Brief Overview of πεποίθησις (Strong’s G4006: pepoithēsis)
Strong’s G4006: From perfect of πείθω (to persuade); meaning trust, confidence, or reliance. Describes settled conviction and assured confidence. Used especially by Paul to express firm trust in God and spiritual certainty. Represents mature faith that results from being fully persuaded.
U- Unveiling the Word
Πεποίθησις represents settled confidence and mature trust, derived from being fully persuaded. In Paul’s writings, it expresses both confidence in God and legitimate confidence in ministry relationships. Early church writers saw it as representing the stabilized faith that comes through testing and experience. Today, it teaches us about developing mature, tested faith.
N – Necessary Information
- Greek Word: πεποίθησις, pepoithēsis, [pe-POY-they-sis]
- Detailed pronunciation: peh-POY-thay-sis
- Part of Speech: Noun
Etymology:
- From πέποιθα (perfect of πείθω)
- Suffix: -σις (forms abstract noun)
- Indicates state resulting from action
- Shows completed persuasion
D – Defining Meanings
- Confidence
- Trust
- Reliance
- Settled conviction
For compound words: Not applicable as derived noun
Translation Options:
- Confidence – General usage
- Trust – Relationship emphasis
- Conviction – Certainty emphasis
E – Exploring Similar Words
- πίστις [pistis, PIS-tis] – faith
- θάρσος [tharsos, THAR-sos] – courage
- βεβαίωσις [bebaiōsis, beh-BAY-oh-sis] – confirmation
R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology
- Third Declension
- Feminine Gender
- Nominative: πεποίθησις
- Genitive: πεποιθήσεως
- Dative: πεποιθήσει
- Accusative: πεποίθησιν
- Cross-references: πείθω (to persuade)
S – Studying Lexicon Insights
BDAG emphasizes settled nature. Thayer’s notes completeness aspect. LSJ traces development from persuasion. Vine’s highlights spiritual maturity. Moulton and Milligan show business usage.
T – Tracing the Scriptures
First appearance:
“And in this confidence [πεποίθησις] I intended to come to you before.” (2 Corinthians 1:15)
Additional References:
2 Corinthians 3:4, Ephesians 3:12, Philippians 3:4
A – Analyzing Classical Usage
| Author: Work | Text |
|---|---|
| Philo: Virtues | “Having complete confidence [πεποίθησις] in God.” |
| Josephus: Wars | “With firm trust [πεποίθησις] in their defenses.” |
| Polybius: Histories | “Showing confidence [πεποίθησις] in victory.” |
N – Noteworthy Summary
Πεποίθησις teaches us that true Christian confidence comes through being fully persuaded by God’s truth and experiencing His faithfulness. This mature faith enables bold ministry and steadfast trust in God’s promises.
D – Did You Know?
- Used in business documents for contractual confidence
- Reflects completed process of persuasion
- Important in early church discussions of assurance
Strong’s G4006: From perfect of πείθω (to persuade); meaning trust, confidence, or reliance. Describes settled conviction and assured confidence. Used especially by Paul to express firm trust in God and spiritual certainty. Represents mature faith that results from being fully persuaded.
Part of speech: Noun
Tags: #Confidence #Trust #Faith #Conviction #Assurance #PaulEpistles #SpiritualMaturity #Persuasion #ChristianLife #Certainty
Note: While this entry strives for accuracy, readers engaged in critical research should verify citations and keyword occurrences in their Bible translation of choice. For Biblical citations, the F.O.G Bible project recommends Logos Bible software.
