Old Testament), those who belong exclusively to God by his sovereign choice and determination; in these contexts the word does not have the idea of “holy” or “saintly,” which refers to moral and spiritual qualities. Some translations have the phrase “the people who serve (or, worship) God.” Faithful applies to the readers’ faithfulness in their Christian life, the degree to which they have remained loyal followers of Christ Jesus. Some take the word here to mean “believers” (so New English Bible