In his Gospel, Luke uses the verb peitho four times, with 16:31 providing a good illustration of its intenseness. Abraham speaks to the rich man in Hades concerning the man's brothers, that they have Moses and the prophets. The rich man, however, wants someone to go to them who has risen from the dead so that "they will repent," an obvious change of attitude and action in this context, as Godet observes that repentance "would produce, he fully acknowledges, a life wholly different from his own (such as it had been described, ver. 19) (Godet, 1887, II, p. 183). To this request, Abraham answers, "'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded (peisthhsontai) if someone rises from the dead.'" As with Matthew, Luke's emphasis with this word extends much beyond "comprehension" and encompasses "action."

Luke continues his forceful use of the verb peitho in the book of Acts. In Acts 5:36-37, Gamaliel speaks concerning Theudas and Judas of Galilee, and those who "followed" (epeithonto) them. These followers were so persuaded by these messianic type leaders that they actively followed them until the leaders were killed. This is persuasion of the most intense type, not mere "comprehension."

The writer of Hebrews (assuming it was not Paul) uses the verb peitho four times. A text that shows its significance is found in the warning passage in chapter six. Whatever the warning of 6:1-8 involves, and regardless of to whom it is addressed, the writer states, "beloved, we are convinced (Pepeismetha) of better things concerning you" (6:9). Westcott asserts that this verb's "form implies that the writer had felt misgivings and had overcome them" (Westcott, 1892, 154) as a result of being fully persuaded of their spiritual condition. This was more than a "comprehension," but incorporated a settled conviction.

James and John each use the verb pietho one time. James considers how "we put bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey (peithesthai) us" (3:3). No equestrian would ever assert that the purpose of a bit is so that the horse may merely "comprehend" what is desired. John writes that as we love in deed and truth, then we "shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure (peisomen) our heart before Him" (1 John 3:19). Although Bultmann advocates that the exposition of this text is most "uncertain" (s.v. peitho, TDNT, p. 3), Ross is correct when he notices that the word "assure" means "persuade" and asserts that "We shall persuade our hearts, in spite of much sin still remaining in us, that we are God's children" (A. Ross, 1967, p. 191). Once again, this is far beyond mere "comprehension," but refers to an intense certainty, being fully persuaded.
Non-Pauline related uses of the verb peitho in the New Testament consistently point to persuasion and the results of that persuasion, being fully persuaded, trusting, having a confident belief. Attention will now turn to the Pauline related uses of the term, beginning with those in the book of Acts in which Paul's activities are identified by the word, and followed by those of Paul himself in his epistles.