Gupta argues that πίστις has three meanings in Paul’s corpus: (1) believing as faith (πίστις as “belief”)—a perceptive (cognitive) kind of faith that is divinely enabled, activating a belief in the unseen, (2) obeying faith (πίστις as “faithfulness”)—based on a covenantal human-divine relationship that expects reciprocal loyalty (it is an active form of “doing faith” that is based on mutual love), and (3) trusting faith (πίστις as “trust”)—incorporates the cognitive aspects (thinking correctly about God) and active (behavioral/practical) nature of the word (the covenantal commitment of obedience). In terms of methodology, Gupta uses a semantic-domain approach to word meanings, cultural linguistics, and contextual analysis.
In ch. 2, Gupta provides a synopsis of how the apostolic fathers, early and medieval Christians, the Reformers (Luther and Calvin), and modern scholars understood the language of faith.
In ch. 3, Gupta discusses how πίστις is viewed in ancient non-Jewish and Jewish literature, highlighting the...
