@Faither -- thanks for sharing -- you have an impressive background. You sounded like you were planning to get into a 'next step'? Sounds interesting. The translating of Greek to English? I'm 'game' if you are.
The words believe, believer, and believing, are the English language translation of the Greek word" pisteuo", used 248 times in the NT. Pisteuo is the most important word in the scriptures, and it couldn't be translated into the English language.
When the translators needed a word to correctly translate pisteuo into the English language, there wasn't one! The English language doesn't have a corresponding verb to the noun Faith, like the Greek does. So they were forced to choose a different word that would come close to it, hence believe, believer, and believing. These words are part of pisteuo as a whole , but taken on their own is error. Believe, believer, and believing are corresponding verbs to the noun" Belief " , not the noun " Faith ". The Greek language doesn't have the words believe, believer, and believing in their vocabulary. There is only pisteuo, moving towards God, and Apisteuo moving away from God. No middle or neutral ground.
Pisteuo, is the corresponding verb to the noun Pistis, where we get our English word Faith. Pisteuo being a verb is an action word. As pisteuo relates to the living God, the right question isn't what I think it means, but what the Greek dictionary says it means.
Vines, " a personal surrender to Him and a life inspired by such surrender. Producing a full acknowledgement of God's revelation of truth."
Strong's gives the disclaimer," pisteuo means NOT just to believe."
Pisteuo is an act, based upon a Belief, sustained by confidence.
The words that should have been available to the translators and corresponding verbs to the noun Faith are faithe, faithing, and faither.
If you can consume this and have no questions, we could talk about what specific act, based upon what specific belief, sustained by what specific kind of confidence.
This mistranslation has not only created a false or wide path, " believe and recieve" but has changed the " object " of saving Faith and faithing from God Himself a real living person, to God's word and His promises.
I really don't see how this was done intentionally, but there has definitely been things added and taken away from the original Greek texts. And it's created a stumbling block for millions of called out ones.