Are You a Witness for Jesus Christ?
1) Jesus Christ wants His disciples to confess Him openly.
“Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him
I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever
denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in
heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
“Also, I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And
anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven
him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be
forgiven." Luke 12:8-10
2) The Holy Spirit will power believers to be witnesses.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.” John 15:26-27
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord,
will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to
them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has
put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey
God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you
murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to
be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy
Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:29-32
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of
speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your
faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1
Corinthians 2:1-5
3) Apostle Peter was a witness for Jesus Christ.
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by
God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in
your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the
determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless
hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having
loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should
be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD
always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be
shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover,
my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in
Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have
made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your
presence.’ Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the
patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with
us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had
sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to
the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he,
foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that
His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This
Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore,
being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now
see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says
himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make
Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Therefore, let all the house of Israel
know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both
Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:22-36
So, when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why
do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our
own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus,
whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was
determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just and
asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of
life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His
name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see
and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this
perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Yet now, brethren, I know
that you did it in ignorance, as your rulers also did. But those things
which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ
would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who
was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of
restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His
holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the
fathers, The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from
your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to
you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet
shall be destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets,
from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also
foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, and in your seed
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God,
having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning
away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:12-26
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God
shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works
righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the
children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of
all— that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and
began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did
both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by
hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him
openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God,
even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And
He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He
who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him
all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in
Him will receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:34-43
4) Apostle Philip was a witness for Jesus Christ.
Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to
them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by
Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean
spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed;
and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great
joy in that city. Acts 8:4-8
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward
the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This
is desert. So, he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a
eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians,
who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to
worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading
Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and
overtake this chariot.” So, Philip ran to him, and heard him reading
the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip
to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read
was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before
its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation
His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For
His life is taken from the earth.” So, the eunuch answered Philip and
said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of
some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this
Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they
came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What
hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with
all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So, he commanded the chariot to stand
still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he
baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the
Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he
went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing
through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. Acts
8:26-40
5) Apostle Paul was a witness for Jesus Christ.
And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on
him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the
road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes
something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose
and was baptized. So, when he had received food, he was strengthened.
Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately
he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
Acts 9:17-20
From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for
Israel a Savior—Jesus— after John had first preached, before His
coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as
John was finishing his course, he said, Who do you think I am? I am not
He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I
am not worthy to loosen.’ Men and brethren, sons of the family of
Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this
salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their
rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the
Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in
condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they
asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had
fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from
the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He
was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to
Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you
glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has
fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.
As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I
have begotten You.’ And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to
return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure
mercies of David.’ Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will
not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ For David, after he had
served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried
with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no
corruption. Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through
this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him
everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could
not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:23-39
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as
his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with
them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ
had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus
whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded;
and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the
leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Acts 17:1-4
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance,
saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands
on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues
and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. And he went into
the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and
persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some
were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the
multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning
daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so
that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews
and Greeks. Acts 19:4-10
“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and
commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I
saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and
those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground,
I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick
against the goads.’ So, I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I
have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a
witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which
I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as
well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes,
in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Therefore,
King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared
first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the
region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent,
turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the
Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having
obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small
and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and
Moses said would come— that the Christ would suffer, that He would be
the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish
people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:12-23
“Therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been
sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” And when he had said
these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among
themselves. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house,
and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and
teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all
confidence, no one forbidding him. Acts 28:28-31
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no
effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it
is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world
through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness
of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a
sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to
the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those
who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:17-24
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your
heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you
confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will
not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and
Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For
“whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the
kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and
in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:13-18
6) Believers were a witness for Jesus Christ.
Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Acts 8:4
Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over
Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching
the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from
Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the
Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with
them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man
and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he
spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only
the baptism of John. So, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained
to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to
Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and
when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through
grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the
Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 18:24-28
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His
Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express
image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as
He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Hebrews
1:1-4
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have
come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God
day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love
their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who
dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the
devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that
he has a short time.” Revelation 12:10-12
7) Apostle John was a witness for Jesus Christ.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through
Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we
have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which
was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen
and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1
John 1:1-4
This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water,
but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because
the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven:
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And
there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and
the blood; and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God
which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God
has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a
liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of
His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does
not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know
that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the
name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:6-13
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His
servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and
signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the
word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that
he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this
prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is
near. Revelation 1:1-3
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos
for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the
Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a
trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the
Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven
churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to
Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Then I turned
to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven
golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like
the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded
about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like
wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet
were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the
sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His
mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the
sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as
dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be
afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades
and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things
which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery
of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden
lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and
the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Revelation
1:9-20
Note: Witnessing for a pastor, priest, pope, or prophet is not witnessing for Jesus Christ.