Lexical Summary ekpempó: To send out, to dispatch Original Word: ἐκπέμπω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance send away, send forth. From ek and pempo; to despatch -- send away (forth). see GREEK ek see GREEK pempo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and pempó Definition to send forth NASB Translation sent (1), sent...away (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1599: ἐκπέμπωἐκπέμπω: 1 aorist ἐξέπεμψα; 1 aorist passive participle ἐκπεμφθεις; to send forth, send away: Acts 13:4; Acts 17:10. (From Homer down.) STRONGS NT 1599a: ἐκπερισσῶςἐκπερισσῶς, adverb, exceedingly, out of measure, the more: used of intense earnestness, Mark 14:31 L T Tr WH (for Rec. ἐκ περισσοῦ); not found elsewhere. But see ὑπερεκπερισσῶς. Strong’s Greek 1599 portrays deliberate, purposeful dispatch. More than mere departure, the verb underscores an official release, a commissioning that proceeds from a higher authority toward a clear objective. In Acts the term frames the movement of the gospel outward, demonstrating that mission is not a human venture alone but a divine initiative channeled through willing servants. Occurrences In Acts Acts 13:4 records Paul and Barnabas “sent forth by the Holy Spirit”, stressing that the Spirit Himself is the principal Sender, even as the church at Antioch lays hands on the missionaries. Acts 17:10 shows the brethren in Thessalonica promptly “sending Paul and Silas away by night to Berea”, illustrating responsible stewardship of gospel messengers amid opposition. Together these verses reveal a pattern: the Spirit directs, the local church or believing community cooperates, and the missionaries obey. Relationship To The Holy Spirit’s Guidance The first occurrence binds the act of sending directly to the Spirit’s initiative. This sets a paradigm for all subsequent missionary activity: strategic movement flows from prayerful worship and prophetic insight (Acts 13:2-3). Any contemporary application of 1599 must therefore reckon with spiritual discernment and dependence on divine prompting rather than merely human planning. Local Church As Sending Body Although the Spirit commissions, the Antioch church fasts, prays, and lays hands on the missionaries, then releases them. Likewise the Thessalonian believers expedite Paul and Silas’ safety so the message can continue unhindered. The term thereby affirms congregational responsibility—financial, logistical, and pastoral—in releasing workers to new fields (compare Philippians 4:15-16; 3 John 6-8). Continuity With Old Testament Patterns The verb echoes the Old Testament theme of God “sending” prophets (e.g., Isaiah 6:8; Jeremiah 7:25) and prefigures the Father’s sending of the Son (John 3:17). The line continues through the risen Christ who sends the apostles (John 20:21). Acts 13 and Acts 17 demonstrate that the missionary church stands in this same stream of redemptive history. Connection With Apostolic Authority Because the missionaries are sent, they carry delegated authority. Their message is not self-generated but represents the Sender. Paul regularly appeals to this reality in his epistles (Galatians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). The integrity of the gospel is safeguarded when messengers recognize that they serve as emissaries rather than entrepreneurs. Missionary Methodology Illustrated 1. Worship and fasting precede commissioning (Acts 13:2-3). Implications For Contemporary Ministry Churches today emulate this pattern when they: • Seek Spirit-led direction before launching new works. Doctrinal Significance The verb underscores the cooperative harmony within the Triune Godhead and the church. As the Spirit sends in obedience to the Father’s redemptive plan and in unity with the Son’s commission, believers participate in a divine mission that cannot fail (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). The authority and consistency of Scripture are thus validated in the unfolding narrative of God’s sending purpose. Summary Strong’s 1599 highlights God’s sovereign, Spirit-initiated dispatch of gospel messengers through the agency of the local church. Its two occurrences in Acts encapsulate the theology of mission: divine origin, communal partnership, apostolic authority, and continual spread of the word until Christ’s return. Englishman's Concordance Acts 13:4 V-APP-NMPGRK: μὲν οὖν ἐκπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ NAS: So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, KJV: So they, being sent forth by the Holy INT: indeed therefore having been sent forth by the Acts 17:10 V-AIA-3P Strong's Greek 1599 |
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