ἄπιστος (apistos)
apistos
unbelieving
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 21 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word apistos describes a state of being without faith or trust. Formed by adding the negative prefix to pistos, it literally means "unbelieving" or "faithless." In the New Testament, it primarily refers to people who do not have Christian faith, standing in contrast to believers. This distinction is central to Paul’s letters, where he frequently addresses relationships between Christians and those outside the faith, such as in 1 Corinthians 7:12-15 regarding marriage.
While often translated simply as "unbeliever," the term carries a broader range of meaning. It can describe something incredible or hard to believe, as seen when Paul asks if it is credible that God raises the dead in Acts 26:8. It also implies untrustworthiness or perfidy, describing someone who is faithless or unreliable, like the disciples Jesus calls an "unbelieving generation" in Matthew 17:17. This dual sense captures both a lack of belief and a failure to be trusted.
The word appears twenty-one times in the New Testament, with significant usage in the Corinthian correspondence and the Gospels. Its presence in texts like Revelation 21:8 highlights its serious theological weight, associating unbelief with final exclusion from the new Jerusalem. Translators often use "unbeliever" or "faithless," but the Greek root emphasizes a fundamental absence of trust in God rather than just intellectual disagreement.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apistos points to a state where trust in God has not taken root. It describes people who live without that foundational reliance on divine promise, often leading to decisions driven by immediate circumstances rather than eternal hope. In our own lives, we might recognize moments when fear or self-reliance replaces faith, creating distance from the peace that comes from knowing God.
Scripture acknowledges this reality with compassion, as seen in Jesus’ patience with a generation marked by doubt and confusion. He did not abandon them but continued to offer healing and truth, inviting them into a deeper relationship. This shows that unbelief is not always a final rejection but often a struggle that God meets with grace.
For believers, this word serves as a reminder to examine where our trust lies. It encourages us to pray for those around us who may feel disconnected from God’s love and to live in a way that reflects the reliability of Christ. Our hope is not in our own strength but in the One who remains faithful even when we waver.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 21 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- unbelieving11×
- unbeliever2×
- with unbelievers;1×
- unbelieving,1×
- unbelieving!1×
- unbelievers,1×
- unbelievers!1×
- unbelievers1×
- to [the] unbelieving1×
- than an unbeliever1×
- incredible1×
- an unbeliever?1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἄπιστος7×
- ἄπιστον3×
- ἀπίστων3×
- ἀπίστοις3×
- ἄπιστος,1×
- ἄπιστοι,1×
- ἀπίστων.1×
- ἀπίστου;1×
- ἀπίστου1×
- ἀπίστοις·1×
- ἀπίστοις,1×
Key Verses
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John 20:27
Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
Jesus directly addresses Thomas’s doubt, inviting him to move from unbelief to belief through tangible proof of the resurrection.
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II Corinthians 6:14
Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Paul uses the term to warn against close partnerships that compromise spiritual integrity, highlighting the fundamental difference between faith and unbelief.
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Matthew 17:17
Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
Jesus calls the crowd an unbelieving generation, linking their lack of faith to their inability to witness the power God intended to display.