When asked if he was about to restore the Kingdom to Israel, Jesus reminds his disciples that “it is not for them to know” when the kingdom will be restored. Rather than knowing the “times and dates” God has planned, the disciples are to be witnesses to the good news of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and all the earth. To some extent, the kingdom is about to begin in the Temple in a manner which is not unlike what many expected. The Holy Spirit will fall upon people and they will speak the Word of God in power in the Temple itself.
These men are to be witnesses, a very important word in Luke-Acts and this command is in many ways programmatic for the chapters which follow. In the chapters which follow, the 12 disciples are called witnesses 8 times, and the Holy Spirit bears witness on their behalf (Acts 5:32). Both Paul (22:15, and 26:16) and Stephen (22:20) are called witnesses in Acts.
The disciples are to give testimony of who Jesus was (the messiah) and what Jesus did (died for the forgiveness of sins) and what he intends to do (return to establish his kingdom). They are all eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and they will be witnesses to the coming of the Holy Spirit (in Acts 2). They are Jesus’ own personal representatives sent to report to others what Jesus said and did.
As in the modern use of the word, a ‘witness” often functioned in a legal context, giving testimony in a court case. As the disciples give their testimony in various speeches, sermons or other teaching opportunities, they are offering evidence concerning who Jesus is. This evidence can be corroborated other eye-witnesses. In Luke 1:2, the author claims to have done this already, confirming the events of his Gospel by eyewitnesses. That Luke himself is a part of the story after Acts 16 indicates that he is an eyewitness himself and can confirm the truth of his document.
This is an important historical point, since what accounts for evidence for a first century historian differs from that of a modern writer. As Keener points out, to call upon witnesses is common in other Greco-Roman histories. An eyewitness was the most important evidence a writer could give. Polybius, for example claimed that “sight is, according to Heracleitus, by far the truer; for eyes are surer witnesses than ears” (Hist. 12.27). As I suggested in a previous post, Luke can be both historical and theological, since the two are virtually the same in the literary world of the first century.
This commission to be the witnesses of the Messiah in Jerusalem is based on the activity of the Holy Spirit. They are verbally commissioned, but it will be the reception of the Holy Spirit which empowers them to preach and confirms the words of their preaching (through signs and miracles). In another post I wondered a bit about applying Acts to the Mission of the Church in a contemporary context – I think that this idea of witness may be a good place to start. How can we bridge the gap between the first century apostolic witness and our presentation of the gospel in the twenty-first century?
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January 16, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Hilary Rolff
Something unique about a witness’s story is every individual picks up and perceives events a little differently. We see this, for example (like talked about in class), in the telling of events throughout the gospels. Many of the books contain the same story but highlight or pick up different details depending on the eye-witnessing narrator. I believe this individuality strengthens the presentation of the gospel. When sharing Jesus with others, we are, in a way, witnesses “giving testimony of who Jesus [is] and what Jesus did [and is doing in our lives] and what he intents to do” (“You Will Be Witnesses” post). Because of our individuality, we all would share this in a different way.
Every individual picks up and has a deeper understanding of the different attributes of who Jesus is. Throughout my life, I moved a lot and my family often struggled with money. Knowing that Jesus will never leave me or forsake me has always given me comfort. (Heb 13:5-6). I believe being real and personal about the gospel is an amazing gift and tool that can be used in great ways.
In the same way, we see what He did in different ways. We tell each other of the amazing things God has done and is doing through our lives. The places we see His forgiveness the most and find our freedom. We also share our struggles that God, in turn, uses to spread the gospel.
“What he intents to do” is something we all, as Christians, look forward to and hope for in the return of Christ. We all display and glorify God, furthering the Kingdom in different ways, with different gifts. Some believers were given a passion and a heart for abandoned children, and others for the poor. In our uniqueness, we are given these tools to equip us to spread the gospel in a powerful way.
In Jesus’ last words before he ascended to heaven, he commissioned the disciples to be witnesses on earth (Acts 1:8). Though he was not directly speaking to us, I believe this is also our mission as believers. We are called to be witnesses of who Jesus is, what he is doing, and what he will do.
January 16, 2013 at 8:19 pm
jbefus
In order to bridge the gap, I think we need to emphasize that we are also witnesses of the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although we were not eyewitnesses to that event, we still experience the outcome of the His death and resurrection, which is redemption through His blood. That is why I think you are right Hilary, we are to share the things God has done for us.
Even more than this, I think that Jesus’ words in Acts 1 help bridge the gap. In verse 8, Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem.” Jesus tells them that they will be His witnesses through the Holy Spirit. Looking back at Luke 24, Jesus tells the disciples that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached. And then He says that He will send the Holy Spirit that will clothe them with power (vs. 49). The theme here is that the preaching of the Gospel is deeply rooted in the Holy Spirit. Moving forward to the 21st century, the Holy Spirit is just as alive and moving in people. We are to be witnesses of Christ’s death and resurrection through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Although were not physically as an eyewitness, we are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses.
January 16, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Lundy
To begin to understand how to connect the gap between the first century apostolic witness and our presentations of the gospel in the twenty-first century you need to find the biggest difference and solve that issue. The biggest difference that I can examine in this situation to begin with is that twenty-first century Christians aren’t eye witnesses to the death of Jesus Christ. The impact of an eye witness in Greco-Roman history was extremely powerful, just as Long states referring to Keener, “to call upon witnesses is common in other Greco-Roman histories. An eyewitness was the most important evidence a writer could give” (P.L Blog Post). So in the same idea Christians need to find the way that they become an eye witness. All Christians are eye witnesses to the transformations of old to new in their own lives after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They also have witnessed friends, family, and church family members share in that transformation. When presenting the Gospel in the twenty-first century I think it is critical to reflect on these moments with true passion and excitement.
Another huge difference is when the apostolic witnesses presented the Gospel in their day and age, they would be telling a recent memory experience. They are proclaiming the Gospel to those who may have heard of Jesus, who would know the landscape, know the people, and know the lifestyle/cultural customs of that time. Being a twenty-first century witness, you do not have that luxury. However this can also be used to help the modern witness to dig deeper into the knowledge that these apostolic witnesses would have known to have a fuller understand of the full context surrounding the Gospel story. This will also create a significant bonding agent between the ‘witness’ and ‘witnessed to’ because it is not just a story it is a detailed and historically accurate re-telling with the ability to provide facts surrounding the Gospel.
Bridging this gap is really important because you have the apostolic witnesses who were so effective in their time and so courageous and fearless with their faith. If modern day witnesses had a taste of that, the world as we know it could change dramatically!
January 16, 2013 at 5:21 pm
danpierpont
(1:8). I believe this verse has the key of bridging this
gap. To bridge this gap anyone that is presenting the gospel must
be called by the Holy Spirit in order to have any effect for the
Kingdom. So, my first answer would be to know for sure that you are
called. Just like Hillary said, If we call ourselves Christians we
need to be witnesses for Christ… (Well at least that’s what I
think she is saying). Being changed ourselves – After the apostles
had seen who Jesus really was, their lives were completely changed
from that day on. They devoted the rest of their lives to living
and teaching in a way that people outside of the faith, saw a
totally different person. If we as Christians live like the
apostles, completely sold on to be witnesses with everything that
we do in our lives. God is going to bless that. Telling the story
in context and applying it to modern surroundings – This is
something that I feel like would make the gospel more relatable and
easier to understand. I know, and believe that we do not need to
change the Word to make it relatable and interesting to a
non-believing audience. However, I do believe that giving people
the story in great detail. Like, what it was like to live in that
day, the audience the text was originally written too, small things
that make it easier for people to understand that the people in the
Bible had problems/sins back in the ‘Bible days’ just like we do
now in the twenty-first century. So I believe that if we really
know the text and present it with as much detail as possible with
out adding our own thoughts and ideas to it then the Word of God is
going to change peoples lives. Just as it did a couple thousand
years ago.
January 16, 2013 at 6:55 pm
lvinton
I think that this is shown powerfully that the apostles
were called to be witnesses even to things they did not fully know.
It is a testament of faith that demonstrates their belief in the
risen Christ as they set out to do God’s bidding. I thought it was
a great point of view to read that an eye witness was one of the
most significant sources of evidence that a writer could give (“You
Will be Witnesses”). I think that the fact that the apostles are
called “witnesses” is a powerful tool to which God is establishing
credibility (not that He needs to) among people by letting these
apostles proclaim that they witnessed Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection. The term “witness” that is used serves as an
excellent reminder to me of the significance and power that comes
with being Christ-follower. I think that in the Church today it is
easy to overlook the idea of being a “witness” as our faith merges
with modern culture. We begin to slide by without having to make
active and bold proclamations about our faith. Of course, I do not
believe that Christians today have the power to heal or perform
other miracles in such blatant ways as the 12 apostles. However,
there are different ways of actively pursuing others souls through
the power of Christ in the 21st century; we as Christians need to
always to be aware of the urgency of ours and others time here on
earth. I believe a huge challenge for us Christians today is that
we easily become distracted by the temporal worldview to which most
of society resides. It is important to strive towards the continual
renewing of our minds to pursue worthwhile activities; those which
matter in eternity (Romans 12:2).
January 16, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Jake Fields
In order to connect what a witness was in Biblical times
and what a witness should look like now, you first have to do as
Steve said, find the differences. The biggest difference, Steve
nailed it, we are witnessing the same person, however, the events
that we are witnesses of are completely different. This isn’t a bad
difference though, it’s a beautiful difference. It is our job as
Christians to witness Christ as our savior who gave his life on the
cross as a sacrifice for our sins. We are to witness what he did,
what he’s doing and what is yet to come. The apostles were
witnessing in a different time and they were witnessing the actual
death of Jesus on the cross, they were there. I have never given
this much thought to the term witness and how when the apostles
walked the earth, they weren’t just witnessing Christ like we do
now, they were telling about how they SAW Jesus, the Messiah, and
they were there when he gave his life on the cross. It’s really
awesome to actually think about this term witness like I have never
before. Now how to connect the two isn’t too hard. Christians today
are witnessing the amazing love and forgiveness of our savior Jesus
and about his death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins
(John 3:16). There are miracles that happen today that show the
power of God, just as there were miracles that showed as a sign of
Christ back in Biblical times. Just like this article says, many
times in the New Testament, the apostles were called to be
witnesses. The calling hasn’t changed. We are to be witnesses of
Christ.
January 16, 2013 at 8:39 pm
notcrudd
The disciples were told in person, by Jesus himself that they would “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus is not here to tell today’s Christians this, but He has told us through many different people and in many places throughout the Word that we are to be witnessing to others of the good works that He has done and continues to do. While we are not personal witnesses to his actions here on earth, that does not mean we have not seen his works. We are all witnesses of creation, of miracles, of forgiveness, and of the joy that only He can bring to someone’s life. Everyone has a different story of how Christ has touched their lives. Similarly to the way that every account of Jesus’ time here on earth is different because of the paradigm that each person saw His actions through, we will all have a different story as well and some may see very different blessings in the same situation. That is the beauty of how God made us all uniquely different. Not everyone thinks like a physician, a lawyer, a professor, a pastor. Sometimes, the best explanation comes from seeing through the eyes of a child, a mother, a receptionist. All witnesses, or all of today’s Christians, can be used to spread the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit, just like All of the disciples could be used in the first century with the help of the Holy Spirit.
January 16, 2013 at 9:24 pm
cbefus
The title of this article “You will be Witnesses”, that comes from Acts chapter 1 shouts out the amazing reality, story and calling of the apostles to be witnesses of what Jesus Christ did on the Cross (Acts 1:8). The apostles where eye witnesses which something remarkable, but what is even more incredible is that we have the same demand from God of being witnesses! Hilary, Josh and Lundy all gave incredible explanations how connected this event is to today even though it occurred centuries ago! The Holy Spirit is still alive in us today as it was when it first came and moved these apostles of Jesus Christ to first witness to others, and we see and become witnesses of this transformation when it happened to us personally and to others around us. The apostles weren’t the only ones called to be witnesses but all of us all! We are still called today to be Gods witnesses, later on in Acts we see the conversion of Paul (Acts 9) and Gods plan for all of us to be examples! God revealed this to Paul, gave us the Bible and the Holy Spirit to continue to witness to others! To use the tools he has given us to reach everyone around us so that they know what Jesus Christ did for them. I personally have had the chance to see people around me witness to others about this amazing event that happened so long ago!
January 16, 2013 at 9:39 pm
cameronlowe5
Bridging the gap, this is a great thing that I think that we as Christians in the 21st Cent. should be looking into. How do we as a group of people who have not had eye-witness accounts of Jesus Christ give an effective testimony? I think that our witness is in the beauty of God’s creation. Romans 1:20 says “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Many times we forget that our very existence is a miracle, the fact that our body works in its precise way is just amazing. Looking and reflecting on God and His creation of us and the universe is testament enough.
We can use our own testimonies of conversion and the life changing power of God and His word as the evidence of our God. (John 3:11) Nothing in our humanness can change the sinful nature that we fall into, but only the power of God can change us. If we look to bridge that gap between us and the Apostles I think that we can use a combination of their eye-witness accounts and our own experiences with the love and grace of God to beautifully express the realness of the one true God.
January 16, 2013 at 10:39 pm
heatherjoyy
The analogy of the court case was succinct.The apostles acted as eyewitnesses and boldly proclaimed who Christ was and what he came to do so that everyone within the town could hear them.It is also significant to note that the term “witness” was used eight times in reference to the apostles. They were mostly confined within Judah. It was not until Paul showed up on the scene that the apostles were encouraged to move foward, and proclaim their witness, even to the ends of the earth. In the same way, we are given the same responsibility to act as witnesses for the case of Christ. During the time of Jesus, the only tool that the apostles had in order to proclaim their witness of the Christ was their tongue.In our modern world, technology seems to bear no limits. Even in closed countries, we can provide access for people to recieve their salvation through Christ for which the apostles are proclaiming. As it relates to the twenty-first century, I believe that our proclamation of who Christ is and what he came to fulfill should be outwardly spoken.
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with using technology. Technology has allowed us to reach people who were previously thought to be unreachable with the salvation message. However, it seems to me that techology is rather impersonal. To shift back to the apostles, they used their voice, and their knowledge of who Christ is and his ultimate purpose by word of mouth. They were witnesses to the account of everything that Jesus said and did.The apostles were boldly unashamed, and as a result, the people could not help but listen to what the apostles had to say. Nothing speaks more deeper to the truth of Christ than bold proclamation. If we, as true followers of Christ, possessed the same boldness in proclaiming the Gospel as the apostles did, we would see God’s glory manifested among all of Judah, Samaria, and the ends of the earth within the twenty-first century today as we offer our eye-witness account of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what He offers to all who believe.
January 16, 2013 at 10:42 pm
anthonybeaulieu
We have not seen the LORD in the flesh, but we have seen Him by which the Holy Spirit has revealed to us to see and understand. Since God’s word is truth and is alive and at work in us, we are constantly being witness to God and Jesus and everything He has done and we are able to see things that He is doing now. I believe that when God works in us in any way, are testimony to Him and what He did and is grows stronger just as our faith does. Since we have not physically seen the Lord Jesus, we have to go by faith but ever since we accept Christ, we see Jesus and His work being done in us and our testimony is our witness to His work done on the Cross and what His mission is. As we constantly grow, God reveals Himself to us more and more and we take witness to Him. Our presentation on the Gospel is a bit different since we did not see Jesus, His death, and His resurrection first hand so our testimony is of the change in us and what God brings us out of and how God changes our lives. With us being changed from death to life, it represents Christ’s death and resurrection. Since we then become part of the work to go and make disciples and be witnesses of the Gospel that we get to take part in. We are currently seeing the kingdom of God and it is being revealed as we do His work. Ultimately I believe that our testimony is just as strong, if not stronger, than the disciples since we are going by faith and not by our sight. What also strengthens our testimony and our witness of the death and resurrection is the fact that we have been changed even though we have not seen Him and that He is being revealed through us.
January 16, 2013 at 11:18 pm
annalange
Our lives should be a witness of the Lord in everything we do. The disciples saw Jesus’ life, heard him preach, and saw his death and resurrection. In Acts 1:8, Christ commands the disciples to be His “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The disciples were the best witnesses of Christ because they had seen with their eyes what He had done. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, they had proof that Christ had made them His witnesses. “As the disciples give their testimony in various speeches, sermons or other teaching opportunities, they are offering evidence concerning who Jesus is” (“You will be my Witnesses” post). They are giving their testimony so that others may come to know the Lord. Because they obeyed Christ’s call and followed Him, they are an example to believers today to actively share what Christ has done for them through His death and resurrection. Hilary shared that although Christ was not directly speaking to believers today in this passage, it is still necessary for people to give their testimony of what Christ has done for them, is doing in their life, and what He will do. The lives of believers are a testimony for Christ. Anthony stated “God’s Word is truth, and is alive, and at work in us.” Everyday believers are Christ’s witnesses through their actions: how they respond to others, how they drive, how they talk to people at the store, and how they respond when they are hurt. Our testimony of Christ impacts everyone we meet every day.
January 16, 2013 at 11:32 pm
nfisher2013
To be a witness to something is to give an account of an event. Jesus asked the disciples to be “witnesses for Him” because they walked with Him throughout His ministry, and witnessed Him do miraculous things. They saw Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection. Now, jump ahead 2000 years, and we come to modern-day Christians. We are given the same command that Jesus gave the disciples, that is, to be witnesses for Christ throughout the world. Now, given the definition of witness, can we really call ourselves witnesses, though we did not actually see Jesus? Yes we can. Notice that in Acts 1:8, Jesus uses the exact term “witness.” He does not tell the disciples to be “eyewitnesses.” Therein lies the difference and the bridge. In the 21st century, we cannot be eyewitnesses for Christ because we did not actually see Him. We can, however, be witnesses through our testimony. As Christians, we have an account of Christ just like the disciples did. We have accepted the fact that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in Isaiah 53. By grace through faith, we have been changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is the account, or testimony, that we have as 21st century Christians. In this way, we can be witnesses for Jesus in this world.
January 16, 2013 at 11:42 pm
Marc Mullenix
“If we look to bridge that gap between us and the Apostles I think that we can use a combination of their eye-witness accounts and our own experiences with the love and grace of God to beautifully express the realness of the one true God” (C.Lowe)
How true is this statement? Not only can we look at what the Apostles wrote about Christ and their experience with Him, but we can also look into history at the other people/religions who accept Christ as at least being here and being a good person before his death. We have written account of Christian and non-christian alike and that, powered by our testimony can be a very powerful thing. Not only because of witness accounts, but because of the truth of how God works, and how the Spirit comes upon and convicts the hearts of those who we reach out to.
January 17, 2013 at 12:00 am
Denise VanBeek
In this day, witnessing has always been thought of to me as physically seeing. I can not imagine and will never be able to fully wrap my brain around the witness that the apostles gave from being there and physically seeing, feeling and hearing Jesus.
Cameron Lowe talked about a great verse on what it means to be a witness. It is not JUST the ability to see and believe but to have faith and believe. Seeing the invisible attributes and being able to perceive those attributes have made us great witnesses. This brings me to remember Hebrews 11:27 “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger;he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”
Witnessing is not just in the eyes but in our faith and in our hearts. It also says in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Our testimony and witness is in our faith and heart not in our physical eyes. Though the apostles physically saw they also needed that heart faith for their testimony to be strong and real. We don’t see Christ with our eyes but with our hearts.