Lexical Definition

‎πίστις‎ pístis (pis'-tis) faith ^G:N-F
from ‎πείθω‎

assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

• persuasion, i.e. credence
• moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation
• abstractly, constancy in such profession
• by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself

Abbott-Smith

πίστις, -εως, ἡ (< πείθω), [in LXX chiefly for אֱמוּנָה;]
1. in active sense, faith, belief, trust, confidence, in NT always of religious faith in God or Christ or spiritual things: Mt 8:10, Lk 5:20, Ac 14:9, Ro 1:8, I Co 2:5, II Co 1:24, I Ti 1:5, al.; c. gen. obj., Mk 11:22, Ac 3:16, Ro 3:22, Ga 2:16, Eph 3:12, Ja 2:1, al.; c. prep., ἐν, Ro 3:25, Ga 3:26, Eph 1:15, Col 1:24, I Ti 1:14 3:13, II Ti 1:13 3:15, II Pe 1:1; εἰς, Ac 20:21 24:24 26:18, Col 2:5, I Pe 1:21; πρός, I Th 1:8, Phm 5; ἐπί, c. acc., He 6:1; ἐν τῇ π. στήκειν (εἶναι, μένειν), I Co 16:13, I Co 13:5, I Ti 2:15; ὑπακοὴ τῆς π., Ro 1:5 16:26; ὁ ἐκ π., Ro 3:26 4:16, Ga 3:12; διὰ (τῆς) π., Ro 3:30, Ga 2:16, Phl 3:9. By meton., objectively, that which is the object or content of belief, the faith: Ac 6:7 14:22, Ga 1:23 3:23 6:10, Phl 1:25, 27, Ju 3, 20, and perh. also Ac 13:8 16:5, Ro 1:5 and 16:26 (v. supr.), I Co 16:13, Col 1:23, II Th 3:2 (Lft., Notes, 125), I Ti 1:19 3:9 4:1, 6 5:8 6:10, 12, II Ti 3:8 4:7, Tit 1:4, 13 3:15, I Pe 5:9.
2. In passive sense,
(a) fidelity, faithfulness: Mt 23:23, Ga 5:22; ἡ π. τοῦ θεοῦ, Ro 3:3;
(b) objectively, plighted faith, a pledge of fidelity: I Ti 5:12. (On the various shades of meaning in which the word is used in NT, v. esp. ICC on Ro 1:17, pp. 31 ff.; Lft., Ga., 154 ff.; Stevens, Th. NT, 422, 515 ff.; DB, i, 830 ff.; Cremer, s.v.)

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

meaning of: πίστις

πίστις, ἡ,

genitive εως, Ionic dialect ιος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative πίστει, Ionic dialect πίστῑ [Refs 5th c.BC+]: (πείθομαι):—trust in others, faith, first in [Refs 8th c.BC+]: generally, persuasion of a thing, confidence, assurance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ βεβαιοτάτη π., ἀταραξία καὶ π. βέβαιος, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; σωφροσύνης π. ἔχειν περί τινος to be persuaded of his probity, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

__2 in subjective sense, good faith, trustworthiness, honesty, [Refs 6th c.BC+]
__2.b of things, credence, credit, τὰν π. σμικρὰν παρ᾽ ἔμοιγ᾽ ἔχει [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.c καλῇ π., = Latin bona fide, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; αἱ κατὰ πίστιν γεινόμεναι κληρονομίαι, = Latin hereditates fideicommissariae, [Refs]
__3 in a commercial sense, credit, π. τοσούτων χρημάτων ἐστί τινι παρά τισι he has credit for so much money with them, [Refs 4th c.BC+], compare 44; εἰς πίστιν διδόναι [τί τινι] [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__3.b position of trust or trusteeship, ἐν πίστει κληρονόμος ἀπολειφθείς left in trust, as guardian, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__4 Theol., faith, opposed to sight and knowledge, [NT]
__II that which gives confidence: hence,
__II.1 assurance, pledge of good faith, guarantee, οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ὅρκοι π. ἀλλ᾽ ὅρκων ἀνήρ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δός μοι χερὸς σῆς π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πίστιν καὶ ὅρκια ποιέεσθαι make a treaty by exchange of assurances and oaths, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ποιέεσθαι τὰς πίστῑς (Ionic dialect for πίστεις) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πίστιν δοῦναι to give assurances, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔδοσαν πίστιν καὶ ἔλαβον interchanged them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. πρός τινας δοῦναι with infinitive, [Refs]; πίστι τε λαβεῖν (or καταλαβεῖν) καὶ ὁρκίοισί τινα bind by assurances and oaths, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πίστιν ἐπιθεῖναι or προσθεῖναι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]. an assurance against.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 means of persuasion, argument, proof, φρὴν παρ᾽ ἡμέων (i.e. τῶν αἰσθήσεων) λαβοῦσα τὰς πίστεις [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; especially of proofs used by orators, [Refs 5th c.BC+], opposed to a demonstrative proof (ἀπόδειξις), π. ἔντεχνοι, ἄτεχνοι, [Refs]; ἡ τῶν λόγων π. (compare λόγος[Refs]
__III that which is entrusted, a trust, πίστιν ἐγχειρίζειν τινί [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; σὴ π. given in trust to thee, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__IV political protection or suzerainty, Latin fides, Αἰτωλοὶ.. δόντες αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων π... τῷ τῆς π. ὀνόματι πλανηθέντες [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__IV.2 in Egypt, safe-conduct, safeguard, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__V [Refs 4th c.BC+] name for ten, [Refs]
__VI personified, = Latin [Refs 1st c.AD+]; π. δημοσία, = Fides publica, [Refs 1st c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: 1Cor.13.13}