Reference: Martyr
American
A witness, Mt 18:16; Lu 24:48; in ecclesiastical history, "a witness, by the shedding of his blood, in testifying to the truth." Thus martyrs are distinguished from "confessors," properly so called, who underwent great afflictions for their confession of the truth, but without suffering death. The term "martyr" occurs only thrice in the New Testament, Ac 22:20; Re 2:13; 17:6. Since the time of Stephen, Ac 7:59; 22:20, myriads of martyrs have sealed the truth of Christianity by a painful death; which they willingly endured through faith, rather than to deny Christ, and which they often eagerly desired as a special privilege. It is doubtless possible to be put to death as a Christian, without real love for Christ, 1Co 13:3; but in general "the noble army of the martyrs" have borne a true and overwhelming testimony to the power and preciousness of faith in Christ; and their blood witnesses before God against their foes, especially against that apostate church which is "drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," Re 17:6.
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But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every matter may be established by the word of two or three witnesses.'
You are witnesses of these things.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
When the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who were killing him.'
When the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who were killing him.'
If I give all I have to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
Easton
one who bears witness of the truth, and suffers death in the cause of Christ (Ac 22:20; Re 2:13; 17:6). In this sense Stephen was the first martyr. The Greek word so rendered in all other cases is translated "witness." (1.) In a court of justice (Mt 18:16; 26:65; Ac 6:13; 7:58; Heb 10:28; 1Ti 5:19). (2.) As of one bearing testimony to the truth of what he has seen or known (Lu 24:48; Ac 1:8,22; Ro 1:9; 1Th 2:5,10; 1Jo 1:2).
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But if he will not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every matter may be established by the word of two or three witnesses.'
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard his blasphemy.
You are witnesses of these things.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth."
beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from usone of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection."
They put forward false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place, and the law;
Then they cast him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
When the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who were killing him.'
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers,
Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
Hastings
Morish
The Greek word is ??????, and is very frequently translated 'witness;' a martyr is one who meets with death because of the witness he bears. Stephen was a martyr, Ac 22:20; also Antipas, Re 2:13. The 'two witnesses ' in Rev. 11 will also be martyrs, and Babylon the Great is charged with being drunken "with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." Re 17:6. The history of the church records the faithfulness of many of these. There can be no doubt that many of the O.T. saints also died as martyrs. Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah. 1Ki 18:13. The Lord charged the Pharisees with being the children of them which killed the prophets, Mt 23:31; and in the "cloud of witnesses" spoken of in Heb. 11, were some of whom it is said "others were tortured lit. broken on the wheel, not accepting deliverance," as many martyrs since then might have saved their lives by denying their faith. Christ Himself was the faithful and true witness, Re 1:5; 3:14; and He said to His persecutors, "Ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you . . . . ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth." Joh 8:37,40. Thus the Lord Jesus was the true Martyr, though His death comprehended much more than dying as a martyr, namely, atonement.
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Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
I know that you are Abraham's descendants, yet you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you.
but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
When the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who were killing him.'
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation:
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.