Rom.1:5: hUPAKOH PISTEWS

Mark Wilson emory2oo2 at hotmail.com
Tue Sep 12 23:47:02 EDT 2000



To Jim or Dennis (I don't know who made these statements)

Concerning this:

>What one believes without empirical proof is
> > "faith".

I find this definition at odds with Romans 10:17 in this respect:

ARA hH PISTIS EX AKOHS hH DE AKOH DIA hRHMATOS CRISTOU (or, QEOU)

It seems to me that "faith" is strictly limited to the area of "divine 
revelation."

That is, one can not have "faith" in the tooth fairy. Many
"believe" in the tooth fairy, but faith can not be directed
toward anything outside of divine revelation. Faith relates
to spiritual matters, does it not?

I think this might be a case of imposing the contemporary world's definition 
of "faith" into a biblical discussion.


Concerning this:

> >But PISTIS does not mean the same thing as PISTEUWN ("believing", > > 
> >which means you are in
> > the process of being persuaded something is true).


But PISTEUWN is used in John 3:16. Does this mean that eternal life is given 
to those in the process of being persuaded, or those who have come to 
believe?


Next: (This may require an OFFLIST response)

> >God is
> > the One who imparts faith, and He imparts it to the degree He wishes.

When Paul presented the gospel, I get the distinct impression he considered 
unbelievers to have a choice. Why did he go to them at all? It seems to me 
that if this is true, then Paul should have simply prayed that God would 
dole out this faith to various people. Why not go directly to the one 
responsible for providing faith?


Just seeking insight,

Mark Wilson



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