Hi
Watchman.
I guess your not going to respond to my comments that disagree with you statements.
The word
pisteuo translated or transliterated, does mean to believe, in the sense of salvation, in the right context.
It means in a setting of sharing the gospel to a non-believer, to offer up the gift of salvation without any proof or without knowing God- to be accepted by faith, and if it is accepted, then the babe in Christ believes as a child, because he is being raised in a "Baby" faith, completely unschooled in the ways of faith, being raised on the milk of the word until he or she is ready for the more "MEATY" meanings for maturity.
This one word is the beginning of a beautiful process that leads this child of God to a place in their faith where they no longer just believe in God and Christ, but in their maturing process of
pisteuo, ginosko, epiginosko, and oida,, they go from just knowing about God, which is normal for a new believer, to a more mature place of knowing God intimately, and no longer just believe, which if you look up the word believe, there is a suggestion of doubt of who God is and what He can do or will do, the person comes to a place in their faith where they
"absolutely" know or
oida, which in the Greek is a legal term meaning knowing the person (In this case Jesus) so well that there is unquestionable truth of who this person (Christ") is. In the legal sense (In Greek), , you can take the facts to court and prove your claim beyond a shadow of a doubt, or as some say, you can take it to the bank.
In your own heart, in my heart, there is undeniable facts and truth as over the years God, Christ and the Holy Spirit have revealed themselves so many times in miracles, answered prayer, being provided for miraculously, being protected and healed miraculously, that there is such proof in the mind and heart of this matured believer from all this, in his own testimony, in my own testimony, he, and I, can prove God exists if people will listen, as a few do sometimes, as we share our passionate plea to others, to accept this Christ that we "
oida", know with everything in us that He is real and lives. for them and for their eternal life and our eternal life.
I'm sure you see the advantage of knowing all this!!
God bless you all brothers and sisters
My name is OLIGOS.