I originally said this:
I'm not seeing any strong reason to be translating apistos as unbelieving. There is overlap but I think the ultimate issue is being faithful.
If no comment, then I'm just seeing it as self-explanatory
NKJ Titus 1:6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having
faithful (adj - pistos) children not accused of dissipation/ reckless abandon/debauchery or
insubordination insubordinate/rebellious/disobedient [children].
- The last word here is an adjective which seems to be describing 'faithful (adj) children' from the negative descriptive.
NKJ Titus 1:9 holding fast
the faithful (adj - pistos) word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
NKJ Titus 3:8 This is
a faithful (adj - pistos) saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
So, back to my comment re: apistos here:
NKJ
Titus1:15-16 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled (perfect tense participle) and unbelieving (
apistos - unfaithful) nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess (
homologeó)
to know God, but
in works they deny (same word as 2Tim2:12-13; Matt10:33) Him, being abominable (
repugnant, detestable, disgusting),
disobedient, and disqualified (
worthless) for every good work.
- I don't think Paul is saying unbelieving with apistos.
- From all the work showing how faith/belief is parallel with obedience - I see the sense of unbelief in his mention of "disobedient"
- There is some interesting mixture of verb, adjectives, participle going on here:
- Perfect tense participle (adjectival) - Whatever happened sometime in the past to these men - their current state was being defiled men (compared to clean men).
- These same currently defiled men are described as unfaithful men (adjective)
- It now switches to a singular - the mind & the conscienceof them has been/is defiled.
- This is probably saying the same thing happened to all of them
- It now switches to what they're doing in this defiled and unfaithful state - they are confessing/professing to know God - and in works they are denying/repudiating
- My Note: we might consider those who say good works are not a must for Christians
- It now switches to describing them by their actions - they're being disgusting men, disobedient men, worthless men pros every good work
- My Note: we seem to spend a lot of time debating 'work' vs. 'works' - but Paul has used both here
Here's my observations/thoughts:
- Paul is speaking about faithfulness
- Something has taken place for them to become or remain unfaithful
- Their singular mind and conscience have become and are now defiled
- They are professing to know God
- I'd suggest they are professing belief in God
- They are denying/repudiating [God] in/by works
- They're being disgusting, disobedient and worthless men toward every good work
- Since there is so much Scripture that show faith & obedience are parallel - I think it's legitimate that they're being disobedient/unbelieving
- As I look through Scripture and the way it uses pistos & apistos - I see what looks like faith-obedience becoming faithfulness
- I don't think they're parallel like I see faith/obedience
- Here, with Paul saying they're defiled & unfaithful - they can only be functioning in disobedience/unbelief because belief/obedience > faithful.
- IOW:
- Something took place > they are now defiled & unfaithful men < they're being hypocrites (professing & denying), being disgusting men, being disobedient[/unbelieving] men, they being worthless men for any good work
- The central focus is their current unfaithful state
- It's bracketed by something that happened to defile them & by what they're currently doing that shows their unfaithfulness
As offered before, I have all the verses compiled that use pistos, apistos, apistia. It's just under 100 verses and 7 pages with a few notes, if you'd like me to try to pdf a copy.
One note here in the context of this thread; It's not good to put it mildly to be siding with anything that rejects the necessity of believers being obedient, doing good works, being faithful to God.