dust is the beginning and the end of human life’.—AFridrichsen, ConNeot 12, ’48, 54); 17c (here and in Gal 3:11 the LXX of Hab 2:4 [DCampbell, JBL 116, ’97, 713–19] is not followed literally, since it has ἐκ πίστεώς μου=‘as a result of my faithfulness’; even in Hb 10:38, where μου does occur, it goes w. δίκαιος, not w. πίστεως); Ro 3:27f (Luther’s addition of the word ‘alone’ in vs. 28 is hard to contest linguistically. Cp., e.g., Diog. L. 9, 6: Heraclitus wrote his work in very obscure language ὅπως οἱ δυνάμενοι προσίοιεν αὐτῷ=in order that only the capable might approach it. S. also Fitzmyer, ABComm. 360–64), 30f; 4:5–20 (s. also 2a above); 5:1f; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 17; 11:20 (opp. ἀπιστία); 12:3, 6 (s. ἀναλογία; for a difft. view 3 below); 14:1, 22 (s. ἐνώπιον 2b; others would place in 2dε), 23ab (but s. ε below); 16:26; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24ab; 4:13; 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:7–26; 5:5, 6 (s. ἐνεργέω 1b); 6:10 (οἱ οἰκεῖοι τῆς πίστεως, s. οἰκεῖος b); Eph 2:8; 3:17; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Phil 1:25 (χαρὰ τῆς πίστεως); 2:17; 3:9b; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 3:2, 5, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:3, 11; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 5 (π. ἀνυπόκριτος), 19ab; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 12, 21 (but s. 3 below); 2 Ti 1:5 (ἀνυπόκριτος π.); 2:18; 3:8; Tit 1:1, 4, 13; 3:15; Phlm 6 (s. κοινωνία 4); Hb 6:12; 10:22, 39 (opp. ὑποστολή); Js 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pt 1:5, 7, 9; 5:9; 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:4; 1 Cl 1:2 (ἡ πανάρετος κ. βεβαία π.); ISm 1:1 (ἀκίνητος π.); Hm 5, 2, 1; 12, 5, 4 (both πλήρης ἐν τῇ πίστει full of faith); 5, 2, 3 (π. ὁλόκληρος); 9:6 (ὁλοτελὴς ἐν τ. π.), 7 (opp. διψυχία), 12 (π. ἡ ἔχουσα δύναμιν); 12, 6, 1; Hs 9, 19, 2 (ἀπὸ τῆς π. κενοί); 9, 26, 8 (κολοβοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς π. αὐτῶν).—τὸ ῥῆμα τ. πίστεως Ro 10:8. οἱ λόγοι τῆς π. 1 Ti 4:6. τὸ μυστήριον τῆς π. 3:9. ὁ θεὸς ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, i.e. opened the way for them to participate in a new relationship w. God Ac 14:27 (s. also θύρα 1bγ). ἀκοὴ πίστεως Gal 3:2, 5 (s. ἀκοή 2 and 4b). (τὸ) ἔργον (τῆς) π. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 (s. ἔργον 1b). οἱ ἐκ πίστεως the people of faith (s. ἐκ 3b) Gal 3:7, 9. πῶς οὐν [πίστιν εὑρ]ίσκομεν; Ox 1081, 25f (but here [ταῦτα γιγν]ώ̣σκομεν is the preferable restoration w. Till after the Coptic SJCh 90, 2); 32. Of gnostics τοῦ ὄφεως πίστιν ἔχουσιν AcPlCor 2:20.—If the principal component of Christianity is faith, then π. can be understood as the Gospel in terms of the commitment it evokes (cp. SIG 932, 7 [II/I B.C.]) νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει Gal 1:23 (s. 3 below). Perh. also Ro 1:5.

β. Hb 11:1 defines πίστις as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. There is here no qu. about the mng. of π. as confidence or assurance (s. 2a above), but on its relation to ὑπόστασις as its predication s. under that word.—(Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 18 interprets πιστεύειν in someth. as incapability to see someth. that is apparent only to God.) Paul contrasts walking διὰ εἴδους (εἶδος 3) as the lower degree, with διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖν 2 Cor 5:7 (s. KDeissner, Pls. u. die Mystik seiner Zeit² 1921, 101ff). On the other hand πίστις is on a higher level than merely listening to Christian preaching Hb 4:2.

γ. πίστις abs., as a Christian virtue, is often coupled w. others of the same kind, esp. oft. w. ἀγάπη: 1 Th 3:6; 5:8; 1 Ti 1:14; 2 Ti 1:13; Phlm 5; B 11:8; IEph 1:1; 9:1; 14:1; 20:1; IMg 1:2; 13:1; IRo ins; ISm ins; 6:1; 13:2; AcPl Ha 8, 35. W. ἀγάπη and other abstracts 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 2:15; 4:12; 6:11: 2 Ti 2:22; 3:10; Tit 2:2; Rv 2:19; IPhld 11:2; Pol 4:2; Hm 8:9; cp. v 3, 8, 2–5. The triad πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13; cp. also Col 1:4f; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8; B 1:4 (on this triad see s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα). W. ἐλπίς only (cp. 1 Pt 1:21) 1 Cl 58:2. The ζωῆς ἐλπίς is called ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν B 1:6.—W. ἀλήθεια (TestLevi 8:2) 1 Ti 2:7 (cp. the combination POxy 70, 4f [III A.D.]); 1 Cl 60:4. W. δικαιοσύνη Pol 9:2. W. ὑπομονή Rv 13:10; w. ὑπομ. and other abstracts 2 Pt 1:5f; Pol 13:2 (cp. also the following passages already referred to in this section: 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2 and Js 1:3 [α above]). W. γνῶσις (Just., D. 69, 1) et al. 2 Pt 1:5f [s. above]; D 10:2. ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν B 1:5. W. φόβος and ἐγκράτεια Hm 6, 1, 1.—(Distinguished from θεία σοφία: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 13, 23.)

δ. faith as fidelity to Christian teaching. This point of view calls for ἔργα as well as the kind of πίστις that represents only one side of true piety: Js 2:14ab, 17, 18abc, 20, 22ab, 24, 26 (ἔργον 1a); Hv 3, 6, 5; Hs 8, 9, 1ab.

ε. Ro 14:22 and 23 π. as freedom or strength in faith, conviction (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but s. α above).

ζ. In addition to the πίστις that every Christian possesses (s. 2dα above) Paul speaks of a special gift of faith that belongs to a select few 1 Cor 12:9. Here he understands π. as an unquestioning belief in God’s power to aid people with miracles, the faith that ‘moves mountains’ 13:2 (cp. Mt 17:20.—21:21; s. 2a above). This special kind of faith may be what the disciples had in mind when they asked πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν Lk 17:5; cp. vs. 6. τῇ πίστει φερόμενος ὁ Παυλος AcPl Ha 5, 1.

③ that which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching (Diod S 1, 23, 8 ἰσχυρὰν πίστιν καὶ ἀμετάθετον=an article of faith that was firm and unshakable [concerning Orpheus and Dionysus]; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13; Ath. 8, 1; Iren., 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I, 92, 1]; Orig., C. Cels., 1, 42, 26; Did., Gen. 156, 23). So clearly Jd 3 (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει), 20 (τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει.—ἅγιος 1aα). πίστις θεοῦ=that which, acc. to God’s will, is to be believed IEph 16:2.—This objectivizing of the term πίστις is found as early as Paul: Ro 1:5; Gal 1:23 (s. 2dα end) and perh. Gal 3:23–25 (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.). ASeeberg, D. Katechismus der Urchristenheit 1903, 110f, understands 1 Ti 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10, cp. 21; 2 Ti 2:18 in this manner. Ro 12:6 (but s. ἀναλογία) and 2 Ti 4:7 are also interpreted in this way by many.—EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 475–86; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; APott, Das Hoffen im NT in seiner Beziehung zum Glauben1915; ANairne, The Faith of the NT 1920; RGyllenberg, Pistis 1922; WKümmel, D. Glaube im NT: ThBl 16, ’38, 209–21; Dodd 65–68; TTorrance, ET 68, ’57, 111–14; CMoule, ibid. 157.—Synoptics: TShearer, ET 69, ’57, 3–6.—Esp. for Paul: BBartmann, Pls, die Grundzüge seiner Lehre u. die moderne Religionsgeschichte 1914; WMorgan, The Religion and Theology of Paul 1917; WHatch, The Pauline Idea of Faith in Its Relation to Jewish and Hellenistic Religion 1917; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. after Ro 4:25; FKnoke, Der christl. Glaube nach Pls 1922; ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Pls: ZNW 22, 1923, 43–57; EWissmann, Das Verh. v. πίστις und Christusfrömmigkeit bei Pls 1926; MDibelius, Glaube u. Mystik b. Pls: Neue Jahrb. f. Wissensch. u. Jugendbildg. 7, ’31, 683–99; WMundle, D. Glaubensbegriff des Pls ’32 (p. xi–xvi extensive bibliog.); RGyllenberg, Glaube b. Pls: ZWT 13, ’37, 612–30; MHansen, Om Trosbegrebet hos Pls ’37; LMarshall, Challenge of NT Ethics, ’47, 270–77; 298–300; RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 310–26 (Engl. tr. KGrobel I ’51, 314–30; for the Johannines II, 70–92, ’55); MMassinger, BiblSacra 107, ’50, 181–94 et al. S. also δικαιοσύνη 3a.—For the Fourth Gosp.: JBuswell, The Ethics of ‘Believe’ in the Fourth Gospel: BiblSacra 80, 1923, 28–37; JHuby, De la connaissance de foi chez S. Jean: RSR 21, ’31, 385–421; RSchnackenburg, D. Glaube im 4. Ev., diss. Breslau ’37; WHatch, The Idea of Faith in Christ. Lit. fr. the Death of St. Paul to the Close of the Second Century 1926.—EGraesser, D. Glaube im Hebräerbrief, ’65.—ABaumeister, D. Ethik des Pastor Hermae, 1912, 61–140.—ESeidl, π. in d. griech. Lit. (to Peripatetics), diss. Innsbruck, ’53; HLjungman, Pistis, ’64; DLührmann, Pistis im Judent., ZNW 64, ’73, 19–38. On faith in late Judaism s. Bousset, Rel.³ 534a (index); also DHay, JBL 108, ’89, 4611–76; DLindsay, Josephus and Faith ’93. On the Hellenistic concept πίστις Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234–36.—DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

σαρκικός, ή, όν (σάρξ; Aristot., HA 10, 2, 635a, 11 v.l.; a verse, perh. by Sotades Lyr. [III B.C.] 19, p. 244 Coll.; Maximus Tyr. 11, 10e v.l. [for σάρκινος]; ParJer 6:6 τῷ σαρκικῷ οἴκῳ [cp. Mel., P. 55, 402 Ch. τοῦ σαρκίνου οἴκου, but σαρκικοῦ B]; Just., Tat.—σαρκικός means ‘belonging to the σάρξ’ [opp. πνευματικός], ‘fleshly’; on the other hand, σάρκινος is ‘consisting/composed of flesh’, ‘fleshy’. Our lit., or at least its copyists, for the most part did not observe this distinction in all occurrences of the word. The forms are generally interchanged in the tradition; for exceptions s. MParsons, NTS 34, ’88, 151–55; s. also B-D-F §113, 2; Rob. 158f.)

① pert. to being material or belonging to the physical realm, material, physical, human, fleshly

ⓐ of everyday earthly things, τὰ σαρκικά in ref. to a collection for the poor in Jerusalem Ro 15:27; of material means of support 1 Cor 9:11.

ⓑ of human physical being as such: Polycarp is σαρκικὸς καὶ πνευματικός, i.e. the physical aspect makes it possible to deal with visible phenomena and the spiritual contributes a special dimension to the encounter IPol 2:2. Jesus is called σαρκικός τε καὶ πνευματικός, γεννητὸς καὶ ἀγέννητος IEph 7:2. The Risen Lord συνέφαγεν αὐτοῖς (i.e. the disciples) ὡς σαρκικός he ate with them as an ordinary human being would ISm 3:3. ἵνα ἐκ νεκρῶν ἡμᾶς ἐγείρῃ σαρκικούς that (Jesus Christ) might raise us mere humans from the dead AcPlCor 2:6.—Sim. ἀγάπη σαρκική τε καὶ πνευματική ISm 13:2. ἕνωσις IMg 13:2. ἐπιμέλεια IPol 1:2. In all these pass. Ignatius expresses his understanding of a human being as consisting of two major parts: material body and inward endowment of spirit. Thus Ignatius’s Christians function in two realms. This perspective is different (exc. for the reminiscence IEph 8:2 [s. 2]) from the qualitative judgments expressed in pass. in 2 in which ς. and πνευματικός are in opposition.

② pert. to being human at a disappointing level of behavior or characteristics, (merely) human. Old Testament perspectives respecting the fragility of bodily existence are assumed in our lit., but with a heightening of contrast between the physical and spiritual state or condition and with focus on the physical as being quite mediocre, transitory, or sinful earthly, mediocre, merely human, worldly (Anth. Pal. 1, 107; Iren. 1, 6, 3 [Harv. I 56, 2]; Orig., C. Cels. 3, 42, 11; Hippol., Ref. 5, 8, 18; Did., Gen. 62, 3): (ἄνθρωποι) ς. 1 Cor 3:4 v.l.; ὅπλα 2 Cor 10:4. σοφία 1:12. αἱ σαρκικαὶ ἐπιθυμίαι 1 Pt 2:11; αἱ σαρκικαὶ καὶ σωματικαὶ ἐπιθυμίαι D 1:4. Of immature Christians σαρκικοί ἐστε 1 Cor 3:3ab. In what appears to be a reminiscence of 2 Cor 2:14–3:3 (s. also Ro 8:5), of dissidents or schismatics in contrast to orthodox believers οἱ σαρκικοὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ πράσσειν οὐ δύνανται, οὐδὲ οἱ πνευματικοὶ τὰ σαρκικά IEph 8:2.—In addition, σαρκικός is found as v.l. (σάρκινος is in the text, as Maximus Tyr. 11, 10f; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 63) in Ro 7:14; 1 Cor 3:1; Hb 7:16; in all three places the v.l. is the rdg. of the t.r.—S. lit. s.v. σάρξ. DELG s.v. σάρξ. M-M. TW. Spicq.