Faithful

Faithful, as a designation of Christians in the New Testament, means full of faith — actively trusting — rather than simply being trustworthy or reliable. The Greek pistos carries both senses (one who believes and one who can be trusted), but in its application to believers it emphasizes the quality of living trust rather than mere moral reliability. It appears as a standard term for members of the Christian community in Paul's letters: "the faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1), "the faithful brethren in Christ" (Colossians 1:2), and "believers" (Acts 10:45; Acts 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15).

The term also describes the character that God and Christ exhibit: God is called faithful because he keeps his covenant promises (1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24), and Christ is "the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5). For human beings, faithfulness — particularly in stewardship and endurance under trial — is consistently commended as the character fitting those who serve a faithful God (1 Timothy 4:3).