Lexical Summary prokérussó: To proclaim beforehand, to announce publicly in advance Original Word: προκηρύσσω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance proclaim beforehandFrom pro and kerusso; to herald (i.e. Proclaim) in advance -- before (first) preach. see GREEK pro see GREEK kerusso NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pro and kérussó Definition to proclaim (by herald) NASB Translation proclaimed (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4296: προκηρύσσωπροκηρύσσω: 1 aorist participle προκηρυξας; perfect passive participle προκεκηρυγμενος; 1. to announce or proclaim by herald beforehand (Xenophon, resp. Lac. 11, 2; Isaeus, p. 60, 2; Polybius, Josephus, Plutarch, others). 2. universally, to announce beforehand (of the herald himself, Sophocles El. 684): Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, i. e. his advent, works, and sufferings, passive, Acts 3:20 Rcc.; τί, Acts 13:24 (Ἰερεμίας τά μέλλοντα τῇ πόλει δεῖνα προεκηρυξεν, Josephus, Antiquities 10, 5, 1). Strong’s Greek 4296 conveys the idea of publicly announcing something before it comes to pass. It marries the herald’s trumpet‐like clarity of kērussō with the time element of “beforehand,” emphasizing both urgency and certainty. Scripture thus presents it as a faith-filled declaration that God’s saving program is already in motion and cannot fail. Single New Testament Occurrence Acts 13:24 records Paul’s synagogue sermon in Pisidian Antioch: “Before the arrival of Jesus, John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel”. Luke’s use of the imperfect points to an extended, preparatory ministry. Paul cites this fact to prove that the Christ event did not erupt without warning; rather, the forerunner’s message was already echoing across Judea when Jesus stepped into public view. Rooted in the Prophetic Tradition John the Baptist stands in the stream of prophetic forerunners such as Isaiah 40:3–5 and Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6. His preaching was itself fulfillment, yet it also promised an imminent, greater fulfillment in the Messiah. In this sense, προκηρύσσω encapsulates the entire prophetic method: God speaks in advance, history obeys, faith is invited. Christological and Redemptive Focus John’s advance proclamation centered on repentance, preparation, and identification of “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By highlighting John’s ministry, Acts 13 frames Jesus as the climactic answer to centuries of divine anticipation. The verb therefore safeguards both the continuity of redemptive history and the uniqueness of Christ’s person and work. Role in Apostolic Preaching Paul weaves προκηρύσσω into his exposition to Jewish hearers, demonstrating that the gospel he now preaches was first heralded by a recognized prophet within Israel. This move validates the missionary message, rebuts charges of innovation, and reveals a pattern: God raises voices to announce His works before they unfold (compare Romans 1:1–3; 2 Corinthians 1:20). Lessons for Contemporary Proclamation 1. Content: Faithful preaching must stay tethered to the advance testimony of Scripture, calling people to repentance and pointing to Christ. Forward-Looking Expectation As John once proclaimed Messiah’s first coming, the church now proclaims His return (Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:12–14). The same God who fulfilled the first προκηρύσσω guarantees the second. Thus the term serves as both a historical anchor and an eschatological compass, urging believers to declare with certainty what God has promised will soon appear. |
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