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 you not, take with you yet one or two, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three, every word may be established.
Ye are witnesses of these things,
And they were stoning Stephen, calling and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
and, when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was poured forth, I myself also was standing by, and approving, and guarding the garments of those who slew him.
and, when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was poured forth, I myself also was standing by, and approving, and guarding the garments of those who slew him.
And, if I bestow in morsels all my goods; and, if I give my body to he burned, but have not love, I am profited nothing.
"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And, seeing her, I wondered with great wonder.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And, seeing her, I wondered 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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but, if he hear you not, take with you yet one or two, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three, every word may be established.
Then the high priest rent his garments, saying, "He blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, ye just now heard the blasphemy!
Ye are witnesses of these things,
but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the utmost limit of the earth."
beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
and set up false witnesses, who said, "This man does not cease speaking words against this holy place, and the law;
and, having thrust him forth outside of the city, they kept stoning him! And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul.
and, when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was poured forth, I myself also was standing by, and approving, and guarding the garments of those who slew him.
For God is my witness, Whom I serve in my spirit in the Gospel of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,
Anyone, having set aside Moses' law, dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses;
"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And, seeing her, I wondered 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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So then ye testify to yourselves that ye are sons of those who killed the prophets;
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
But now ye are seeking to kill Me, a Man Who hath told you the truth, which I heard from My Father: this Abraham did not.
and, when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was poured forth, I myself also was standing by, and approving, and guarding the garments of those who slew him.
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loveth, and loosed us from our sins in His own blood,
"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
"And to the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write these things," saith the Amen, the Faithful and the True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And, seeing her, I wondered with great wonder.