New Testament Witnessing
A testimony is an eye-witness or expert report as evidence for the truth. In
the New Testament “testimony” / “witness” refers to
the reports and evidence for the truth of Jesus Christ.
What were the essential qualifications of an Apostle …
John 14:26?
Acts 1:8, 21-22?
What witness was held out as the basis for the truthfulness of the gospel in …
Acts 17:?
1 Corinthians 15:1-8?
2 Peter 1:16-18?
John 17:6-7 with 20-21?
John 20:28-31?
1 John 1:1-5?
Why is it important to recognise the distinctive witness/testimony of the Apostles?
The Christian witnessing in the New Testament is not telling an individual’s own experience of becoming or being Christian. It essentially the evidence of Apostles’ eye-witness testimony to the person and events of Jesus. It is their experience not ours that is the basis and support for the gospel’s truthfulness.
What happens when we confuse the place of our experience and “witness” with that of the Apostles?
Our Witness
Our witness/testimony is the story of our own experience of the Lord Jesus,
especially in his work by his gospel and Spirit in our lives. It points
to, supports and shows the relevance of the Apostles’ gospel witness/testimony.
That is, how our experience or story flows from their experience and story.
How can we tend to disconnect our story from the Apostles’ Jesus story?
What happens when we do?
How can we keep our story tied closely to the Apostles’ story of Jesus?
List some ways that the message of Jesus story (as given and evidenced by the Apostles’ witness) positively impacted and/or continues to impact your life
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
4 Whats
1. What happened - your story.
2. What moved you - the felt needs, what you were looking for.
3. What Jesus did - how the gospel of Jesus death and resurrection met these needs.
4. What you did - how you responded, how to become or be a Christian.
Remember to move on from talking about.....
1. Yourself to about Christ.
2. Your personal experience to the gospel; from your story to Jesus’ Story.
3. The past to the present.
Beware against.....
1. Waffling - Practice to speak concisely.
2. Jargon - Use street words and phrases.
3. Raising false expectations or making false promises that God hasn’t made.
Here is where exceptional experiences or stories are dangerous. They may be wonderful for the person who has them but they may lead to false expectations that the same will happen for others. Just because you’ve had a certain experience or God’s done certain things for you, does not mean others will or God will for them. Sometimes your experiences can intimidate, dishearten others or even be totally dismissed by them.)
Apologetics -
Making a defence
Giving the reasons
Answering the questions
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
1 Peter 3:15b
Common questions:
1. How can we know God exists?
2. Isn’t the New Testament just myths and legends?
3. Why does God allow suffering?
4. What about those who never hear about Jesus?
5. What about other religions? Aren’t there many ways to God?
6. Don’t all good people go to heaven?
7. Isn’t faith only psychological?
8. Hasn’t science disproved the Bible?
Principles:
1. Be godly in content and manner. Be honest and loving.
2. Address issue behind the question, below the surface.
3. Listen.
4. Don't over answer.
5. Ask questions.
Reveals person's thinking & any underlying issue.
Debate becomes search & discovery.
Winning the battle doesn’t mean winning the war!
6. Challenge the adequacy of their world-view’s answers.
7. Remember who else is listening.
8. Gospel directed - answer with Jesus.
Leads towards God's agenda.
Avoids philosophical and scientific tangents.
Jesus' & New Testament's historicity has strong support.
9. Pray!
Case 1: God’s existence?
Possible approaches:
1. Creation. Design. Purpose.
Leads to creation vs evolution dead end.
2. Personal experience.
Lack of certainty for self, others.
Lack of permanence in response.
Leads to pursuit of ever new experiences.
Leads to comparison of universality of religious experiences.
3. Existence of conscience and acknowledged morality.
Leads to sociological & philosophical dead ends.
4. Historicity of Jesus.
i. Transmission - Hasn’t the Bible been changed?
Prdouced by cross checking of multiple early copies.
Archaeological affirmation.
ii. Origin - Isn’t the Bible just myths and traditions
developed by the church?
Dating by archaeology to eye-witness life-time.
Gospel (NT) produced church not vice versa.
iii. Apostles’ reliability - How can we know they told
the truth?
Nothing to gain, everything to lose.
Gave lives for their testimony.
- How can we know they knew the truth?
Eye-witnesses. [Acts 1, 1 John 1]
iv. Jesus’ reliability -
Trilemma: Liar, lunatic or Lord? (Quadrilemma: or legend.)
Resurrection: Alternative explanations.....
1. Disciples stole the
body.
2. Jesus only fainted
on the cross.
3. Women mistook
the tomb.
4. Disciples hallucinated
Jesus’ appearances.
5. All a legend.
6. Jesus really rose
from death to life.
Case 2: Suffering’s existence?
Not just why: origin in human rebellion,
(note: sin has brought suffering generally,
but not necessarily connected in specific cases!)
but also what answer:
God’s Son sharing suffering to save from suffering .
Further reading:
‘Know & Tell the Gospel’ John Chapman
‘Is the NT history?’ Paul Barnett
‘The truth about Jesus.’ Paul Barnett
‘Evidence that demands a verdict.’ Josh McDowell.
‘3 crucial questions about Jesus.’ Wenham
‘Resurrection: hoax or histroy.’ Wenham.
‘The NT documents.’ F. F. Bruce.
‘Sneaking suspicion.’ J. Dickson.