CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 337
Verb “address” is used 7 times, 6 in NT
Verb “adjure” is used 9 times, 3 in NT
Verb “admonish” is used 18 times, 8 in NT
Verb “announce” is used a total of 12 times, 7 in the NT
Verb “appeal” is found 18 times, 15 times in NT
Verb “argue” is found 14 times, 8 times in NT
Verbal phrase “empty chatter” is found twice in the NT
Verb “circulate” [a proclamation] is used 3 times in OT
Adjective “circulation” [of a report] is used once in OT
Verb “claim” is found 9 times, 4 in NT
Verb “clamor” is found twice, once in NT
Verb “command” is found about 483 times
Verb “commission” is found 4 times in OT
Verb “communicate” is used once in the Bible, only in the NT
Verb “confess” is found 41 times in the Bible, 24 times in the NT
Verb “confront” is used 10 times in the Bible, only once in NT
Verb “consult” is found 23 times, 2 in the NT
Verb “contend” is found 41 times in the Bible, only once in the NT
Verb “contest” is used once in the Bible (OT), and not for communication
Verb “converse” is used twice in the NT
Verb “convince” is used 10 times in the Bible (all NT)
Verb “demand” is found 12 times in the Bible (5 in NT; 3 times for 3 verbs, for one noun, and once
supplied)
Verb “denounce” is found 6 times in the Bible, once in the NT
Verb “discourse” is used 10 times in the, once in the NT and only as a noun
Verb “discuss” is used 14 times in the Bible, 13 in the NT
Verb “exchange” is used 15 times in the Bible, 7 times in NT (only once in relation to
communication)
Verb “expound” is used once in the Bible (OT)
Verbal phrase “give an account” is used 4 times, 3 times in NT
Verbal phrase “give an accounting” is used twice in NT
Verb “plead” is found 19 times in the Bible, 4 in the NT
Verb “profess” is used 3 times and only in the NT
Verb “pronounce” is used 36 times in the Bible, 3 times in the NT for 3 different Greek verbs
Verb “protest” is found 4 times in the Bible, 2 of 3 NT uses are merely supplied for context, 1 Cor
15:31 was changed to “affirm” in the 1995 NASB update
Verb “recount” is found 3 times in the OT, although it is the primary literal meaning for the Hebrew
saphar (102 OT verbal uses)
Verb “relate” is found 27 times in the Bible, 7 in the NT
Verb “renounce” is found once in the Bible (NT)
Verb “repeat” is found 12 times in the Bible, twice in the NT, and one of those is verbal
Verb “reprimand” is found 3 times in Bible, once in NT.
Verb “state” (e.g. “state your case”) is found twice in the OT and not at all in the NT
Verb “stated” is found twice in NT
Verb “stating” is found 3 times in the NT
Never used in the English (NASB, 1995 update) are verbs like: “decry,” “denigrate,”
“dialogue,” “exclaim,” “evangelize,” “interchange,” “lecture,” “portend,” “remand,” “remonstrate,”
“retell,” or “verbalize”
Gerhard Friedrich (in Kittel’s Theological Dictionary) also noted the same narrowing of
vocabulary because of the overuse of the word “preach”:
“When we think of the proclaiming of God’s Word by men, we almost necessarily think of preaching,
and with few exceptions Luther always uses this word (predigen) in translation of khru,ssein. The NT is
more dynamic and varied in its modes of expression that we are to-day. … [follows a list of 31 synonyms]
Naturally there are differences between these verbs. But our almost exclusive use of “preach” for all of