To be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor
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parrhesiazomai means to speak boldly, freely, openly, or fearlessly. In the New Testament it describes gospel speech that is not silenced by threat, shame, opposition, imprisonment, or social risk.
Reader summary
Full entry for παῤῥησιάζομαι (G3955) · Open the biblical lexicon
parrhesiazomai means to speak boldly, freely, openly, or fearlessly. In the New Testament it describes gospel speech that is not silenced by threat, shame, opposition, imprisonment, or social risk.
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [and] speaking boldly (1), [and] spoke boldly [there] (1), [Saul] had spoken boldly (1), answered [them] boldly (1), freely (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Acts 9:27. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (7), 1 Thessalonians (1), Ephesians (1).
Parrhesiazomai means to speak boldly, freely, openly, or fearlessly. In the New Testament it describes gospel speech that is not silenced by threat, shame, opposition, imprisonment, or social risk. Saul speaks boldly in Damascus and Jerusalem after the Lord meets him. Paul and Barnabas answer boldly when Jewish rejection requires a turn to the Gentiles. Missionaries speak boldly for the Lord, and Apollos speaks boldly while still needing fuller instruction.
Paul asks prayer that he may proclaim the gospel fearlessly as an ambassador in chains. The word is not recklessness, rudeness, or self-expression. It is freedom of speech under the lordship and mission of Christ.
The selected witnesses show bold speech after conversion, before opposition, under divine affirmation, with teachable correction, through prayer, and after suffering.
Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
Barnabas reports that Saul had spoken boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus. The verb marks visible courage flowing from encounter with the risen Lord.
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Paul and Barnabas answer boldly when the word is rejected and they turn to the Gentiles. Boldness serves gospel clarity at a decisive mission boundary.
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
The missionaries spend considerable time speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirms the message of His grace. Bold speech remains dependent on the Lord's witness.
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Apollos speaks boldly in the synagogue, yet Priscilla and Aquila explain the way of God more accurately to him. Boldness does not remove teachability.
For which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.
Paul asks prayer to proclaim the gospel fearlessly as an ambassador in chains. Boldness is needed even by an apostle and is sustained through prayer.
As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.
After suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi, Paul says they were bold in God to speak the gospel amid opposition. The source of courage is God, not bravado.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Speaking with bold freedom and confidence, especially about unpopular or dangerous religious truth
Speaking with bold freedom and confidence, especially about unpopular or dangerous religious truth
(παρρησία), [in LXX: Job.22:26 (עָנַג hithp.), Psa.12:5 94:1, Pro.20:9, Sng.8:10, Sir.6:11 * ;] to speak freely or boldly, be bold in speech: Act.9:27-28 13:46 14:3 18:26 19:8 26:26, Eph.6:20, 1Th.2:2.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseI speak freely, boldly
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this verb appears across 9 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
παῤῥησιάζομαι is built from this root:
Describes Spirit-enabled courage in witness.Acts 14:1-7
Highlights fearless proclamation of the kingdom.Acts 19:8-10
Describes Spirit-empowered courage in gospel proclamation.Acts 9:20-31
Parrhesiazomai teaches that gospel courage is a gift of freedom before God and people. Saul's bold speech after conversion shows that the risen Christ can turn a former persecutor into a public witness. Acts 13 and 14 show boldness where rejection, controversy, and mission advance make silence tempting. Acts 18 keeps the word from becoming pride: Apollos speaks boldly, yet he still needs Priscilla and Aquila to instruct him more accurately.
Ephesians 6 brings the matter into prayer. Paul is an ambassador in chains, and he asks the church to pray that he will proclaim the mystery of the gospel fearlessly. True boldness is therefore neither temperament nor technique. It is gospel clarity, under Christ, sustained by prayer, willing to suffer, and humble enough to be taught.
Eph.6.20
Parrhesiazomai is the verbal form related to parrhesia, openness or boldness of speech. The verb emphasizes speaking freely or fearlessly, but the New Testament contexts define the freedom by gospel mission rather than by personal bluntness.
The prophets often speak God's word despite opposition, and the New Testament gathers that courage around witness to Christ. The apostolic pattern is not generic defiance; it is Spirit-dependent speech that bears witness to the Lord and His grace.