CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 447
3) pei,qw (passive voice) – “persuaded” (cf. Acts 21:14):
a) “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded
even if someone rises from the dead.,”Luke 16:31
b) “And some of them were persuaded [evpei,sqhsan] and joined [proseklhrw,qhsan] Paul and Silas,”
Acts 17:4
c) “This Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people,” Acts 19:26
d) “When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was
explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade
them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until
evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe,” Acts
28:23-24
4) evpistre,fw, turn (489 uses in LXX and NT; 37 uses in NT):
a) Some OT uses:
(1) Psa 51:13, “Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted [Heb
shuwb] to Thee”
(2) Psa 116[114]:7, “Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with
you”
(a) Hebrew: shuwb (meaning “turn”);
(b) Latin: convertere (meaning “be ye converted”)
(3) Isa 6:10 (KJV), “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their
eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and convert, and be healed”
(4) There are many more OT examples of the use of this verb for a spiritual turning, e.g. Jer
3:10; 5:3; 8:5; Ezek 14:6; 18:30
b) Acts 3:19-20, “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that
times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the
Christ appointed for you”
NA27 VUL WYC GEN KJV
metanoh,sate
ou=n kai.
evpistre,yate
paenitemini
igitur et
convertimini
Therfor be
ye
repentaunt,
and be ye
conuertid
Some Translations of evpistre,fw in Acts 3:19
Amend your
liues
therefore,
and turne
Repent ye
therefore,
and be
converted
Douay-
Rheims
Be penitent, Repent
therefore, therefore
and be and return
converted
NAS NKJ NIV / GNT HCS / NET CEV*
Repent
therefore
and be
converted
Repent,
then, and
turn to
God
Therefore
repent and
turn back
So turn to
God! Give
up your
sins
*Apparently, the ABS’ Contemporary English Version, having received the imprimatur of a Bishop of the Church of Rome, subsumes
both the verbs “repent” and “be converted” as one verb, “turn”. The next verse is less of a result clause and even more tentative,
after being separated by a period from the prior clause, “Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength”
c) Acts 14:15, “and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same
nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things
to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.’”
d) Acts 26:20, “that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance”
e) 1 Thess 1:9, “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God”
5) sw,|zw – “save,” John 3:17; 1 Cor 9:22, 10:33; 1 Tim 2:4; Jude 23:
a) “I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (i[na pa,ntwj tina.j
sw,sw),” 1 Cor 9:22
b) “just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many,
so that they may be saved (i[na swqw/sin)” 1 Cor 10:33
c) “save others (ou]j de. sw,|zete), snatching them out of the fire,” Jude 23
6) kerdai,nw – “win,” 1 Cor 9:19-22 (cf. Prov 11:30):
a) “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more,” 1
Cor 9:19
b) “To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews,” 1 Cor 9:20