Introduction. There is a concept and practice conducted in the denominational world which is beginning to find its way into some services of the Lord’s church that demands that we spend some time in consideration of its scriptural soundness.

I. The Denominational Concepts of “Witnessing.”

1. Personal Testimony concerning an experience.
   1. “I was drunk and I saw a cross and turned my life around.” -- “I went bankrupt and a friend gave me a tract and I put my faith in Jesus.”
      Note: I am not talking about using one’s experience as an illustration of scriptural obedience to the gospel. Instead:
      • Replacement of Bible with Personal experience.
      • Claiming that we have witnessed (i.e. seen or heard) Jesus do something.
      • Even faulty notions about teaching - “I can’t preach, but I can ‘witness.’”
      • Special services where men, women and children all give “testimonials” disregarding restrictions of a woman’s role in worship.
2. Denomination called “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Are these ideas and approaches taught in Scripture?

II. The Biblical Words for “Witnessing” & “Testifying.”

1. Five main words in NT used for the concepts of “witnessing” or “testifying” which are all from the same root. [Note: there are a number of other words which use these same words adding various prefixes of time or intensity.]
   1. Verbs. martureo  - “to bear witness, testify” and marturomai  - “to call to witness”
   2. Nouns. martus - “a witness” [Eng. martyr] marturion  and marturia  - “testimony, evidence” [Related etymologically to the Sanskrit word smri  meaning “to remember” - believed to be from a common Indo-European root SMAR  of the same meaning.]
2. These are legal terms. They are used of things for which one would convey a record of something to someone else both in a trial situation and in daily life.

III. Biblical Teaching on “Witnessing.”

1. The Bible Emphasizes the Value of a witnesses testimony.
   1. Death penalty required 2-3 witnesses. (Deuteronomy 17:6).
   2. NT withrawal requires 2-3 go first (Matt. 18:16).
   3. NT accusations against elders only validated by 2-3 witnesses (I Tim. 5:19).
   4. OT one witness was insufficient. (Deut. 19:15). Note: the Pharisees tried to say that Jesus bore witness to Himself (John 8:13).
2. The Identity of Jesus Was Dependent Upon the Valid tesimony of Witnesses.
   1. John the Baptist was a witness for Jesus. (John 1:7,8; 15; 32-34).
   2. Jesus works were a witness. (John 5:36).
   3. The Father was a witness. (John 5:37). These are the three - but these would not be all that Jesus “called to witness.” Note two others:
3. The Witness of the Holy Spirit & the Apostles.
   1. The Holy Spirit would be a witness of who Jesus was (John 15:26).
   2. Those who had been with Jesus would be witnesses (John 15:27).
      1. They were those who had seen the resurrected Christ. (Luke 24:46-48).
      2. The replacement apostle had to be a witness of Jesus resurrection. (Acts 1:22).
      3. This becomes one of the main points that they stress in their preaching.
         • On Pentecost Peter says - “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.” (Acts 2:32).
         • While preaching after a healing Peter tells the Jews - “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, "and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:14,15).
         • In I Peter the Apostle identifies himself as a “witness of the suffering of Christ” (I Peter 5:1).
         • Paul, to whom the resurrected Christ appeared is called to be a “witness to all men” (Acts 22:15).
         • This is such a vital point that Paul says if Jesus wasn’t resurrected they are “false witnesses” (I Corinthians 15:15).
4. The witness of the Apostles was also connected with the Holy Spirit coming upon them. (Acts 1:8; 5:32). How would the Holy Spirit act as witness? Primarily through the works that He enabled the Apostles to do. (Hebrews 2:4).