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 does not listen to you, take one or two more people with you. Two or three witnesses may prove every case.
You are witnesses of these things.
They stoned Stephen. He called out: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!
When your witness Stephen was put to death, I was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the coats of his murderers.'
When your witness Stephen was put to death, I was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the coats of his murderers.'
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
I know where you live and where the throne of Satan is. You cling to my name and have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness. He was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy ones, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her I wondered greatly.
I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy ones, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And 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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Moses my servant is dead. Arise and cross over the Jordan River. Take the people into the land given to them, even to the children of Israel.
If he does not listen to you, take one or two more people with you. Two or three witnesses may prove every case.
Then the high priest ripped his robes apart and said: He has said evil against God! Why do we need more witnesses? You have heard his words of blasphemy!
You are witnesses of these things.
You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
One who was with us from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us must become a witness with us of his resurrection.
They brought false witnesses, which said: This man will not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet. His name was Saul.
When your witness Stephen was put to death, I was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the coats of his murderers.'
God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit (whole heart and mind) in the good news of his Son. Without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.
He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
I know where you live and where the throne of Satan is. You cling to my name and have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness. He was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy ones, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And 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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Have you not heard that when Jezebel was killing Jehovah's prophets I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water?
You witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
I know that you are Abraham's seed. Yet you seek to kill me. That is because my word has no place among you.
You seek to kill me. I told you the truth! I heard it from God. Abraham did not do this.
When your witness Stephen was put to death, I was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the coats of his murderers.'
And from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, and the firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood.
I know where you live and where the throne of Satan is. You cling to my name and have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness. He was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
To the angel of the congregation in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation says this:
I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the holy ones, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her I wondered greatly.