Unlocking the Gospel of John

πιστευω (pisteuo) is translated to mean “believe”.

It is the root word from which stem these related words...

πίστις (pistis) = “faith”

πιστεύω (pisteuo) = “believe”

πιστός (pistos) = “reliable; faithful; believing”

John never uses the noun form of the word (pistis). He almost exclusively uses the verb form of the word (pisteuo). That’s why you will never find the word “faith” in the gospel of John, even though the other gospels use “faith” several times. Why is that? I believe that John, in his gospel account which comes well after the others have been around for decades, is trying to impress upon us that it isn’t enough to just have it or say it, but to do it.

John 12:3 LEB

Then Mary took a pound of ointment of very valuable genuine nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

“genuine” - πιστικός (pistikos)

John 12:16 LEB

(His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and they did these things to him.)

can also mean “unadulterated”

How did they know that the nard was genuine? How did they know that Mary didn’t dilute it or add a filler oil?

She poured it out so they could see it, smell it, touch it. She proved that it was real, that it was genuine.