CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

380 Evangelizology
Some evangelistic implications of the translation of marture,w in 1 Timothy 2:6:
Is Paul referring to past completed action: hence the sending of Christ by God to earth as a
testimony?
Is Paul referring to continued action: hence, the testimony of Jesus as he heralds (see
1 Tim 2:7) it in one city and another?
Can “testimony” in 1 Timothy 2:6 also apply to the testimony of Christians today, as they
bear witness of Christ in due season to persons who have not yet heard? In which case,
when they hear, it becomes their kairos moment?
d) The Holy Spirit also bearing witness of the work of Christ:
Heb 10:15, 17, “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, …And their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more”
1 John 5:6-7, “This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water
only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because
the Spirit is the truth”
e) God also bore witness by giving the Holy Spirit:
Acts 15:8, “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit,
just as He also did to us”
f) Example of NT use in a non-evangelistic context:
Acts 26:5 , “Since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to
testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion”
g) A look at the translation of in Heb 11:2:
Having more to do with being and/or
giving testimony or witness
Byzantine
Textform
Tyndale;
Geneva
Bishops; KJV Young’s
evmartu- were well obtained a were …
rh,qhsan reported of good report testified of
Ven tau,th|
ga.r evmarturh,qhsan
oi`
presbu,-teroi.
By it the elders
were well
reported of
For by it, the
elders
obtained a
good report
for in this were
the elders
testified of
Darby; DRA ✠ ;
NKJ
have obtained had witness gained
testimony borne to them approval
For in the
power of this
the elders
have obtained
testimony
For therein the For by it the
elders had men of old
witness borne gained
to them approval
ERV; ASV NAS HCSB RSV
were approved
received divine
approval
For by it the
For by it our
men of old
ancestors
received divine
were approved
approval
Having less to do with being and/or
giving testimony or witness
GNT ✠ NIV ESV NET NJB ✠ NAB ✠ NLT CEV ✠ Message
won God’s
approval
It was by their
faith that
people of
ancient times
won God’s
approval
were
commended
for
This is what
the ancients
were
commended
for
received their
commendation
For by it the
people of old
received their
commendation
received God’s
commendation
are
acknowledged
For by it the
It is for their
people of old
faith that our
received God's
ancestors are
commen-
acknowledged
dation
were well
attested
Because of it
the ancients
were well
attested
earned a good
reputation
Through their
faith, the
people in days
of old earned a
good
reputation
(1) Possible proclamatory translations:
Mine: “For by it the elders received testimony [marture,w@viap3p]”
Mine: “For by it the elders were testifying”
Mine: “For by it the elders were bearing witness”
Mine: “For by it the elders bore witness”
Mine: “For by it testified the men of old”
And wherein they still speak, cf. Heb 11:4
Much like the heavens declare the glory of God, Psa 19:1
made …
pleasing to
God
It was their
faith that made
our ancestors
pleasing to
God.
distinguished
… set them
above
The act of faith
is what
distinguished
our ancestors,
set them
above the
crowd.