To believe, to trust, to have confidence in, to entrust oneself to. Pisteuō is the verb form of pistis (faith). In John's Gospel alone it appears nearly 100 times — believing is the decisive human response to the gospel. It involves intellectual assent, personal trust, and ongoing commitment.
John 3:16 makes pisteuō the dividing line between perishing and eternal life. But believing is more than mental agreement — it is personal trust that commits one's life to Christ. 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness' (Romans 4:3). Jesus asked, 'Do you believe this?' (John 11:26). The question of faith is always personal: not 'is it true?' but 'do you trust Him?'