Hey HC,
Here is some valuable information, that was life-altering for me:
1.). Almost every time in the NT that you encounter the phrase “believe in” Christ or the Father, the Greek should be properly rendered “be loyal/faithful to”.
2.). Every time your English NT reads “believe on Him/Me/Christ” it should read “rely/depend on”
3.). Faith should be rendered as faithfulness or reliance, depending on the context.
BTW, pastors and many Christians get greatly agitated and defensive when I point these things out to them. They feel threatened and some get angry. Humble people are more receptive than the arrogant it seems
Context often determines what words mean in Greek and in English. Our believers and unbelievers here would do well to read the chapter or paragraph that a verse is found in order to learn it's meaning.
I prayerfully did this as a teenager when given a tract.
I didn't just want someone's opinion. I wanted to know what God Himself wants to reveal. I believed God would not want to hide such an important topic like Salvation from us. He doesn't want to, nor does He make it hard for us. He helped me to understand those verses in my King James Bible.
You told me your meaning for the word believe.
I know what pistis / pisteuo means. The brilliant translators of the KJV, who were the worlds best scholars, were correct. Anyone can read the gospel of John and benefit knowing that it is completely trustworthy. They can also do word studies without needing to learn a different language and see that God's miraculous hand preserved His Word for our use.
