Topical Bible: Believers

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the Christian context, "believers" refers to individuals who have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This term is synonymous with Christians and is used throughout the New Testament to describe those who have accepted the gospel message and are part of the body of Christ.

Faith and Salvation

Believers are characterized by their faith in Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of their salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." This passage emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith, and not earned by human efforts.

Identity in Christ

Believers are identified as children of God, having been adopted into His family through faith in Christ. John 1:12 affirms, "But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." This new identity transforms believers, setting them apart as God's own people.

The Body of Christ

The New Testament frequently describes believers as members of the body of Christ, highlighting the unity and diversity within the church. 1 Corinthians 12:27 states, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it." This metaphor illustrates the interconnectedness of believers, each with unique gifts and roles, working together to fulfill God's purposes.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who empowers, guides, and sanctifies them. Romans 8:9 declares, "You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." The presence of the Holy Spirit is a defining mark of a believer, enabling them to live a life pleasing to God.

The Great Commission

Believers are called to participate in the Great Commission, sharing the gospel and making disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19-20 records Jesus' command: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This mission is central to the life and purpose of believers.

Perseverance and Hope

Believers are encouraged to persevere in their faith, holding fast to the hope of eternal life. Hebrews 10:23 exhorts, "Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." This hope is anchored in the promises of God and the assurance of Christ's return.

Community and Fellowship

The early church exemplified the importance of community and fellowship among believers. Acts 2:42 describes their devotion: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This communal life is vital for spiritual growth, encouragement, and accountability.

Love and Service

Believers are called to love one another and serve others, reflecting the love of Christ. John 13:34-35 records Jesus' command: "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." This love is the hallmark of a true believer and a powerful testimony to the world.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

BELIEVERS

be-lev'-ers (in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) of Acts 5:14, for posteuontes, the Revised Version, margin "believing"; in the King James Version of 1 Timothy 4:12 for hoi pistoi, the Revised Version (British and American) "them that believe"): Equivalent phrases, they (he, she) that believe (for hoi pepisteukotes; hoi, pisteuontes; (adj.), pistos, etc.) occur frequently as a regular description of those who professed their faith in Christ, and attached themselves to the Christian church. The one essential condition of admission into the Christian community was, that men should believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). The actual experiences of the men thus denoted varied with all the possible degrees and modifications of FAITH (which see). Believers are nowhere in the New Testament distinguished as a subordinate class from the "Christians who know" as in the Gnostic antithesis of pistikoi and gnostikoi, "believers" and "knowers."

T. Rees

Greek

4265. problepo -- to foresee
... Heb 11:40: "Because God had (4265 , '') something better for us (NT believers),
so that apart from us they (OT believers) would not be made perfect (ie ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4265.htm - 7k

1577. ekklesia -- an assembly, a (religious) congregation
... see'-ah) Short Definition: an assembly, congregation, church Definition: an assembly,
congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1577.htm - 8k

2473. isopsuchos -- like-minded
... Here it refers to believers treating a situation (matter) with the (outlook) --
because each is directed by God's inworking of faith (cf. Phil 2:17,20). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2473.htm - 7k

1100. glossa -- the tongue, a language
... to demonstrate the arrival of the new age of the covenant (ie NT times). [The normative
experience of the 120 believers received "tongues (1100 ) as of fire ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1100.htm - 7k

4954. sussomos -- of the same body
... identified " and 4983 , "body") -- properly, united, belonging to the same body;
a "joint-body," referring to "the mystical , composed of all saved believers ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4954.htm - 7k

1553. ekdemeo -- to be away from home, absent
... 1553 ("being absent") portrays believers who are still alive as being "away from
home" (heaven), ie because still living in a , body (2 Cor 5:6). At Christ's ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1553.htm - 7k

3675. homophron -- agreeing
... 3675 (from 3674 , "same as" and 5424 , "inner outlook as outward behavior") -- properly,
share the same perspective, ie ; for believers, this means living in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3675.htm - 7k

4899. suneklektos -- chosen together with
... 4899 (from 4862 , "identity " and 1588 , "chosen") -- properly, , ie believers
who because each (used only in 1 Pet 5:13). See 1588 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4899.htm - 7k

4442. pur -- fire
... it touches into and. , like a holy fire, enlightens and purifies so that
believers can share more and more . Indeed the brings the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4442.htm - 7k

2603. katabrabeuo -- to give judgment against
... 2603 ("to deprive") refers to discouraging (misleading) believers, diverting
them from their full potential for receiving their (cf. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2603.htm - 7k

Library

A Warning to Believers
... A Warning to Believers. A Sermon (No.3466). ... Dear brethren, you and I, if we
are believers in Christ, are this day completely pardoned. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/a warning to believers.htm

On the Union of Believers with Christ
... DISPUTATION XLV ON THE UNION OF BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST. As Christ is constituted
by the Father the saviour of those that believe, who, being exalted. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xlv on the union.htm

The Translation of Living Believers.
... Chapter Eight The Churchward Results of the Redeemer's Return 3. The
Translation of living believers. "Then we which are alive and ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/3 the translation of living.htm

On the Good Works of Believers
... FIFTH PART ON THE GOOD WORKS OF BELIEVERS. QUERIES. ... 2. In what sense is it correctly
said "Believers sin mortally in every one of their good works"? ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/on the good works of.htm

On the Infants of Believers when they are Offered for Baptism
... FIFTH PART ON THE INFANTS OF BELIEVERS WHEN THEY ARE OFFERED FOR BAPTISM.
QUERY. " When the children of believers are offered for ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/on the infants of believers.htm

Christ Precious to Believers
... Christ Precious to Believers. A Sermon (No.242). Delivered ... Jerusalem. My text states
a positive fact, namely, that Christ is precious to believers. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/christ precious to believers.htm

How Christ Abides with Believers to the End of the Age, and ...
... Tenth Book. 8. How Christ Abides with Believers to the End of the Age,
and Whether He Abides with Them After that Consummation. ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/8 how christ abides with.htm

On the Predestination of Believers
... DISPUTATION XL ON THE PREDESTINATION OF BELIEVERS. As we have hitherto treated
on the object of the Christian religion, that is, on ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xl on the predestination.htm

On the Communion of Believers with Christ, and Particularly with ...
... DISPUTATION XLVI ON THE COMMUNION OF BELIEVERS WITH CHRIST, AND PARTICULARLY
WITH HIS DEATH. The union of believers with Christ tends ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xlvi on the communion.htm

On Sin in Believers
... First Series Sermon 13 On Sin in Believers. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature." 2:Cor.5:17. I.1. Is there then sin in him that is in Christ? ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 13 on sin in.htm

Thesaurus

Believers (50 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia BELIEVERS. be-lev'-ers (in the ... knowers." T. Rees.
Multi-Version Concordance Believers (50 Occurrences). John 2 ...
/b/believers.htm - 21k

Goods (231 Occurrences)
... The thought conveyed is that all believers in that church held their property as
a trust from the Lord, for the benefit of the entire brotherhood, and, as ...
/g/goods.htm - 43k

Community (77 Occurrences)
... The thought conveyed is that all believers in that church held their property as
a trust from the Lord, for the benefit of the entire brotherhood, and, as ...
/c/community.htm - 32k

Assurance (16 Occurrences)
... This infallible assurance, which believers may attain unto as to their own personal
salvation, is founded on the truth of the promises (Hebrews 6:18), on the ...
/a/assurance.htm - 16k

Hades (11 Occurrences)
... That dead believers abide in a local Hades cannot be proven from 1 Thessalonians
4:16 1 Corinthians 15:23, for these passages refer to the grave and the body ...
/h/hades.htm - 23k

Commandment (209 Occurrences)
... morality as a system of law and commandments, standing in antithesis to the grace
and love which are through Jesus Christ (Roman 5-7). Believers in Christ felt ...
/c/commandment.htm - 47k

Assembly (371 Occurrences)
... In this sense the church calls all the world to become identified with it.
It denotes the whole body of believers, all who are called. ...
/a/assembly.htm - 38k

Father (11359 Occurrences)
... 8:41, etc.). (2.) Believers are called God's "sons" (John 1:12; Romans
8:16; Matthew 6:4, 8, 15, 18; 10:20, 29). They also call ...
/f/father.htm - 21k

Priesthood (30 Occurrences)
... 1. The Jewish Priesthood 2. The Priesthood and High-Priesthood of Jesus Christ 3.
The Priesthood of Believers 1. The Jewish Priesthood: In the New Testament ...
/p/priesthood.htm - 40k

Church (110 Occurrences)
... to which the attributes, prerogatives, and promises appertaining to Christ's kingdom
belong, is a spiritual body consisting of all true believers, ie, the ...
/c/church.htm - 89k

Resources

How can I help new believers? | GotQuestions.org

Did Old Testament believers have eternal security? | GotQuestions.org

Is the priesthood of all believers biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Believers (50 Occurrences)

John 2:23
Now when He was in Jerusalem, at the Festival of the Passover, many became believers in Him through watching the miracles He performed.
(WEY)

John 4:53
Then the father recollected that that was the time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son has recovered," and he and his whole household became believers.
(WEY)

John 6:29
"This," replied Jesus, "is above all the thing that God requires--that you should be believers in Him whom He has sent."
(WEY)

John 6:30
"What miracle then," they asked, "do you perform for us to see and become believers in you? What do you *do*?
(WEY)

John 7:5
For even His brothers were not believers in Him.
(WEY)

John 8:30
As He thus spoke, many became believers in Him.
(WEY)

John 10:42
And many became believers in Him there.
(WEY)

John 11:45
Thereupon a considerable number of the Jews--namely those who had come to Mary and had witnessed His deeds--became believers in Him;
(WEY)

John 12:11
for because of him many of the Jews left them and became believers in Jesus.
(WEY)

Acts 1:15
In these days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,
(See NIV)

Acts 2:44
And all the believers kept together, and had everything in common.
(WEY NIV)

Acts 5:12
By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
(See NIV)

Acts 5:14
More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Acts 9:2
went to the High Priest and begged from him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that if he found any believers there, either men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.
(WEY)

Acts 9:41
He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
(See NIV)

Acts 10:45
And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.
(WEY NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 11:2
When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,
(See NIV)

Acts 11:24
For he was a good man, and was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and the number of believers in the Lord greatly increased.
(WEY)

Acts 15:2
Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
(See NIV)

Acts 15:5
But certain men who had belonged to the sect of the Pharisees but were now believers, stood up in the assembly, and said, "Yes, Gentile believers ought to be circumcised and be ordered to keep the Law of Moses."
(WEY RSV NIV)

Acts 15:23
They wrote these things by their hand: "The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
(See NIV)

Acts 17:12
As the result many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the Greeks--gentlewomen of good position, and men.
(WEY)

Acts 19:18
many also of those who did believe were coming, confessing and declaring their acts,
(See RSV)

Acts 21:25
And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.'
(See NIV)

Romans 4:24
it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,
(WEY)

Romans 13:11
Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 2:6
Yet when we are among mature believers we do speak words of wisdom; a wisdom not belonging, however, to the present age nor to the leaders of the present age who are soon to pass away.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 6:5
I say this to move you to shame. Isn't there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?
(See NIV)

1 Corinthians 8:7
But all believers do not recognize these facts. Some, from force of habit in relation to the idol, even now eat idol sacrifices as such, and their consciences, being but weak, are polluted.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 8:9
But take care lest this liberty of yours should prove a hindrance to the progress of weak believers.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 14:22
This shows that the gift of tongues is intended as a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers, but prophecy is intended not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
(Root in WEY DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Galatians 6:10
So then, as we have opportunity, let us labour for the good of all, and especially of those who belong to the household of the faith.
(See NIV)

Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God: To God's people who are in Ephesus--believers in Christ Jesus.
(WEY)

Ephesians 1:19
and what the transcendent greatness of His power in us believers as seen in the working of His infinite might
(WEY)

Philippians 3:15
Therefore let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.
(WEY)

1 Thessalonians 1:7
so that you became a pattern to all the believers throughout Macedonia and Greece.
(WEY NAS RSV NIV)

1 Thessalonians 2:10
You yourselves are witnesses--and God is witness--how holy and upright and blameless our dealings with you believers were.
(WEY NAS RSV)

1 Thessalonians 2:13
Because of this also, we -- we do give thanks to God continually, that, having received the word of hearing from us of God, ye accepted, not the word of man, but as it is truly, the word of God, who also doth work in you who believe;
(See RSV)

1 Timothy 4:10
and here is the motive of our toiling and wrestling, because we have our hopes fixed on the ever-living God, who is the Saviour of all mankind, and especially of believers.
(WEY NAS)

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
(KJV DBY WBS RSV NIV)

1 Timothy 6:2
And those who have believing masters should not be wanting in respect towards them because they are their brethren, but should serve them all the more willingly because those who profit by the faithful service rendered are believers and are friends.
(WEY NAS RSV NIV)

Titus 1:6
wherever there is a man of blameless life, true to his one wife, having children who are themselves believers and are free from every reproach of profligacy or of stubborn self-will.
(WEY RSV)

Titus 3:15
Every one here sends you greeting. Greet the believers who hold us dear. May grace be with you all.
(WEY)

Hebrews 5:12
For although, considering the long time you have been believers, you ought now to be teachers of others, you really need some one to teach you over again the very rudiments of the truths of God, and you have come to require milk instead of solid food.
(WEY)

James 2:1
My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.
(See NIV)

1 Peter 1:21
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
(WEB ASV NAS)

1 Peter 2:7
To you believers, therefore, that honour belongs; but for unbelievers-- "A Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone,"
(WEY)

1 Peter 2:17
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
(See NIV)

2 Peter 1:12
For this reason I shall always persist in reminding you of these things, although you know them and are stedfast believers in truth which you already possess.
(WEY)

1 John 2:19
They have gone forth from our midst, but they did not really belong to us; for had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they left us that it might be manifest that professed believers do not all belong to us.
(WEY)

Subtopics

Believers

Related Terms

Trusts (35 Occurrences)

Ages (114 Occurrences)

Only-begotten (5 Occurrences)

Justified (46 Occurrences)

Disappointed (69 Occurrences)

Eternal (166 Occurrences)

Believe (239 Occurrences)

Doesn't (300 Occurrences)

Zoology