[B-Greek] Another try on Eph. 1.1

yancywsmith yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Mon Sep 4 13:55:13 EDT 2006


Mitch,
	In Eph 1:1, PISTOIS is an adjective used as a noun title of the  
addressees of the letter. Both "faithful ones" or "believers"  
describe and identify, that is what substantival adjectives do. It is  
probably best translated "the faithful," which serves to identify the  
group over against other groups of outsiders. However, the  
translation "believers" is just as relevant. The precise meaning  
depends upon the assumptions Paul and the readers would have brought  
to the reading of the letter. "Faithful ones" had been used in  
Hellenistic Judaism to distinguish between people who were "in" and  
others "APISTOI" who were considered outside of the group (Syb. 2.15,  
EKLEKTOI PISTOI hEBRAIOI), the faithful. PISTOS, -H, -OH is a  
particular kind of adjective, a "verbal adjective," an adjective  
derived from the verb PISTEUW. The verbal adjective can be seen  
either as deriving from the active or the passive form of the verb.  
PISTEUW can mean either "to believe something to be true," "to  
believe to the extent of trust, reliance."  I can be a technical term  
for "to become a follower of Jesus." In the passive voice it means  
"to entrust."   Since, at least from the standpoint of English  
semantics, PISTEUW is a type of verb that changes its meaning when it  
becomes passive (a passive semantic transformation), it comes across  
in lexica as having two different meanings. Examples, taken from Louw  
and Nida:

1. beleiving, trusting
a. "one who trusts in, trusting." 		 	
								 			ὥστε οἱ ἐκ πίστεως  
εὐλογοῦνται σὺν τῷ πιστῷ Ἀβραάμ
											hWSTE hOI EK PISTEWS EULOGOUNTAI SUN TWi PISTWi ABRAAM
											‘so those who believe are blessed with Abraham, the one  
who trusted’
											or ‘Abraham trusted (in God) and was blessed; so all who  
believe are blessed as he was’  (Ga 3:9).

b. "one who believes in Jesus Christ" — "believer, Christian, one  
who has Christian faith."
											υἱὸς γυναικὸς Ἰουδαίας πιστῆς
											hUIOS GUNAIKOS IOUDAIAS PISTHS
											‘the son of a believing Jewish woman'
											'the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer'Ac 16:1.
2. faithful, dependable
a. ‘faithful, trustworthy, dependable, reliable.’
											δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστέ
											DOULE AGAQE KAI PISTE
											‘good and faithful servant’ Mt 25:21;
											
											ταῦτα παράθου πιστοῖς  
ἀνθρώποις
											TAUTA PARAQOU PISTOIS ANQRWPOIS
											‘pass these on to reliable men’ 2Tm 2:2;

											πιστὸς ὁ λόγος
											PISTOS hO LOGOS
											‘this word can be trusted’ 2Tm 2:11.

b.  — "sure, trustworty." 					δώσω ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια  
Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά
											DWSW hUMIN TA hOSIA DAUID TA PISTA
											‘I will give you the sacred and sure (blessings promised)  
to David’ Ac 13:34


Yancy Smith
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
5636 Wedgworth Rd.
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-361-7565




On Sep 3, 2006, at 10:54 PM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> Part of Eph. 1.1 is
>
> PAULOS... TOIS hAGIOS TOIS OUSIN EN EFESWi KAI PISTOIS
> EN CRISTWi IHSOU
>
> Nobody wanted to respond to my question on hAGIOS, so
> I wonder if someone would mind answering another
> question. How do you know whether PISTOIS means
> 'faithful one' or 'believers'? The 'faithful ones'
> seems to describe them, while 'believers' seems to
> identify them.
>
>
> Mitch Larramore
> Sugar Land, Texas
>
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