CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 379
3—TO TESTIFY
d. marture,w (Eng. martyr) and cognates:
Introduction: The 1669 French Geneva Bible’s three use of the word “protest,” came from
translating marture,w twice and diamartu,romai once, all in edification contexts. 500
17) marture,w (76 NT uses; 46 Johanine; 11 in Acts) – bearing witness, testifying:
Evangelistic Uses:
John 1:7, 8, 15, 32, 34; 3:11, 3:26, 32; 4:39; 5:31, 32 [2], 33, 36, 37, 39; 8:13, 14, 18 [2]; 10:25;
12:17; 15:26, 27; 18:37; 19:35; 21:24; Acts 10:43; 14:3; 23:11; Rom 3:21; 1 Cor 15:15;
1 Tim 6:13; Heb 7:17; 10:15; 1 John 1:2, 4:14; 5:9, 10; Rev 1:2; 22:20
Translated as “Protest” in 1560 English Geneva Bible, Rev 22:18
Food for thought: a less equivocal translation of marture,w: to testify (e.g. NAS translation of
1 Tim 6:13)
a) Several evangelistic examples:
(1) “He will bear witness of Me, and you will bear witness also,” John 15:26-27
(2) “Bearing witness [testifying] to the word of His grace,” Acts 14:3
(3) “So you must witness [testify] in Rome also,” Acts 23:11
(4) “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,” Rom 3:21
(5) “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who
testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,” 1 Tim 6:13
(6) “And the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the
eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us,” 1 John 1:2
b) Varieties of translation of John 3:26, “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi,
He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He
is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.’”
Various Translations of marture,w in John 3:26
Testified Have testified Said Gavest testimony Have born witness Barest witness
New International New King James
Greek Byzantine
o` dou.j eàuto.n
avnti,lutron u`pe.r
pa,ntwn( to.
martu,rion
kairoi/j ivdi,oij
New Living
Translation
Douay-Rheims
New American
Standard
King James
c) Translations of 1 Tim 2:6, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at
the proper time”
Various Translations of marture,w in 1 Timothy 2:6
Future Tense Future Tense Present Tense Past Action Past Tense Past Tense
Etheridge (from
Syriac)
who gave himself a
ransom for every
man; a testimony
which cometh in its
time.
500 See examples in Chapter 26.
KJV NAS (1977) NAU (1995) NIV
Who gave himself
a ransom for all, to
be testified in due
time
who gave Himself
as a ransom for all,
the testimony
borne at the proper
time
who gave Himself
as a ransom for all,
the testimony given
at the proper time
who gave himself
as a ransom for all
men--the testimony
given in its proper
time.
Murdock (from
Syriac)
who gave himself a
ransom for every
man; a testimony
that arrived in due
time.