| Faithfulness is the quality of being trustworthy, loyal, and constant. In the New Testament a threefold faithfulness is stressed: that |
| of God, |
| of Christ |
| and of Christians. |
| Faithfulness of God: |
| God remains faithful to His promises to reward the good and punish the wicked, even if we prove faithless by refusing to accept His revealed doctrines (2 Tim. 2, 13; Rom. 3, 3). By two unalterable things (the promise and the oath made by God to Abraham) in which it is impossible for God to speak falsely. Christians, who by faith are the true descendants of Abraham, should have a powerful encouragement to take their refuge in the hope that He will fulfill His promise of conferring upon them eternal salvation (Heb, 6, 17-20); cf. Rom. 8, 24; Col. 1, 5). Following the example of Abraham (Rom. 4, 20 f; Heb. 6, 17-20) and Sara (Heb. 11, 11), Christians should be filled with a firm trust in God's faithfulness to His promises (1 Pet. 4, 19; Heb. 10, 23) of forgiving them their sins and cleansing them from all iniquity after their confession of sins (1 Jn. 1. 9), of delivering them from temptation and guarding them from the evil one (Cor. 10, 13; 2 Thes. 3,3), and of calling them into communion with His Son Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1, 9) at His coming (1 Thes. 5, 24; cf. 2 Tim. 1, 12; 1 Pet. 5, 10). |
| Faithfulness of Christ: |
| The faithfulness of the future Messias (Is. 11, 5) and of His people (Is. 26, 2; Ps. 84, 11 f) was predicted in the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul points out Christ's faithfulness to God. Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of the faith we confess, was faithful to God who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all the house of God (Heb. 3, 1 f); He was a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God, to expiate the sins of the people (Heb. 2, 17). The faithfulness of Christ is stressed particularly in the Apocalypse; He is called the faithful witness (1, 5; 3, 14)), and victory over His enemies is ascribed to Him by the picture of the rider on a white horse, who was called "Faithful and True" (19, 11). |
| Faithfulness of Christians: |
| Every Christian has the obligation of being faithful to God. This fidelity to God is required especially of the servants of Christ and administrators of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4, 2; 7, 25), and must be shown even in very little things such as earthly and perishable possessions (Lk. 16, 10-13), as well as in the spiritual possessions that Christians have received - for example, the graces given them by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12, 6), and particularly the faith (cf. 1 Cor. 4, 17), Tychicus (Col. 4, 7), Onesimus (Col. 4,9), Mark (2 Tim. 4, 11) and Paul himself (2 Tim. 4, 7), whereas Demas is pointed out as an example of unfaithfulness (2 Tim. 4, 10). |
| Faithfulness to God and Christ brings with it an eternal reward. Christ repeatedly promised a spiritual reward to His faithful followers (Mt. 24, 45-47; 25, 21-23; Lk. 12, 42-44; 16, 10-12; 22, 28-30). This great reward for faithfulness (Heb. 10, 35f), even unto death, if necessary, is the crown of life (Apoc. 2, 10) or the crown of justice (2 Tim. 4, 8). |
| (The Catholic Biblical Encyclopedia) |