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 to you, take one or two others along, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he will not listen to them, tell the church;
"You must bear testimony to this.
So they stoned Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
"'and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.'
"'and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.'
And though I sell all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it avails me nothing.
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you are holding fast my name, and you have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan has his dwelling.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with a great wonder.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with a 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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"But if he will not listen to you, take one or two others along, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he will not listen to them, tell the church;
Then the high priest tore his garments, saying. "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? For behold, now you have heard his blasphemy!
"You must bear testimony to this.
"yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."
from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
They also set up false witnesses who testified. "This fellow is continually talking against the Holy Place and against the law.
dragged him outside the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
"'and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.'
God is my witness, to whom I render holy service in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I am ever making mention of you in my prayers,
Any one who set at naught the law of Moses was put to death without pity, on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you are holding fast my name, and you have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan has his dwelling.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with a 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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"So you bear witness against yourselves, that you are the descendants of those who slew the prophets!
"I know you are Abraham's descendants; but you are seeking to kill me, Because my teaching has no place in you.
"But now you are seeking to kill me?? man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do that.
"'and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.'
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has loosed us from our sins in his own blood;
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you are holding fast my name, and you have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan has his dwelling.
To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write. These things says the Amen, the witness, faithful and true, the beginning of the creation of God.
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with a great wonder.