Preach/Evangelism in the New Testament (A Word Study)

Jon Beck

In our LET’S DO WHAT THEY DID study, we are looking at how the early church actually lived out the mission of Christ. One important part of that is understanding what the New Testament means when it speaks about preaching the gospel.

When we hear the word preach, we often picture a pastor standing behind a pulpit delivering a sermon or someone publicly preaching to a crowd. But the New Testament uses several different Greek words for announcing, proclaiming, and teaching God’s truth. Sometimes the setting is formal preaching. Other times it is simply believers making Christ known wherever God gives them opportunity.

That distinction matters because evangelism is not limited to preachers, pulpits, or public crowds. The early believers carried the good news of Jesus into everyday life.

If we want to do what they did, we need to understand both the message they proclaimed and the way they made Christ known.

Euangelizō — εὐαγγελίζω

To announce good news / evangelize.

This word comes from the same family as euangelion — gospel, good news. The emphasis is on communicating the good news, not on a particular posture or setting.

  • Luke 4:18 — Jesus was anointed to proclaim good news.
  • Acts 5:42 — they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
  • Acts 8:4 — scattered believers went about preaching the word.
  • Acts 8:35 — Philip told him the good news about Jesus.
  • Romans 1:15 — Paul was eager to preach the gospel.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:17 — Christ sent Paul to preach the gospel.

Acts 8:4 — the scattered believers were not all “preachers”. They were announcing the good news wherever they went.

Euangelizō means to announce the good news.

Kēryssō — κηρύσσω

To proclaim / herald.

This word emphasizes the act of proclamation. The picture is of a herald carrying a message that must be announced openly and clearly.

  • Matthew 3:1 — John the Baptist preaching.
  • Matthew 4:17 — Jesus began to preach.
  • Mark 5:20 — the healed man proclaimed what Jesus had done.
  • Acts 8:5 — Philip proclaimed Christ.
  • Acts 9:20 — Paul proclaimed Jesus.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:23 — “we preach Christ crucified.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:5 — “we proclaim … Jesus Christ as Lord.”
  • 2 Timothy 4:2 — “Preach the word.”

Kēryssō can describe pastoral preaching, public proclamation, missionary preaching, speaking to a group, or openly declaring what Christ has done. It is not limited to the pulpit.

Kēryssō means to herald or openly proclaim the message.

The Difference

There is overlap, but a helpful distinction is:

  • Euangelion = the good news.
  • Euangelizō = announce the good news.
  • Kēryssō = proclaim or herald the message.
  •  Euangelizō emphasizes the message being announced. Kēryssō emphasizes the act of proclaiming it.

The What Now

When our English Bibles say “preach,” we should not automatically think “delivering a sermon.” Sometimes that is the setting. Other times, it simply means announcing the good news of Jesus Christ.

If the early believers made Christ known wherever they went, we should be ready to do the same.

  • Know the gospel clearly.
  • Look for open doors.
  • Speak naturally about Christ.
  • Trust God to use His Word.

Evangelism is not reserved for a pulpit or a gathered crowd. It is the church carrying the good news of Jesus into everyday life.

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