Luke 3 18

Luke 3:18 kjv

And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

Luke 3:18 nkjv

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

Luke 3:18 niv

And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Luke 3:18 esv

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.

Luke 3:18 nlt

John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.

Luke 3 verses

Luke 3 18 Meaning

Luke 3:18 summarizes the breadth and continuous nature of John the Baptist's ministry. It reveals that John's proclamation was not limited to warnings of repentance and judgment, but consistently included "good news." He tirelessly exhorted and comforted the crowds, preparing their hearts for the coming Messiah by proclaiming the imminent advent of God's Kingdom. This "good news" underscored the hope and salvation offered by God through His appointed Deliverer, alongside the call for a changed life.

Luke 3 18 Context

Luke 3 opens with a precise dating of John the Baptist's ministry, establishing its historical grounding within Roman and Jewish leadership. It then introduces John as the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5, a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. John's initial message focuses on a call to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, urging people to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, lest they face divine judgment. He challenges specific groups—tax collectors and soldiers—to act justly. Luke 3:18 acts as a concluding summary to this segment of John's public ministry, emphasizing that while he delivered stern warnings, a core aspect of his persistent teaching was the proclamation of "good news." This prepares the reader for the subsequent narrative concerning John's imprisonment (Lk 3:19-20) and the baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:21-22), positioning John as the vital prophetic link to the Messiah.

Luke 3 18 Word analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction connecting John's "other many words" to his previous teachings, indicating continuity and additional emphasis rather than a break in thought.
• with many other (ἕτερα πολλὰ - hetera polla):
  • ἕτερα (hetera): Means "other things," "other words," or "different kinds of things." It implies that John's previous recorded sermons (which largely focused on repentance and judgment) were not exhaustive. He offered a variety of teachings beyond those detailed.
  • πολλὰ (polla): "Many," emphasizing the extensive nature and multitude of his teachings. John was persistent and multifaceted in his communication.
• exhorted (παρακαλῶν - parakalōn):
  • From the verb parakaleō, a rich Greek term. It encompasses:
    • Exhortation/Urging: Encouraging people to a course of action.
    • Comfort/Console: Offering solace and relief, often in times of distress.
    • Appeal/Plead: A strong call to someone's conscience.
  • The participle form (parakalōn) indicates an ongoing action, a continuous ministry of deep persuasion and solace, not just a one-off speech. This suggests a compassionate aspect to John's ministry, beyond his fiery condemnations.
  • The breadth of parakaleō here hints at the dual nature of John's message: challenging but also consoling those who truly repented, preparing them for the comfort of the Messiah. It directly connects to the role of the Holy Spirit, often called the Paraclete.
• he proclaimed the good news (εὐηγγελίζετο - euēngelizeto):
  • From euangelizō, meaning "to preach or declare good news," "to evangelize." This is the origin of our word "evangelize" and "gospel."
  • The imperfect tense (euēngelizeto) shows continuous or repeated action: John was constantly proclaiming good news, not just occasionally.
  • In the Septuagint (Greek OT), this verb frequently translates "to bring good tidings," often in Messianic or eschatological contexts, particularly in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 40:9; 52:7). For the Jewish audience, "good news" referred to God's promised deliverance, the end of exile, and the coming of His reign.
  • For John to euangelizeto means he was declaring that God's promised salvation and kingdom were now breaking into history through the imminent arrival of the Messiah. This distinguishes him as a herald of the Gospel era.
• to the people (τὸν λαὸν - ton laon): Refers generally to the Jewish people or the crowds gathered around John, signifying a widespread public ministry accessible to all who would listen.

Luke 3 18 Bonus section

The consistent proclamation of "good news" (euangelizeto) by John is a key insight. It refutes the notion that his ministry was solely characterized by doom and gloom. John served as a true herald, making visible and understandable to his audience the abstract hope found in the ancient prophecies. The "other words" (hetera polla) John spoke would likely have expounded upon the character of the coming Messiah, the nature of His kingdom, and further practical applications of repentance. John's role as a bridge-builder, linking the promises of the Old Covenant with their fulfillment in the New, is powerfully encapsulated here. His preaching provided not just fear of God, but also the hope for a future redemption that would transform lives. The consistent action implied by the imperfect tense underscores the unrelenting dedication of John to his divinely appointed task.

Luke 3 18 Commentary

Luke 3:18 serves as a vital summary of John the Baptist's preparatory work, bridging the Old Testament prophetic tradition with the dawn of the New Testament Gospel. It's often surprising to find the phrase "proclaimed the good news" associated with John, whose messages in the Gospels are predominantly perceived as calls to repentance and warnings of impending judgment. Yet, this verse underscores a crucial, often overlooked, dimension of his ministry. The Greek term parakalōn ("exhorting" or "comforting") combined with euēngelizeto ("proclaiming good news") reveals that John's powerful calls for repentance were accompanied by hope and solace. The good news he proclaimed was the imminence of the Kingdom of God and the arrival of the Messiah who would bring both judgment and salvation. For those who truly repented and confessed their sins, John's message offered profound comfort – the possibility of forgiveness and inclusion in God's coming reign. He offered practical guidance for a life of righteousness (Lk 3:10-14), providing a tangible path to prepare for the Lord's coming. Thus, John's role was not merely one of rebuke, but a complete prophetic ministry that laid the spiritual groundwork for Jesus' later, more expansive declaration of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

• Example 1: Like a loving parent who disciplines a child for their wrongdoing but also offers assurance of continued love and a way forward, John presented a hard truth ("Repent!") balanced with a glorious promise ("Good News is coming!").
• Example 2: A doctor gives a grim diagnosis but immediately offers a path to healing. John's diagnosis of human sin and coming judgment was inseparable from the "good news" of a divine solution through the Messiah.