Lexical Summary aggelia: Message, announcement Original Word: ἀγγελία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance message. From aggelos; an announcement, i.e. (by implication) precept -- message. see GREEK aggelos Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 31: ἀγγελίαἀγγελία, (ας, ἡ (ἄγγελος), a message, announcement, thing announced; precept declared, 1 John 1:5 (where Rec. has ἐπαγγελία) (cf. Isaiah 28:9); STRONGS NT 31a: ἀγγέλλωἀγγέλλω; (1 aorist ἤγγειλα, John 4:51 T (for ἀπηγγέλλω R G L Tr brackets)); (ἄγγελος); to announce: ἀγγέλλουσα, John 20:18 L T Tr WH, for R G ἀπαγγέλλω. (From Homer down. Compare: ἀναγγέλλω, ἀπαγγέλλω, διαγγέλλω, ἐξαγγέλλω, ἐπαγγέλλω, προεπαγγέλλω, καταγγέλλω, προκαταγγέλλω, παραγγέλλω.) The noun ἀγγελία denotes a communicated declaration, a specific content conveyed from one party to another. It emphasizes not merely the act of speaking but the substance delivered—news that demands attention and response. In Johannine usage the term is inseparable from divine initiative: what is conveyed comes from God, mediated through apostolic witnesses, and calls believers into fellowship and obedience. Occurrences in the New Testament 1 John 1:5: “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 3:11: “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” These two verses form the whole New Testament record of ἀγγελία, bracketing the epistle’s themes of light and love and serving as structural markers for its pastoral exhortation. Context in 1 John John writes to congregations threatened by deceptive teachings that denied the incarnation and ethical demands of the gospel. By labeling his core exhortations “the message,” he anchors Christian life in what is historically heard “from Him” (1 John 1:5) and “from the beginning” (1 John 3:11). The term thus safeguards continuity with Jesus’ original revelation and with apostolic proclamation. Old Testament Background While ἀγγελία itself is absent from the Septuagint, the concept of a divinely sent “word” saturates the Hebrew Scriptures (for example, Psalm 107:20; Isaiah 55:11). Prophets bear that word as messengers, prefiguring the New Testament reality where the Son and His apostles deliver the definitive revelation. Relationship to New Testament Proclamation The New Testament employs several words for what is preached—λόγος, ῥῆμα, εὐαγγέλιον. ἀγγελία complements these by stressing that the gospel is not malleable opinion but a settled communiqué. The apostles do not innovate; they relay. Their authority stands or falls with fidelity to the original message (Galatians 1:11–12). Theological Themes: Light and Love John’s twofold use crystallizes the ethical polarity of Christian faith. Implications for Church Life and Ministry 1. Preaching: Ministers echo the apostolic pattern when sermons are presented as God’s own message, not personal insight (2 Timothy 4:2). Interconnection with the Gospel and Apostolic Witness The root verb ἀγγέλλω (“to announce”) underlies ἀγγελία and relates to ἄγγελος (“messenger” or “angel”). In Scripture, heavenly messengers (Luke 2:10–11) and human heralds (Acts 10:36) alike participate in one divine communicative chain. The church continues this chain, entrusted with the same message (2 Corinthians 5:20). Related Greek Terms • λόγος – emphasizes rational content. Together with ἀγγελία they offer a multifaceted picture: God’s good news, rationally articulated, testified to, and delivered as an authoritative announcement. Summary Strong’s Greek 31 portrays the gospel as an unalterable communiqué from God. In 1 John it centers on two inseparable truths: God is light; believers must love. Recognizing ἀγγελία’s weight secures doctrinal purity, fuels practical holiness, and guides the church’s ongoing witness until Christ returns. Englishman's Concordance 1 John 1:5 N-NFSGRK: αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν NAS: This is the message we have heard INT: this the message which we have heard 1 John 3:11 N-NFS |
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