Can I Get a Witness?

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

"Witnessing" ... it's likely that all Christians have heard the term. And we generally have an idea of what it means. When we are planning to "witness", we will probably have a script, a verbal form that we fill out to explain the Gospel to whatever listeners we are planning. We have various versions. The Four Spiritual Laws is quite popular. Evangelism Explosion is an extremely successful approach. Books are written on the subject. Tools are developed. Memory devices are employed. This is quite a production. But it seems, in all our (correct) fervor, that we neglected to ask what "witnessing" meant ... to God.

The Greek word used in Acts 1:8 is martus, the source for our English word, "martyr". In the Greek it means ... to be a witness. Go figure. What was/is a witness? (A Greek witness was the same then as it is now.) A witness is simply an observer. A witness is one who gives testimony. Oh, yes, that's a standard "Christian" word as well, isn't it? We all know what it means to "give our testimony" -- and most of us are scared. But that "testimony" is simply the same kind of thing one gives in a court of law. "Your Honor, this is what I saw/know/experienced." Nothing more; nothing less.

In John's first epistle, this is what he is claiming:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life -- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us -- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-3).

"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you." Nothing more; nothing less. John says, "We had experiences and were given information and we simply want to tell you about it." That is witnessing.

I think perhaps we've complicated things too much. I'm sure it's because we are deeply concerned about the message. I'm confident it's because of good intentions, not bad. But when Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses," He didn't have anything grandiose in mind. He wasn't envisioning websites and books and pamphlets and tracts. Oh, they're all fine, but that's not what "witness" means at its essence. "Tell them what you've seen and heard. Tell them what you've experienced. Tell them what you know." Nothing more; nothing less.

It is my opinion that if we approached witnessing from this direction, it would make for some good changes. First, it would free up a lot of scared people. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if I don't tell them everything they need to hear? What if I say something wrong?" You can't if you're simply saying, "This is what I know. This is my experience." And the perception of the listener would be impacted. Instead of producing a package, you'd be sharing yourself. Instead of providing a canned script, you'd be interacting. No longer would it be a sales tactic, an argument, a debate to be won. Instead, it would simply be, "Let me tell you something about myself because it might benefit you."

I don't think tracts or The Four Spiritual Laws or the like are "evil" or "wrong" or "to be avoided". I just think that some of us really need to jettison the tricks of the trade and get back to being witnesses. Some people are "expert witnesses," giving testimony for pay, so to speak. The Bible refers to them as "evangelists" (Eph. 4:11). Most of us, however, are just people placed in various places in the world. We are given the Holy Spirit and simply asked, "Tell them what you know." Nothing more; nothing less. Wouldn't that make it a lot easier to share your faith if all you had to do was say what you have experienced rather than trying to memorize tricks and phrases? I know it makes it easier for me.