1 Peter 4:11“Speak as the oracles of God”

Is this how the gospel of Christ is Is this how the gospel of Christ is taught to the world today?taught to the world today?

JESUS TO THE APOSTLES, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Greek word is martus

English: one who bears witness by his death. One who is willing to die for what he believes to be true.

Greek (the work Jesus used): denotes one who declares what he has seen or heard or knows (Vine’s).

The Greek word is martus

God – Rom 1:9; 2 Cor 1:23; Phil 1:8; 1 Thess 2:5,10

Christ – Rev 1:5; 3:14

1st cent. saints who died for the faith – Acts 22:20; Rev 2:13; 17:6; cf. 11:3

“If Stephen & Antipas were ‘witnesses’ – why can’t we be…?

1. Both saw the apostles perform miracles.

Possessed a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, 8) – from an apostle.

“If Stephen & Antipas were ‘witnesses’ – why can’t we be…?

2. Both gave their lives for their eye-witness testimony.

In that way, they were like the apostles .

The Apostles were the “witnesses” Jesus identified (Acts 1:8)

Accompanied Jesus before & after His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22).

Chosen before by God (Acts 10:40-42).

Peter stated, “we are witnesses…” (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 10:39) – the apostles!

Today, Jesus commands “preaching” to communicate His gospel (1 Cor 1:21).

We “declare” the gospel, we do not “witness for Christ” (1 Cor 15:1).

Modern day so-called “witnessing” focuses on human experience.

Preaching or Declaring the gospel focuses on the authority of God.

“We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, & ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.”

(2 Cor 4:5)

Make sure your choice of words suggest the meaning God intended.

fellowship, ministry, grace, saint miracle witness/testify.