CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 381
(2) Can the passive voice…
Include an emphatic element at times?
Include the element that they themselves were the testimony of which they were bearing
witness?
(3) For example:
“By faith Adoniram Judson went to Burma to evangelize the Burmese”
“Adoniram Judson bore witness of his faith”
(4) Other passive uses of (following Gingrich’s delineation for passive use):
(a) “Be witnessed, have witness born”:
Rom 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed [marture,w@vpppnfs] by the Law and the Prophets,”
Heb 7:8, “Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is
witnessed [marture,w@vpppnms] that he lives.”
Heb 7:17 (NKJ), “For He testifies [marture,w@vipa3s]: ‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’”
Heb 7:17 (NAS), “For it is witnessed [marture,w@vipp3s] of Him, ‘Thou art a priest
forever According to the order of Melchizedek.’”
(b) ”Be well spoken of, be approved”:
Acts 6:3, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation
[marture,w@vpppamp], full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business;”
Acts 10:22, “And they said, ‘Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and
has a good reputation [marture,w@vpppnms] among all the nation of the Jews, was
divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words
from you.’”
Acts 16:2, “He was well spoken of [marture,w@viip3s] by the brethren who were at
Lystra and Iconium.”
Acts 22:12, “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
testimony [marture,w@vpppnms] with all the Jews who dwelt there,”
Heb 11:2, “For by it the elders obtained a good testimony [marture,w@viap3p].”
Heb 11:4, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through
which he obtained witness [marture,w@viap3s] that he was righteous, God testifying
of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”
Heb 11:5, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not
found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony
[marture,w@vixp3s], that he pleased God.”
Heb 11:39, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony [marture,w@vpapnmp]
through faith, did not receive the promise,”
18) marturomai (5 NT uses) – testifying:
a) Evangelistic context – Acts 26:22, “And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day
testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was
going to take place”
n2) marturi,a (37 NT uses), testimony, evidence + e;cw (710 NT uses) to hold, maintain, have:
Introduction: Interesting for this word, is that Psalm 119 uses it 23 times in the plural (based on the
LXX) to refer to God’s special revelation. As if God’s testimony is not solely locked in a book,
but in the New Testament, Christians are commanded to verbalized those words through bearing
witness of the Gospel.
The issue of “lifestyle evangelism” versus “verbal evangelism” flows from this word: is it the
lifestyle of the believer that is a witness (e.g. outward obedience to monastic vows, etc.) or is it
the words of the believer that bear witness? In fact, 2 Cor 3:2-3 seems to link the two ideas
together, as Paul is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those that he led to
Christ. A work that produces not only visible fruit through the changed life of the believer, but
also the fruit of verbal witness, 2 Cor 5:11, 14, 19-20.
a) “And because of the testimony which they had maintained,” Rev 6:9
b) “And have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” Rev 12:17 (NKJ)