Bible Dictionaries
Preach, Preaching

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

is almost always used of "the good news" concerning the Son of God as proclaimed in the Gospel [exceptions are e.g., Luke 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:6 , in which the phrase "to bring (or show) good (or glad) tidings" does not refer to the Gospel]; Galatians 1:8 (2nd part). With reference to the Gospel the phrase "to bring, or declare, good, or glad, tidings" is used in Acts 13:32; Romans 10:15; Hebrews 4:2 . In Luke 4:18 the RV "to preach good tidings" gives the correct quotation from Isaiah, rather than the AV "to preach the Gospel." In the Sept. the verb is used of any message intended to cheer the hearers, e.g. 1 Samuel 31:9; 2 Samuel 1:20 . See GOSPEL , B, No. 1.

signifies (a) "to be a herald," or, in general, "to proclaim," e.g., Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:45 , "publish;" in Luke 4:18 , RV, "to proclaim," AV, "to preach;" so Luke 4:19; Luke 12:3; Acts 10:37; Romans 2:21; Revelation 5:2 . In 1 Peter 3:19 the probable reference is, not to glad tidings (which there is no real evidence that Noah preached, nor is there evidence that the spirits of antediluvian people are actually "in prison"), but to the act of Christ after His resurrection in proclaiming His victory to fallen angelic spirits; (b) "to preach the Gospel as a herald," e.g., Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10 , RV, "be preached" (AV, "be published"); Mark 14:9; 16:15,20; Luke 8:1; 9:2; 24:47; Acts 8:5; 19:13; 28:31; Romans 10:14 , present participle, lit., "(one) preaching," "a preacher;" Romans 10:15 (1st part); 1 Corinthians 1:23; 15:11,12; 2 Corinthians 1:19; 4:5; 11:4; Galatians 2:2; Philippians 1:15; Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; (c) "to preach the word," 2 Timothy 4:2 (of the ministry of the Scriptures, with special reference to the Gospel). See PROCLAIM , PUBLISH.

see GOSPEL , B, No. 2.

lit., "to proclaim as a herald" (pro, before, and No. 2), is used in Acts 13:24 , "had first preached." Some mss. have the verb in Acts 3:20; for the best see APPOINT , No. 12.

"to be bold in speech," is translated "to preach boldly" in Acts 9:27 (2nd part); in Acts 9:29 , RV (AV, "he spake boldly"). See BOLD , A, No. 2.

Notes: (1) For diangello, translated "preach" in Luke 9:60 , see DECLARE , A, No. 3. (2) Katangello, "to proclaim," is always so translated in the RV; the AV renders it by "to preach" in Acts 4:2; 13:5,38; 15:36; 17:3,13; 1 Corinthians 9:14; Colossians 1:28 . (3) Laleo, "to speak," is translated "preached," Mark 2:2 , AV, "preached" (RV, "spake"); in Acts 8:25,1 st part, AV (RV, "spoken"); so in Acts 13:42; 14:25; "preaching" in Acts 11:19 , AV, but what is indicated here is not a formal "preaching" by the believers scattered from Jerusalem, but a general testimony to all with whom they came into contact; in Acts 16:6 , RV, "to speak" (AV, "to preach"). (4) For dialegomai, in AV of Acts 20:7,9 , see DISCOURSE. (5) For AV, "preached" in Hebrews 4:2 (2nd part), see HEARING. (6) In Romans 15:19 pleroo, "to fulfill" (RV, marg.), is rendered "I have fully preached."

"a proclamation by a herald" (akin to A, No. 2), denotes "a message, a preaching" (the substance of what is "preached" as distinct from the act of "preaching"), Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:32; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:4; 15:14; in 2 Timothy 4:17; Titus 1:3 , RV, "message," marg., "proclamation," AV, "preaching." See MESSAGE. In the Sept., 2 Chronicles 30:5; Proverbs 9:3; Jonah 3:2 .

Note: In 1 Corinthians 1:18 , AV, logos, "a word," is translated "preaching," RV, "the word (of the Cross)," i.e., not the act of "preaching," but the substance of the testimony, all that God has made known concerning the subject. For Hebrews 4:2 , AV, see HEAR , B, No. 1.