WHAT'S YOUR TESTIMONY?
by Richard Burkard
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you," Jesus told his disciples moments before ascending to heaven. "And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
What does it mean to be a witness? In the world of religion, many of us might associate the word with Jehovah's Witnesses - the denomination which goes door-to-door two-by-two, handing out literature and wanting to talk about the Bible. I suspect that example has turned many people off to the idea of witnessing, even in mainstream Christian denominations.
Yet people who watch legal dramas or Court TV on television might consider the word differently. A "witness" is someone who comes forward to tell what he or she saw, heard and experienced. The explanation given by the witness is known as his or her testimony.
There are some Sabbath-keeping Church of God ministers who seem to dismiss the entire concept of being a witness. "You're a light, not a loudspeaker," I've heard one pastor say - indicating Christians are simply to set a good example, and only talk about the things of God when someone else brings up the topic. In fact, the word "testimony" is hardly mentioned at all in COG's. Perhaps that's because it's considered something "Protestant churches" do - and everything they do is wrong, right?
Pastor-General Joseph Tkach, of what was then called the Worldwide Church of God, challenged traditional ideas about worship styles in a 1996 sermon. We followed this with an article posted elsewhere, exploring what the New Testament says about them. Now we take a more in-depth look at the issue of testimonies, from a "whole-Bible" perspective. What are they, really? Should a Christian have one? And if so, what should the testimony be - and how should it be expressed?
"The Testimony"
The first Biblical mention of a testimony occurs in Exodus, as Israel was fleeing Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses that Aaron put a jar filled with manna "in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept." (Ex. 16:34) What Testimony? The term isn't explained here, but we're led to believe later readers of the book knew -- perhaps ancient Israel, who had the "five books of Moses" and a filled ark of the covenant for guidance.
The word isn't made clear to passive, "cover to cover" Bible readers until Exodus 31:18: "When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God."(1) The tablets had to be rewritten, after Moses smashed them down in anger (32:19) - and that "second edition" reveals to us the tablets of the Testimony were "the covenant - the Ten Commandments." (34:28-29)
The later anointing of King Joash of Judah included the presentation of this covenant testimony (II Kng. 11:12/II Chr. 23:11, KJV) -- apparently a copy of it, not the original. Yet other Old Testament passages make clear this was not the only testimony of that time.
"These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt." (Deut. 4:45, KJV) This is in the context of the overall law (v. 44) - showing a testimony can go beyond the Commandments, to other aspects of the law.(2)
Songs, Shoes and Sins
Several verses indicate music can serve as a testimony. It was ordained that way for Israeli feast days (Psm. 81:1-5) - and a "song of Moses" was part of the final testimony he left Israel shortly before his death (Deut. 31:19-21; 32:44-46). But Ruth 4:7 shows a "testimony" could be something as pedestrian (pardon the pun) as exchanging shoes with neighbors in business transactions.
A much more serious sort is testimony is mentioned in Isaiah 59:12: "For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us."(3) Hosea explains they're sins based on arrogance (Hos. 5:5, 7:10) -- and even our words admitting sin can serve as testimony against us, bringing death at the hand of the king (II Sam. 1:15-16).
Those last verses provide a good definition of "testimony," in many mainstream churches. It's a statement of your own life and actions - perhaps very sinful for a very long time. But in a New Testament context, the testimony includes how that life and actions have changed from a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus puts it in John 3:11: "We speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen...."
Jesus's Definitions
The Gospels show our Savior had plenty to say about testimonies, and gave several Himself while walking the earth. The first mention of the word is quite surprising: "But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." (Mk. 1:44; see also Mt. 8:4) A man suddenly cured of leprosy was told to follow Old Testament rules of sacrifices!(4)
The only logical way to explain the "them" (plural) is "a testimony to the sacrifices" themselves.(5)
Jesus mentioned many other things which could be considered a testimony of His time:
* The Old Testament Scriptures (Jhn. 5:39).
* The Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth" (Jhn. 15:26).
* The miracles Jesus did in the Father's name -- "they bear witness of me (Jhn. 10:25)."
* Disciples shaking dust from their feet, after leaving a place which won't listen to them (Mk. 6:11).
The Woman Who Kept Talking
How did believers in the New Testament follow the direction Jesus gave them about being a witness? It was not merely Acts 1:8, which we mentioned earlier -- as the Lord said in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony ("witness" KJV) to all nations...."
We get a "sneak preview" of the response from John 4, and the Samaritan woman who chatted with Jesus at a well. Jesus told her He was the Messiah (Jhn. 4:25-26). The woman went back to Sychar and told people He just "could be" the Christ (v. 29). And as a result, "many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony" (v. 39) - then after talking personally with Jesus, "many more became believers." (v. 41)
Think for a moment about this case. Some Sabbath-keeping Church of God ministers try to make a distinction between preachers involved in the "public thrust" of the Gospel message and the membership at large. They say the preachers have a commission to go boldly into the marketplace of ideas -- but the rest must wait and "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (I Pet. 3:15), not speaking out until someone else asks questions.
Yet was the woman at the well an ordained minister? Absolutely not, especially by COG rules - as a) she was female, b) she'd had five husbands and c) seemed to be "shacking up" with lover #6 at the time of the conversation (Jhn. 4:18). This could have been any run-of-the-mill Samaritan, it would seem. Yet she spoke out about Jesus to those around her - and the Bible offers no evidence that anyone asked her first, since only Jesus's disciples seemed to notice the conversation (4:27).
Yes, I know Herbert Armstrong warned strongly against trying to convert friends and loved ones. It was his own "testimony," based on personal experience.(6) Yet this New Testament example clearly shows ordinary people can talk about Jesus - and it can have positive results. So the question becomes: how do we do that today?
It's Not About You
Perhaps a better question is: how did people do it then - as in the New Testament early church? It's important to note first what may seem obvious: a testimony should be Christ-centered, not self-centered.
This certainly was Paul's approach when he went before Roman courts. "I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'" (Acts 22:17-18) The King James Version says "concerning me" - and red-letter versions show Jesus is speaking in the vision to Paul.
Paul continued that emphasis in his years of ministry, writing at one point: "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord...." (II Tim. 1:8) The apostle John added he was put on the Biblical version of "exile island," the isle of Patmos(7) -- "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." (Rev. 1:9)
Some COG ministers would stop here and make an "of vs. about Jesus" argument, similar to what was raised for years over Mark 1 and the KJV vs. NIV. But instead of picking at prepositions, why don't we let John explain himself on this matter of testimonies? "The testimony of God, which he has given about (of, KJV) his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.... And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (I Jhn. 5:9-11)
Did you notice the word "anyone?" If you believe in Jesus, the testimony John described is in you - and thus can be expressed through you. How? By the power we mentioned at the beginning from Acts 1, and mentioned later in Acts as well. "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" (Acts 5:32) - and I John 5:6 notes the Spirit is able to testify.
Parts of the Puzzle
Notice also that John extends the testimony beyond merely Jesus's existence, relationship to the Father or resurrection. It's a message of eternal life in Christ. He adds something more to it in Revelation 19:10: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." The prophetic testimony that God's two famous end-time witnesses will give (Rev. 11:3, 7) will occur so near to Jesus's second coming that it would have to be the focus.(8)
What did other New Testament apostles give as testimonies? They add other key elements to the salvation story. As Paul put it to one group: "I have declared ("testifying" in KJV) to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.... the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:21, 24) Peter summed up the purpose of his first epistle as two-fold - "encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God." (I Pet. 5:12)
And lest any longtime hardcore Church of God members become concerned, Paul indeed "expounded and testified the kingdom of God" - but don't stop there: "persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets...." (Acts 28:23, KJV) There's a kingdom message, but a lot more as well.
It Helps to Have One
We've seen who can have a testimony and what it involves - but why should a believer have one? Whether you follow the Old Testament or New Testament understandings of the word, it can have several benefits. Several are listed in the Psalms (especially if you read KJV), which could apply both ways:
* God's testimony makes simple people wise (19:7), and provide insight (119:99).
* Keeping the testimonies makes God's ways "loving and faithful" (25:10) and "wonderful" (119:129).
* Keeping them means people "do nothing wrong" (119:2-3). John seems to expand on this point, by writing believers can overcome the devil "by the word of their testimony." (Rev. 12:11)
I Kings 2:3 also says those who keep God's testimonies will have prosperity in all they do. The Hebrew word for "prosper" deals more with intelligent thinking than wealth accumulation.
On the other hand, rejecting testimonies of God can be a dangerous thing. It led to Israel becoming "worthless," by walking in ways of sin (II Kng. 17:15) - and ultimately leads to disaster (Jer. 44:23) and destruction (Psm. 50:7, 16-22).
The Greatest of All
So, you might be asking, what is the greatest testimony in all the Bible? I say it's one of example, more than spoken or written words. It is "the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time." (I Tim. 2:5-6) It is Jesus's death for our sins, and His resurrection for our salvation.
"We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world," John wrote (I Jhn. 4:14). It is the testimony of God raising Christ from the dead which verifies Jesus is the Christ - as in the Messiah (I Cor. 15:15/Acts 18:5).
But that sort of witness admittedly can be unpopular. Some people scoff at it today. And based on the vision of John, some Christians have lost their lives for that witness through the centuries (Rev. 6:9, 20:4) - as the devil goes after those who "hold to the testimony of Jesus." (12:17)
Conclusion
"A truthful witness saves lives," Solomon says in Proverbs 14:25. That's true on a human level, whether in a murder trial or warning travelers of danger in the road ahead. And we've seen that's also true on a spiritual level - as the witness of believers (even at beginning levels) can bring some to salvation in Jesus.
While Jesus did not accept human testimony during His years on Earth (Jhn. 5:34), the standard changed a bit in the early church. "We accept man's testimony," John wrote, "BUT God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son." (I Jhn. 5:9)
Disciples of Jesus actually have an obligation to bear witness of Him (Jhn. 15:27; Acts 10:42 and 13:31). Jesus said those who are born of the Spirit "speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen...." (Jhn. 3:8, 11) If you've come to know Jesus and have seen the Holy Spirit at work in your life, don't be afraid to share that testimony with others. It's your opportunity to join the "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, and described in the chapter before - whose testimony is rewarded at the end of this age with the first resurrection, to rule with Christ forever.
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© 2006, Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.
1. Contrary to many depictions, Ex. 32:15 shows the two tablets had writing on both sides, "front and back."
2. See also II Kings 23:3 in KJV.
3. See also Jer. 14:7.
4. The instructions for this procedure can be found in Leviticus 14.
5. The NIV Study Bible (Zondervan, 1995) says "them" refers to at least the priests, and possibly the people at large. If so, why didn't Jesus tell the man to go "to the priests," instead of only one?
6. The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Volume 1, 1986 ed., pp. 323-24.
7. Smith's Bible Dictionary, 1986 ed., p. 486.
8. Jesus reinforces this testimony in Rev. 22:20.