Paraginomai Versus Ginomai

The Greek verb paraginomai appears only three times in Matthew, an intense or emphatic form of a common verb, ginomai.   All three occur in Matthew 2 and 3:

2:1, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”

3:1, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.”

3:13, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”

The magi, those kingmakers from a powerful far eastern nation, came with royal authority and bringing kingly gifts.  Herod recognized their authority.  It troubled him.  John the Baptist, the forerunner and herald of the King who would sit on the throne of David forever, came heralding or preaching.  The King Himself, Jesus, came to begin His work in an official capacity.

Luke 7:20 uses the same unique verb, paraginomai, to describe John the Baptist ascending to his divine task, parallel with Matthew 3:1.  The only usage in Mark, 14:43, sees an official, governing body of chief priests, scribes, and elders with Judas coming to arrest Jesus.  The Apostle Paul uses paraginomai in 2 Timothy 4:16, saying, “At my first answer no man stood with me.”  He described no one joining him in an official capacity in public court.  It’s an obviously technical word to denote the function of a person who came into court to defend the accused (John Phillips, Exploring the Pastoral Epistles, p. 454).

Official Capacity

The only use of paraginomai in Hebrews (9:11) reads:

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.

This verse describes Christ, the anointed one, come an high priest, so again in a high, official capacity, so with authority.  In the New International Commentary on Hebrews, Paul Ellingworth says concerning Hebrews 9:11, The use of paraginomai instead of the usual ginomai suggests “an official public appearance” (p. 449).  So also Harold Attridge in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, commenting on the dramatic nuance of the word (paragenomenos, participle of paraginomai), says, “He has arrived on the heavenly scene as High Priest” (p. 245).

John the Baptist was a man sent (apostello) from God (John 1:6).  That verb (“sent,” apostello) is also very technical, expressing the nature of an envoy or an ambassador.  Jesus asked (Matthew 21:25), “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?”  The implication in Matthew by Jesus (cf. Mk 11:30, Lk 20:4) was that God authorized the baptism of John.  He got it from heaven.

The Lord Jesus came like John with sending authority.  Jesus said, “As my Father hath sent (apostello) me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). God also expects sending for all His workers.  It’s more than reading the Great Commission, saying you’ve got it because you read in Matthew 28:18-20.  That command went to a plural, “Go ye.”  One should assume that “ye” meant people in the group.  It did not imply that anyone or everyone could go with His authority (“power”).  “You” is also plural in John 20:21.

Romans 10:15

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 10:15,

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The word “preach” is kerusso.  This is the same word applied to John the Baptist and his preaching.  The kerux is someone to announce the Lord’s coming, to give His message, and to prepare the way for Him.  Again, Romans 10:15 asks of the plural, “they.”  Who “sends” (apostello) “them”?  Christ sends as Head of His church.

John the Baptist “came” in an official capacity.  God “sent” John in an official capacity.  The New Testament uses the same terminology for every believer.  How shall they hear without a kerux?  How shall they kerusso except they be apostello?  God the Father sent John and Jesus directly.  Jesus then sends true believers by means of the church.  He heads the church.  God sends believers only through true churches.

A Special Cast of Characters

Ones Christ sends constitute a special cast of characters and yet not one, not one because it applies to everyone.  Every one bringing glad tidings or the gospel of peace should be and must be sent.  That should be every member of a church, a member of Christ’s body with Him as Head.

As a personal example, individual churches sent my wife and I.  A true church sent us in 2020 from California to Oregon.  The same true church sent us in 2021 from Oregon to Utah.  In 2022, a true church in Utah sent us from Utah to Indiana.  The church in Indiana sent us for a few months to England at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023   Since February 22, 2023, my wife and I function as heralds with authority of or from our church in Indiana.  We requested and received letters, which we possess, from three total churches in all this (California, Utah, and Indiana).

God sent John.  He came.  Sent and came are unique words of sending.  God sent Jesus.  He came.  The same pattern applies to the work of every true believer.

How serious would you take the sending of the Commander-in-Chief of the United States?  If the United States of America authorized you for a legitimate task, would you acknowledge the honor bestowed?  Can you recognize the greater honor of the Lord Jesus sending you through a true church?