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πίστις

pistis

Faith, trust, conviction — the NT's central relational term

Etymology

From peithō ("to persuade") — the same root as Homeric peitho. What Homer treats as rhetorical force (persuasion), the NT interiorizes as personal conviction. Pistis is peitho turned inward: being persuaded and remaining persuaded.

Why pistis matters

Paul makes pistis the hinge of salvation: "a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law" (Romans 3:28). Onians observes that Homeric trust relationships are expressed through concrete actions and oaths rather than abstract conviction (Onians, 1951), which makes the trajectory from peitho to pistis all the more striking. What Homer treats as rhetorical force exerted on another, the NT interiorizes as the soul's own settled orientation — persuasion turned inward and held fast.

pistis in the corpus

622 instances
419 passages
64% in direct speech

Grammatical voice

When pistis appears in the middle voice, the subject acts upon or for itself — the grammatical home of interiority.

145 active
9 passive

Which characters in Homer use pistis most?

Related terms

Distribution by work

John
50
Acts
40
Discourses
25
Rhetoric
24
Romans
23
Republic
19
Luke
18
Nicomachean Ethics
18
Meditations
14
Matthew
13
Mark
13
1 Corinthians
13
Phaedo
13
1 Timothy
12
Galatians
11
Hebrews
11
Gorgias
11
Phaedrus
10
Ephesians
9
1 Thessalonians
7
2 Corinthians
6
2 Timothy
6
Titus
6
James
6
Symposium
5
Timaeus
5
Meno
5
Apology
5
Colossians
4
2 Thessalonians
4
1 Peter
4
Revelation
4
Philippians
3
Philemon
1
Works and Days
1

Key passages

Showing 30 of 419 passages containing πίστις.

Matthew 8:9–16 Jesus

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας καὶ λέγω τούτῳ πορεύθητι καὶ πορεύεται καὶ ἄλλῳ ἔρχου καὶ ἔρχεται καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου ποίησον τοῦτο καὶ ποιεῖ ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμα...

Matthew 9:1–8 Jesus

Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασεν καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν καὶ ἰδοὺ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν εἶπεν τῷ παραλυτικῷ θάρσει τέκνον ἀφίενταί σ...

Matthew 9:17–24 Jesus

οὐδὲ βάλλουσιν οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς εἰ δὲ μήγε ῥήγνυνται οἱ ἀσκοί καὶ ὁ οἶνος ἐκχεῖται καὶ οἱ ἀσκοὶ ἀπόλλυνται ἀλλὰ βάλλουσιν οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται Ταῦτα α...

Matthew 9:25–32 Jesus

ὅτε δὲ ἐξεβλήθη ὁ ὄχλος εἰσελθὼν ἐκράτησεν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ ἠγέρθη τὸ κοράσιον καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἡ φήμη αὕτη εἰς ὅλην τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην Καὶ παράγοντι ἐκεῖθεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ δύο τυφλοὶ κράζοντες...

Matthew 15:25–32 Jesus

ἡ δὲ ἐλθοῦσα προσεκύνει αὐτῷ λέγουσα κύριε βοήθει μοι ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν οὐκ ἔξεστιν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις ἡ δὲ εἶπεν ναί κύριε καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχ...

Matthew 17:17–25 Jesus

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραμμένη ἕως πότε μεθ’ ὑμῶν ἔσομαι ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν φέρετέ μοι αὐτὸν ὧδε καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ δαιμόνιον καὶ ...

Matthew 18:1–8 Jesus

Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε ...

Matthew 21:17–24 Jesus

καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως εἰς Βηθανίαν καὶ ηὐλίσθη ἐκεῖ Πρωῒ δὲ ἐπαναγαγὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπείνασεν καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν μίαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἦλθεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν καὶ οὐδὲν εὗρεν ἐν αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ φύλλ...

Matthew 21:25–32 Jesus

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ δὲ διελογίζοντο παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ ἐὰν δὲ εἴπωμεν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων φοβούμεθα ...

Matthew 23:18–25

καί ὃς ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὃς δ’ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ δώρῳ τῷ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὀφείλει τυφλοί τί γὰρ μεῖζον τὸ δῶρον ἢ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἁγιάζον τὸ δῶρον ὁ οὖν ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ὀμνύει...

Matthew 24:17–24 Unknown Speaker

ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ καταβάτω ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω ὀπίσω ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ οὐαὶ δὲ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ ταῖς θηλαζούσαις ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις προσ...

Matthew 24:25–32 Unknown Speaker

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν ἐὰν οὖν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐστίν μὴ ἐξέλθητε ἰδοὺ ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις μὴ πιστεύσητε ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἐξέρχεται ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ φαίνεται ἕως δυσμῶν οὕτως ἔσται ἡ παρουσί...

Matthew 27:41–48 Jesus

ὁμοίως οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐμπαίζοντες μετὰ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων ἔλεγον ἄλλους ἔσωσεν ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ ἐστιν καταβάτω νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ πιστεύσωμεν ἐπ’ αὐτόν πέποιθεν ἐ...

Mark 1:9–16 Jesus

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου καὶ εὐθὺς ἀναβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος εἶδεν σχιζομένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ὡ...

Mark 2:1–8 Jesus

Καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ δι’ ἡμερῶν ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν καὶ συνήχθησαν πολλοὶ ὥστε μηκέτι χωρεῖν μηδὲ τὰ πρὸς τὴν θύραν καὶ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον καὶ ἔρχονται φέροντες πρὸς αὐτὸν παρα...

Mark 4:33–40 Unknown Speaker

Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς κατ’ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν πάντα Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρ...

Mark 5:33–40 Jesus

ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν αὐτῇ ἦλθεν καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ θύγατερ ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε ὕπαγε εἰς εἰρήνην καὶ ἴσθι ὑγιὴς ἀπὸ ...

Mark 9:17–24 Jesus

καὶ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου διδάσκαλε ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρὸς σέ ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον καὶ ὅπου ἐὰν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ ῥήσσει καὶ ἀφρίζει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας καὶ ξηραίνεται καὶ εἶπα τοῖς μαθητα...

Mark 9:41–50 Unknown Speaker

ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποτίσῃ ὑμᾶς ποτήριον ὕδατος ἐν ὀνόματι μου ὅτι Χριστοῦ ἐστε ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ Καὶ ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων καλόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ μᾶλλ...

Mark 10:49–52 Jesus

καὶ στὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν φωνήσατε αὐτόν καὶ φωνοῦσιν τὸν τυφλὸν λέγοντες αὐτῷ θάρσει ἔγειρε φωνεῖ σε ὁ δὲ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ ἀναπηδήσας ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τ...

Mark 11:17–24 Peter

καὶ ἐδίδασκεν καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς οὐ γέγραπται ὅτι ὁ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑμεῖς δὲ πεποιήκατε αὐτὸν σπήλαιον λῃστῶν καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ ἐζήτ...

Mark 11:25–33 Jesus

καὶ ὅταν στήκετε προσευχόμενοι ἀφίετε εἴ τι ἔχετε κατά τινος ἵνα καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀφῇ ὑμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν Καὶ ἔρχονται πάλιν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ περιπατοῦντος αὐτοῦ ἔ...

Mark 13:17–24 Unknown Speaker

οὐαὶ δὲ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ ταῖς θηλαζούσαις ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις προσεύχεσθε δὲ ἵνα μὴ γένηται χειμῶνος ἔσονται γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι θλῖψις οἵα οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἣν ἔκ...

Mark 15:25–33 Unknown Speaker

ἦν δὲ ὥρα τρίτη καὶ ἐσταύρωσαν αὐτόν καὶ ἦν ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ τῆς αἰτίας αὐτοῦ ἐπιγεγραμμένη ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων Καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ σταυροῦσιν δύο λῃστάς ἕνα ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἕνα ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ παραπορε...

Mark 16:9–16 Mary

Ἀναστὰς δὲ πρωῒ πρώτῃ σαββάτου ἐφάνη πρῶτον Μαρίᾳ τῇ Μαγδαληνῇ ἀφ’ ἧς ἐκβεβλήκει ἑπτὰ δαιμόνια ἐκείνη πορευθεῖσα ἀπήγγειλεν τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ γενομένοις πενθοῦσιν καὶ κλαίουσιν καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἀκούσαντες ὅτ...

Mark 16:17–20 Unknown Speaker

σημεῖα δὲ τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ταῦτα παρακολουθήσει ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δαιμόνια ἐκβαλοῦσιν γλώσσαις λαλήσουσιν καιναῖς ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν καὶ ἄν θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψῃ ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθή...

Luke 1:17–24 Unknown Speaker

καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἡλεία ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων ἑτοιμάσαι κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον καὶ εἶπεν Ζαχαρίας πρὸς τὸ...

Luke 1:41–48 Mary

καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν τὸν ἀσπασμὸν τῆς Μαρίας ἡ Ἐλισάβετ ἐσκίρτησεν τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπλήσθη πνεύματος ἁγίου ἡ Ἐλισάβετ καὶ ἀνεφώνησεν κραυγῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί...

Luke 5:17–24 Jesus

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν διδάσκων καὶ ἦσαν καθήμενοι Φαρισαῖοι καὶ νομοδιδάσκαλοι οἳ ἦσαν ἐληλυθότες ἐκ πάσης κώμης τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ Ἰουδαίας καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ καὶ δύναμις κυρίου ἦν εἰ...

Luke 7:9–16 Jesus

ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν αὐτόν καὶ στραφεὶς τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι αὐτῷ ὄχλῳ εἶπεν λέγω ὑμῖν οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον οἱ πεμφθέντες εὗρον τὸν δοῦλον ...

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Explore pistis in the texts

419 passages across Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and the New Testament contain pistis.

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