To Be a Witness

Dictionary meaning of Witness :




1. Someone who sees an event and reports what happened.
2. close observer
3. someone who has firsthand knowledge about something.




Does that mean reporting and testifying are the same. --- No reporting and testifying are 2 different words!




Gen 21:30 -- Can we put witness as to mark or proof??


Witness has 3 different meanings. 


It has 2 nouns and 1 verb.


1. Attestation of fact or event(n)
2. To Testify (v)
3. To bear witness (n)


The word martyr also means witness. The original word martyr comes from the word witness.




Biblical Meaning of Witness :


Again, there are 2 nouns and 1 verb when compared in Greek.


1. Activity of bearing witness
2. Content Of Witness :
Ref Is 43 : 9-13 - witness being used in legal perspective
Ref Is 44: 8-11 , Mark 14:63
3. Activity of bearing witness, bearing of witness(that is borne)- the content


Witness in Bible: 
1. Confessional Witnesses .
Thomas testifies as My GOD and My LORD. Peter also testifies.


Lu 24 : 46-48 The 12 apostles are the eye witnesses , who witnessed the LORD's earthly life - pre-ascension . 


2. Post Ascension witnesses 
Act 22:14-15. Paul's witnessing is different from the Apostles. Stephen is a martyr.
Jn 21 :24


6 specific witness with respect to Christ


1. John the baptist Jn 1:7
2. Scriptures Jn 5:39
3. Father himself Jn 5:37
4. LORD's works Jn 5:36
5. The pharisees telling about the LORD Jn 8:13
6. Holy Spirit Jn 15: 26-27





So What does this witnessing mean to us as individuals ?


The important function of a Christian is to be a witness. Our being itself should be a witness. It should be embedded in our life. We ourselves must be a witness before witnessing. We must first witness GOD in our life before we witness it to others.


Jn 11 - Lazarus, Jn 12 :9-11, Phil 1 :27


When is a witness born?


When we are born again we are becoming witnesses Act 1:8


Is witnessing an option?


Witnessing is not an option given to us. By default we have to be a witness. It is mandatory on our part to be witnesses for the LORD. eg : Ralph Waldo Emerson's Quote : "Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you are saying. "


"A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."


Act 4:19 - 20 : We cannot help talking about what we have seen or heard.


When a fact is absent we cannot talk about it. Whatever faith we have should come out verbally. Because other people will believe by hearing. "Faith comes by hearing" Rom 10 :17


We become a witness by not telling who we are but by telling whose we are.


Act 1:8 : But you will receive power when the HOLY SPIRIT comes on you : and you will be my witnesses ............... to the ends of the world.


So the next question arises, If we are not witnessing is there a HOLY SPIRIT in us?? Are we Born Again??