“ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις”: The Fore-Promised Gospel in Romans 1:2

Introduction: A Gospel Long Promised

Romans 1:1–2 begins Paul’s epistle with this phrase:

τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ…
ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις
“the gospel of God… which He promised beforehand through His prophets in holy scriptures”

This relative clause establishes the continuity between the gospel and the Old Testament. It affirms that the good news was not invented in the New Testament era—it was foretold.

Let’s now analyze this beautifully structured clause from Romans 1:2, which Paul inserts immediately after mentioning “the gospel of God”:

ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις

This relative clause explains how the gospel was not a novelty, but part of God’s long-standing redemptive plan. Grammatically, it includes:

A relative pronoun (ὃ) referring back to τὸ εὐαγγέλιον

A middle deponent verb in the aorist tense (προεπηγγείλατο)

Two prepositional phrases:

διὰ + genitive = agency (“through the prophets”)

ἐν + dative plural = location/context (“in holy scriptures”)

Morphological Breakdown

1. ὃ {ho} –
   Form: relative pronoun, accusative neuter singular;
   Refers back to: τὸ εὐαγγέλιον (neuter singular);
   Translation: “which”
2. προεπηγγείλατο {proepēngéilato} –
   Root: προεπαγγέλλομαι {proepangéllomai};
   Form: aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular;
   Meaning: “he promised beforehand”;
   Notes: Deponent in form (middle), but active in meaning; prefixed with προ- for the sense of anticipation or prior promise.
3. διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ {dià tōn prophētōn autoû} –
   Form: preposition διὰ with genitive plural;
   Translation: “through His prophets”;
   Function: agent of the verb προεπηγγείλατο;
   Notes: Shows mediated revelation—God is the one promising, the prophets are the instruments.
4. ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις {en grapháis hagíais} –
   Form: preposition ἐν with dative feminine plural noun + adjective;
   Translation: “in holy scriptures”;
   Function: locative prepositional phrase—where the promise was recorded.

Syntactical Analysis: Relative Clause with Aorist Deponent Verb

This is a classic adjectival relative clause, modifying τὸ εὐαγγέλιον:
– ὃ = accusative object of προεπηγγείλατο
– προεπηγγείλατο = main verb of the relative clause
– διὰ τῶν προφητῶν = expresses the means/agency
– ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις = locative sphere in which the promise is embedded

Semantic and Theological Significance

The gospel is not:
– Unexpected, but pre-promised
– Not hidden, but revealed ahead of time
– Not merely oral, but written in holy scriptures

The verb προεπηγγείλατο is theologically loaded:
– Emphasizes God’s initiative in redemption
– Shows that gospel fulfillment is the completion of prophecy
– Suggests that Jesus is not only the fulfillment but the promised content of scripture

Literary and Pauline Strategy

By opening the epistle with this clause, Paul:
– Anchors the gospel in scriptural authority
– Establishes apostolic continuity with the prophets
– Appeals to Jewish believers and scripture-respecting Gentiles

This clause provides exegetical defense:
Paul is not innovating; he’s proclaiming fulfillment.

The Gospel Promised Beforehand

The clause ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις reveals:

– A gospel long anticipated
– Spoken through prophets
– Preserved in scripture
– And now, fulfilled in Jesus

The grammar preaches:
Before it was proclaimed,
it was promised.