The Faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah: A Gospel Emphasis - Paperback

by Walter D. Zorn (Author)

Strange how one little word, the Greek word pistis, can make a profound difference in understanding the Bible. Pistis is usually translated "faith," but in different contexts of the New Testament the word can have several other meanings such as "faithfulness," "trustworthiness," "solemn promise or oath," "proof or pledge," "conviction," and "doctrine (of the Christian faith)." This book will challenge the reader's understanding of Paul's expression pistis Christou, "faith/faithfulness of Christ," and the use of the pistis word group (verb, noun, and adjective) throughout the New Testament. Given the Old Testament background to this word, one will learn how the apostle Paul utilized an obscure phrase from the prophet Habakkuk to refer to a coming Messiah who in turn lived in faithfulness to the Father's will to die on a cross for the sins of the world. This book will reveal how the gospel is emphasized throughout the New Testament in terms of "the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah." New and fresh interpretations of various texts will challenge the traditional understandings of such texts. When a person comprehends pistis as God's faithfulness and the Messiah's faithfulness, the only human response is pistis itself, meaning faithfulness as described in Hebrews 11. God is faithful and Jesus is faithful. Will he find us faithful?

Author Biography

Walter D. Zorn is professor emeritus of Old Testament and biblical languages at Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln, Illinois. He earned his PhD from Michigan State University having written a dissertation on "Mark and the Samaritans." He is the coauthor and author of two volumes of a Psalms commentary in the College Press NIV Commentary Series (1999, 2004). He contributed chapters on Psalms and Wisdom Literature in an Old Testament Introduction in the same series. Zorn wrote commentary for the Standard Publishing Commentary for Teachers for many years.