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 hear thee not, take with thee yet one or two, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might stand.
And ye are witnesses of these things.
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself was standing by, and assenting to his murder, and watching the garments of them murdering him.
And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself was standing by, and assenting to his murder, and watching the garments of them murdering him.
And if I feed out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where the throne of Satan: and thou holdest my name, and hast not denied my faith, and in the days in which Antipas my faithful witness, who was slain with you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman intoxicated from the blood of the holy, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.
And I saw the woman intoxicated from the blood of the holy, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.
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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Moses my servant died; and now arise, pass through this Jordan, thou and all this people, to the land which I gave to them to the sons of Israel.
But if he hear thee not, take with thee yet one or two, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might stand.
Then the chief priest tore his garments, saying, That he blasphemed: what further need have we of witnesses? see, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
And ye are witnesses of these things.
But ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses to me also in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the last of the earth.
Having begun from the immersion of John, unto the day which he was taken up from us, be one of these a witness with you of his rising up.
And set false witnesses, saying, This man ceases not speaking defaming words against this holy place, and the law:
And having cast out of the city, they stoned: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul.
And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself was standing by, and assenting to his murder, and watching the garments of them murdering him.
For my witness is God, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of his Son, so that continually I make mention of you, always supplicating in my prayers;
Any one having rejected Moses' law, without compassion dies by two or three witnesses:
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where the throne of Satan: and thou holdest my name, and hast not denied my faith, and in the days in which Antipas my faithful witness, who was slain with you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman intoxicated from the blood of the holy, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.
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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Was it not announced to my lord what I did in Jezebel's killing the prophets of Jehovah, and I shall hide of the prophets of Jehovah a hundred men, fifty, fifty men in a cave, and I shall nourish them with bread and water?
Wherefore ye bear testimony to yourselves, that ye are the sons of those having slain the prophets.
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, for my word has no place in you.
And now ye seek to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.
And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I myself was standing by, and assenting to his murder, and watching the garments of them murdering him.
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the chief of the kings of the earth. To him having loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood,
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where the throne of Satan: and thou holdest my name, and hast not denied my faith, and in the days in which Antipas my faithful witness, who was slain with you, where Satan dwells.
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
And I saw the woman intoxicated from the blood of the holy, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus: and wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.