Titus 1:6 PISTA
Mark Markham
markhamm at topsurf.com
Sat Feb 26 14:36:09 EST 2000
What is the precise meaning of PISTA in Titus 1:6? Faithful, believing, full of faith, trustworthy? Would you agree with the commentator below? Is this an accurate conclusion based on NT usage etc.?
"Pistos is a verbal adjective that passively means "trustworthy", or "faithful" (as KJV), and actively means to believe, as rendered here. Some commentators believe that Paul is using only the passive sense here and is simply referring to children who are well behaved, who can be trusted to do what is right and are faithful to their parents.
In the New Testament pistos is used passively of God's faithfulness (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18), of Christ's faithfulness (see e.g., 2 Thess.3:3; Heb. 2:17; 3:2), of the faithfulness, or trustworthiness, of God's words (see, e.g., Acts 13:34; 1 Tim. 1:15; 2 Tim. 2:11; Titus 1:9; 3:8). It is also used passively many times of people in general. But it is significant that, except for this sometimes disputed text (Titus 1:6), it always is used of people whom the context clearly identifies as believers (see e.g., Matt. 25:21,23; Acts 16:15; 1 Cor. 4:2, 17; Eph. 6:21; Col. 1:7; 4:7; Rev. 2:10, 13; 17:14). Unbelievers are never referred to as faithful. That fact alone argues strongly for the rendering here of children who believe, that is, who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Even if the idea were that of faithfulness to parents, the use of pistos in those other passages would argue for its referring to the faithfulness of believing children."
Thanks,
Mark Markham
Heidelberg, Germany
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