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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if he may not hear thee, take with thyself one or two, in order that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the word may stand.
You are witnesses of these things.
and continued to stone Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of those killing him.
and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of those killing him.
And if I give all my goods to feed the poor, and if I may give my body that I shall be burnt, and have not divine love, I am profited as to nothing.
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is: and you are holding fast my name, and did not deny my faith, in the days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and seeing her, I was astonished with great astonishment.
And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and seeing her, I was astonished with great astonishment.
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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if he may not hear thee, take with thyself one or two, in order that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the word may stand.
Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, He blasphemed: why have we yet need of witnesses? behold, now you heard His blasphemy:
You are witnesses of these things.
But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost having come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and into the extremity of the earth.
beginning from the baptism of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us, it behooveth one of these to be witness of His resurrection along with us.
and they raised up false witnesses, saying, This man does not cease speaking words against this holy place and the law;
and casting him out from the city, they began to stone him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, called Saul:
and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of those killing him.
For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how I unceasingly make mention of you always in my prayer;
The one having rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy before two or three witnesses:
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is: and you are holding fast my name, and did not deny my faith, in the days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and seeing her, I was astonished with great astonishment.
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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So you witness to yourselves, that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
I know ye are the seed of Abraham; but 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 with God: Abraham did not this.
and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of those killing him.
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstbegotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To the one loving us with divine love, and having washed us from our sins in His own blood,
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is: and you are holding fast my name, and did not deny my faith, in the days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write; The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says these things;
And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and seeing her, I was astonished with great astonishment.