Movatterモバイル変換

The adverb ταχύ (Strong’s Greek 5035) consistently expresses promptness—action that is not merely imminent but urgent and decisive. Whether appearing on the lips of Christ, angels, or narrative description, it presses the hearer or reader toward an immediate response. The term therefore becomes a verbal marker of divine insistence, underscoring moments when delay would compromise obedience, faith, or hope.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 5:25; 28:7, 28:8

Mark 9:39

Luke 15:22

John 11:29

Revelation 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7; 22:12; 22:20

Twelve texts span Gospel narrative, parable, miracle account, pastoral admonition, and prophetic oracle. In the Synoptics the word quickens earthly responses—reconciliation, mission, celebration, and restraint. In John it pivots Martha from mourning to meeting Jesus. Revelation then elevates the term, attaching it to Christ’s eschatological self-declaration and to angelic pronouncement, framing the book’s calls to repentance, endurance, and worship.

Urgency in Reconciliation and Discipleship

Matthew 5:25—“Settle matters quickly with your adversary”—puts speed alongside peace. Reconciliation is not a peripheral virtue but a time-sensitive imperative; lingering hostility risks judgment. Likewise,Mark 9:39 shows Jesus halting the disciples’ prohibition of an exorcist: “Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in My name can in the next moment speak evil of Me.” The warning is immediate; sectarianism must die without delay.

Mission and Witness

The resurrection account inMatthew 28 hinges on ταχύ. The angel commands, “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead” (28:7), and the women depart “quickly” (28:8). Speed validates faith—those who truly believe the resurrection waste no time spreading the news.Luke 15:22 extends this missionary impulse into the Father’s house: “Quick! Bring the best robe…,” signaling heaven’s eagerness to restore repentant sinners.

Compassionate Response to Suffering

John 11:29 records Martha’s immediate rise when informed of Jesus’ arrival: “She got up quickly and went to Him.” Mourning yields to movement; hope generates haste. Ministry that comforts the grieving should carry that same swiftness, mirroring Christ’s own responsiveness to human sorrow.

Eschatological Expectation

Revelation gathers seven of the twelve occurrences, attaching ταχύ to direct speech from the risen Lord:

Revelation 2:16 “Therefore repent, or else I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.”

Revelation 3:11 “I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have.”

Revelation 22:7 “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”

Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me.”

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’”

Here the word carries prophetic weight: Christ’s advent is imminent enough to shape present fidelity. The early church read these assurances not as a timetable to calculate but as a pastoral spur to perseverance, holiness, and evangelism.

Intertestamental and Early Church Context

Jewish apocalyptic literature often stresses sudden divine intervention. The early believers, steeped in that milieu, heard ταχύ as a bridge between promise and fulfillment. Patristic writings echo the note: Ignatius urges believers to “be quick to run together” for prayer, and Didache 16 admonishes, “Watch for your life; your lamps be not quenched…for the whole time of your faith will not profit you if you are not perfected in the last time.” Such citations reveal continuity—speedy obedience was seen as essential to securing one’s witness in a hostile world.

Pastoral and Practical Application

1. Reconciliation should not be deferred; relational fractures threaten worship and witness.
2. Evangelistic opportunity demands prompt action; the resurrection message loses credibility when conveyed lethargically.
3. Spiritual vigilance is characterized by readiness; hope in Christ’s return fuels steady, swift obedience rather than speculative delay.
4. Church discipline and doctrinal correction (Revelation 2:16) must be carried out without procrastination, for spiritual decay spreads quickly.

Theological Reflection

Divine immediacy does not conflict with divine patience; Scripture holds both in tension. Ταχύ accents God’s right to intervene at any moment, while other texts highlight longsuffering mercy. Believers live between the two truths, measuring their days by a clock calibrated to redemption’s urgency. In doing so, they mirror the character of the One who announces, “Surely I am coming quickly.”