προγίνομαι (proginomai)
proginomai
to do beforehand
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb proginomai describes an event or condition that happens beforehand, carrying the sense of something having occurred in the past prior to a present moment. Its core meaning is straightforward: to arise or come before. In the New Testament, it appears only once, marking a specific theological point in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
In Romans 3:25, Paul uses the perfect passive participle form to describe Christ as the one who serves as a sacrifice for sins that were committed previously. This usage highlights the temporal scope of forgiveness; God’s mercy is not limited to current offenses but extends backward to cover past transgressions. The word emphasizes that the atonement provided by Jesus addresses sins already on record, offering relief from guilt accumulated over time.
The term combines the prefix pro- (before) with ginomai (to become or happen), literally meaning "to become before." While simple in construction, its singular occurrence in Scripture gives it significant weight. It underscores the comprehensive nature of divine grace, which reaches back to cleanse sins that have already taken place, rather than only addressing future mistakes.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word προγίνομαι appears only once in the New Testament, found in Romans 3:25. It describes sins that were committed beforehand. Paul uses this term to show that Jesus’ sacrifice covers past offenses. This means God’s mercy is not limited to just the present moment. His grace reaches back to cleanse guilt from earlier in your life.
When you feel weighed down by mistakes of the past, this verse offers real hope. The atonement provided by Christ is sufficient for those prior sins. You do not need to carry that burden alone. God’s forbearance and justice meet in Jesus, offering you peace with Him today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- having taken place beforehand1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- προγεγονότων1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 3:25
whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
This is the only occurrence of προγίνομαι in Scripture, where it refers to sins passed over by God’s forbearance before Christ’s sacrifice.