CAN ANYONE TODAY WITNESS FOR CHRIST?
By: Randy Kea
No one today can give “inspired testimony” as the apostles could in the first century (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:21-22; 10:39-42).
The word “witness” and its forms appear over 100 times in the New Testament. The word “testify” and its forms occur over 60 times in the New Testament. These words are used in the following ways: 1) To refer to DIVINE or INSPIRED TESTIMONY. 2) To refer to HUMAN or UNINSPIRED TESTIMONY – sometimes true and sometimes even FALSE testimony (Matthew 26:59).
One cannot give “inspired testimony” today because all divinely inspired testimony was revealed to the first century apostles. “All truth” was given to them (John 16:13; 14:26). “The truth”, “the faith”, or “the gospel” was “once” and for all time for all people delivered through them (Jude 3; John 16:13; Galatians 1:6-9, 23).
No one today can give “human testimony” (uninspired) because no one today has “seen” Christ. I know this because the inspired apostle Paul clearly states that he was the “last of all” to “see” the resurrected Christ (I Corinthians 15:8). Now, if someone since has “seen” Christ, Paul made a mistake and “last of all” does not mean “last of all.”
All of the verses used in an attempt to respond to my article either have reference to “uninspired human testimony” or they have no application at all to the question of witnessing or testifying. Here they are:
1) John 4:39 – This is uninspired human testimony. This woman was an “eyewitness.” She saw and heard Jesus personally. No one after Paul has “seen” Jesus (I Corinthians 15:8) and unless we have some folks today who are roughly 2,000 years old, no one alive has seen Jesus either.
2) Mark 5:19-20 – Human uninspired testimony. Again, no one today is in this category.
3) Luke 16:27-28 – This verse is not even discussing “witnessing for Christ” in any sense.
4) Acts 3:8 – This man was praising God or worshipping, not “witnessing.”
5) John 9:25 – Same situation as #1.
In conclusion, we see that the word “witness” (testify) is used in the Bible to refer to FIRST-HAND EYEWITNESS contact with the Lord. The word is not used in the way that modern-day, so-called “testimonials” might indicate. Those who continue to use the word in this way today, are misusing a scriptural term. Of course, we thank and praise God daily for the blessings that come through Christ and His gospel, but this is not testifying in the biblical sense of the word. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” (I Peter 4:11)