A “witness”, according to scripture, is exactly the same as a ‘witness’ in a court of law.  A witness is a person who can testify to the truth of an event because they were present when the event took place.  This is consistent throughout the Bible.  For example; “Everything must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”. (2 Cor. 13:1)  This is a direct reference to Deut. 19:15 which says, “One witness is not enough to convict a man of any crime or offence he may have committed. A matter must be established by two or three witnesses.”  We cannot simply decide to become a witness.  We have to be there when the event takes place.  

 

In Scripture, as in court, there are true witnesses and false witnesses.  For example, during the trial and stoning of the apostle Stephen it says;

“They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law’.” (Acts 6:13)

 

The testimony of a true witness is considered valid because of first hand knowledge.  In court, if you have not been called, then you cannot testify as a witness.  This is also true for God’s witnesses. They had to be chosen and called to be witnesses by the Lord Jesus Christ.

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All of God’s chosen “witnesses” saw the Lord Jesus Christ with their own eyes!  That is why they were called “witnesses”.  Their job was to testify about what they had seen, and we are called to believe their testimony.  The Lord Jesus made this clear when He prayed for us, before his crucifixion. 

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During His prayer, He separated His disciples from the world - “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.  I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” (John17:8-9)

Then he prays for those who will believe in Him through their message.   “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message”. (John 17:20)

The apostles were chosen by the Lord himself, to testify about the things they saw, so that we might believe in him through their testimony. 

 

The apostle Peter puts it this way; “Though you have not seen Him, you love him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him” (1 Peter 1:8).  Peter refers to those who have believed the message as “God’s elect” (1 Peter 1:1).  He tells us, “You have not seen Him” yet “you believe in Him”. 

 

However, when Peter writes about himself and the other apostles, he says, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’  We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18) 

 

So, we who believe are "God's elect", who have not seen God.  But the apostles were "eyewitnesses of His majesty".

 

The apostle John also made this distinction clear: “The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.” (John 19:35). He refers to himself as "the man who saw it", and told us clearly that he testified about what he had seen, so that we might believe. 

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So those who are referred to as "witnesses" in Scripture, are those who "saw" and "heard".  They had first hand knowledge of the events that they testified about and they were called to testify by the Lord Jesus Himself. 

 

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