Lexical Summary pistoó: To make faithful, to establish as trustworthy, to confirm Original Word: πιστόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance assureFrom pistos; to assure -- assure of. see GREEK pistos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pistos Definition to make trustworthy, hence to establish NASB Translation convinced (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4104: πιστόωπιστόω, πιστῷ: 1 aorist passive ἐπιστωθην; (πιστός); 1. to make faithful, render trustworthy: τό ῤῆμα, 1 Kings 1:36; τινα ὅρκοις, Thucydides 4, 88; universally, to make firm, establish, 1 Chronicles 17:14. 2. Passive (the Sept. in various senses for נֶאֱמָן) and middle to be firmly persuaded of; to be assured of: τί (Opp. cyn. 3, 355. 417; Lucian, philops. 5), 2 Timothy 3:14; Hesychius ἐπιστώθη. ἐπείσθη, ἐπληροφορήθη. (In various other senses in secular authors from Homer down.) Strong’s Greek 4104 speaks to the state of being firmly convinced or assured. It describes a settled, reasoned certainty produced by evidence that can be trusted. In the New Testament it is applied to Timothy’s conviction about the gospel and the Scriptures. Scriptural Occurrence 2 Timothy 3:14 – “But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know from whom you learned them.” Paul reminds Timothy that his assurance is grounded in the trustworthy witnesses who taught him (Paul, his mother Eunice, and grandmother Lois) and in the sacred writings that follow immediately in verses 15–17. Theological Themes: Assurance of the Truth 1. Scripture as the source of certainty – The very next verse states that the “sacred Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Assurance is inseparable from God-breathed revelation (3:16). Pastoral Implications • Discipleship: Mentors should aim not only to inform but to cultivate deep conviction in their pupils, as Paul did with Timothy. Historical Insights Early church tradition notes that 2 Timothy was penned during Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome, when persecution was intensifying. Timothy, facing false teachers and societal hostility in Ephesus, needed more than information; he needed unwavering conviction. Paul’s single use of this verb in the pastoral letters underscores the urgency of possessing a firmly anchored faith amid an atmosphere of deception (2 Timothy 3:13). Connection to Broader Biblical Teaching • Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” Each passage couples assurance with God’s character, His promises, and the veracity of His Word. Practical Application for Ministry 1. Encourage personal Bible intake; conviction grows where Scripture is regularly read, studied, and memorized. Illustrative Cross-References • 1 Thessalonians 1:5 – The gospel came “not only with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction.” Conclusion Strong’s Greek 4104 captures the dynamic by which believers become unshakeably persuaded of gospel truth. Paul charges Timothy—and, by extension, every servant of Christ—to remain in the doctrine he has learned, to keep feeding that conviction with Scripture, and to model it before others so that the church may stand firm in every generation. |