Testify
Part 6 of Personify Faith
Introduction
Once we have searched our hearts for impurities and rooted out false motives or beliefs, we are prepared to share the gospel with those we encounter. We have all seen the street preacher yelling to repent or someone holding a John 3:16 sign at a ball game. This is not exactly what I have in mind when I want us to think about the word “testify.” At its core, to testify is to personify faith. Just because the Bible says that if we keep silent, nature will testify to the power of God (the stones will cry out!), does not let us off the hook! When others see us, they witness a Christ follower. We are not witnesses called at a trial for Jesus where the quality of our testimony to others is essential to the acceptance of his teachings, though. To testify is to share your unique story of the presence of God in your life.
We are not alone in this difficult pursuit. The last words of Jesus to the apostles are a promise that they “will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit will be our guide and strength when we are called to witness in whatever corner of the world we find ourselves. In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer described why our testimonies are so important: “But God has put this Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find his living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of man. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him.” We need each other to know God better—to see more clearly his life-giving, sustaining work in the world.
Thus, we must be willing to listen and learn from the testimonies of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We cannot overlook their witness and personal encounters or deem them less valid than our own. We should admit to ourselves that we only know things from our perspective and be willing to listen to another Christian’s testimony. At the same time, we must give our leaders freedom to share their testimonies without fear of reprisal because it does not fit into some man-made expectation of what Christians should say. Our testimonies should never be a means of manipulation or coercion. We are not called only to love people until we get close enough to share our testimony. We want to get to the point where our testimony of God’s work in our lives comes as naturally to us a breathing--something that we cannot help but let overflow out of our hearts and mouths. It should then give life to others to revive their weary souls, so that they can continue to write their own testimonies.
“If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier.”—C.S. Lewis
Day of Preparation
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Let us be open to learning about the different ways people through history have encountered you. Help us be open to seeing how varying interpretations give us a clear sense of who you are. Thank you for the way you continue to shape our own testimonies. Amen.
Scriptural Teachings
When we think about it, most of the New Testament functions as a testimonial from the early apostles. The gospel writers and Paul seek to share how they have seen God at work in the world through Jesus Christ. It is especially important to recognize the distinctions between how the four gospel writers testify to story of Jesus. Why is it important to have many perspectives of Christ? Does that make some true and some false? Are some more important than others? What happens when the accounts contradict each other?
Suppose four different people were to write a description of you and your life. Think about the various things your parents, your spouse, your best friend from childhood, your coworkers, your boss, or your own children might say about you. Each could be true and yet not complete. In fact, one would probably get a better sense of you even if some of the stories seemed contrary in nature to others. We might understand that part of the discrepancy in tone was due to who was telling the story and our relationship with them. The same is true for the gospel writers. They were not court reports following along transcribing the events. They also were not secretaries merely writing down oral accounts. They were preachers and theologians trying to put forward a point about who Jesus was to those that heard. In the book, Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading, scholar Richard Burridge analyzes each of the gospels on its own account. He notes, “When we put several different portraits of the same person together, we can see immediately both the diversity and the continuity; through comparison we appreciate the skill of the different artists and consider carefully their varying interpretations of the subject.” We enjoy the richness of each perspective as it stands alone. He stresses: “What we do not do is to superimpose the image one on the other, or seek to harmonize them into one single photograph, or reduce them to some simple lowest common denominator.” Rather than trying to make all the stories “fit” into one continuous narrative, let us examine each portrait individually. This will aid us when we think about different ways that people testify to the presence of Christ today.
Burridge proposes a framework that follows the ancient iconography associated with the four apostles. In old illuminated manuscripts, such as The Book of Kells (9th Century), Mark is often depicted as a lion, Matthew as a human, Luke as an ox, and John as an eagle. These animals also represent stages of Jesus’s life (and additionally can be found in Isaiah): “Born as a man, sacrificed like an ox, rose again triumphant like a lion, and ascended like an eagle.” They are common symbols in the history of Christianity.
The lion is the symbol for Mark who emphasizes Jesus’s royalty (even if he stealthily keeps it secret). John the Baptist (often represented by a lion) begins Mark’s account with a roar of proclamation about the coming kingdom. Mark’s account races from place to place and roams far and wide. Mark focuses on Jesus’s miraculous power in his ability to heal. In the end, Jesus is mocked as a king but that actually reveals his true identity. Burridge describes that it is a similar image to C.S. Lewis’s vision of Aslan the lion in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe as not safe or tame, but good.
The gospel of Matthew is often represented in human form. Matthew’s key idea is that God was made into a man. He begins with a detailed genealogy showing Jesus as not just the “son of God” but also a “son of man.” A birth narrative is important to recognize his humanness. There is a clear connection back to the promise made to Abraham that both the people of Israel and the Gentiles would be blessed through his line. Burridge notes in Matthew’s gospel that Jesus is “nothing less than the human face of God.” The most famous passages from this gospel come from Jesus teaching on a mountainside like a new Moses. Jesus’s association with his Israelite history is an important connection point for the Jewish people, but Matthew also points the way forward to the inclusion of the Gentiles.
The ox is a “universal beast of burden,” and this image characterizes Luke’s gospel. Luke’s gospel begins with the lowly babe laid in the feeding trough for oxen. As he grew, Jesus bore the “burden of sin as a sacrificial animal” and plods slowly to Jerusalem as part of his final sacrifice. Along the way, he is found among the poor and the lowly like women and Gentiles—the most burdened in society. He walks alongside the downtrodden and hopes to bear some of the weight they carry on his way to make the ultimate sacrifice for them.
Finally, Burridge describes the image of Jesus in John’s gospel: “John’s Jesus is the eagle, while the evangelist is the visionary, caught in the eagle’s talons and carried by his Lord soaring aloft.” John can see the big picture as to how Jesus relates to both God and man. Jesus’s portrait in John seems to be one of a higher perspective, filled with metaphor and symbolism, where Jesus is in the fray but somehow also above the fray. Jesus is in complete control of his path, and even the crucifixion serves as more of an epiphany of his divinity and power than something he is resigned to.
Each gospel writer had a specific purpose in writing his account of the life of Jesus. From them, we are blessed by four distinct portraits of Christ with some important crossover between them. In combination, we are blessed by a fuller, richer picture of our Lord and Savior. Each is vital to understanding some aspect of Jesus’s nature. The accounts of encounters with Jesus do not stop with the gospel writers, or even Paul, though. People through the centuries have continued to encounter the real presence of Christ in their lives. Their testimonies can be added into our understanding of who Jesus is. Can you think of others that have written about the ways Christ has been present in their lives? You, too, may have testimony that could add to how others understand Christ. That is what we hope to explore this week.
Wisdom from the Past
Testifying was a dangerous activity in the early church. Many of the early followers of Christ met tragic ends when they were persecuted, exiled, or killed for their beliefs. And yet, the gospel spread a rapid pace. When we go back to the original Greek New Testament, we find that the word for “testify” is often translated from μαρτυρώ. This is the same root as the word “martyr”; a martyr was someone who testified to their beliefs with their very life. In the early days of the church, while under Roman rule, there were many Christian martyrs because Christianity’s monotheism contradicted the divinity of the Roman emperor. Early Christians were called atheists and persecuted as part of festivals or after catastrophes as scapegoats. One of the oldest accounts of martyrdom was of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp was said to have known the apostle John, and thus, his words carried great weight in the early Christian community. Historian Mary T. Malone notes that, even to the end, he held tight to his desire to testify for Christ and gave a passionate speech before his execution in 165, which included this declaration: “’Let me tell you plainly now that I am a Christian; and if you want to know the meaning of Christianity, you have only to name a day and give me a hearing.’” Early Christian leaders were known for testifying even in the face of death.
It was not only bishops and church leadership that died as martyrs. Christian history’s oldest account from a woman was written by a female martyr named Perpetua. Shortly after Polycarp’s martyrdom, she and another young mother were held in jail to await their death. At the time, she was pregnant and awaiting the birth of her child, after which she could be put to death. In what was later published as the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, Mary T. Malone explains that Perpetua is able to give her testimony to the world: “We are allowed to enter into Perpetua’s preparation for her death, her love for her child, her problematic relationship with her father, her leadership of the other prisoners, her demands for better treatment from the prison authorities, and her account of the dreams which she interpreted as the voice of God helping her to deal with the horror that was to come.” Even when she could have withdrawn into herself in grief and sorrow, she took the time to leave a powerful testimony for generations to come. In fact, Malone explains that the high number of martyrs did little to slow the spread of Christianity and may have, indeed, quickened the conversions: “The trial and execution of the martyrs presented an opportunity to make public testimony of their faith, and many used this opportunity to remind the Roman rulers that the situation would soon be reversed.” A testimony, not only of words, but also of action, had a powerful influence on those who witnessed it. When have you encountered someone who gave a testimony of words AND action? What impact did it make?
As an interesting aside, many of the accounts of the early martyrs note an egalitarian Christian community where men and women lived in mutual leadership and respect. They acknowledged that God communicated with humans directly and looked joyfully to their reunion with Christ. It was not until the end of the second century that certain leaders became weary of constant clashes with the Romans and looked for a way to maintain a more stable relationship by acquiescing to Roman norms, including the removal of women from leadership positions. Just a reminder that we must not silence God-given testimony for the sake of stability or because we simply do not want to hear it. How do we suppress the testimonies of those on the margins today? We must also recognize that whatever persecutions we face may pale in comparison to what the early church mothers and fathers went through to preserve the faith for future generations. Sometimes we need to turn our eyes to the progress made rather than what has been lost.
Closing Blessing
Eternal God, in every age
You have raised up men and women to live and die in faith.
Forgive our indifference to your will.
You have commanded us to speak, but we have been silent.
You have called us to do what is just, but we have been fearful.
Have mercy on us, your faithless servants.
Keep before us faithful people for us to follow
so that, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
we may grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
to the praise of your holy name. Amen.
Day of Action
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Help us today take the testimony that resides in our hearts and minds and release it into the world. Embolden us to share how you have impacted our lives. Let our words fall upon the ears that need to hear them. Amen.
Scriptural Reflection
Begin today by examining the following scripture verses that encourage us to testify. Jot down a central thought of each passage.
Psalm 22:22-23
Psalm 66
Matthew 10:32
1 John 5:11-12
Have you ever testified “in the assembly” or some other public way?
Call to Action
Billy Graham once said, “The unbelieving world should see our testimony lived out daily because it just may point them to the Savior.” We sometimes do not realize the impact our lived testimony can have on others. A famous quotation by William J. Toms says,
“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” It is a good reminder that we testify not only with our mouth, but with our actions as well. Author Walter Wink says it this way: “Social action without prayer is soulless; but prayer without action lacks integrity.” We must marry together our words and actions for this is what Christ told us to do in the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus uses lots of action words to remind us that our testimony involves “going, baptizing, and teaching,” but the content of what we should say must come directly from what Christ has commanded us. Do you tend to do better sharing the gospel message through words or actions? If unbalanced, how might you improve the other side? Examine the list of ways to testify this week.
Volunteer to share your personal testimony in church or a small group gathering
Read a memoir of someone else’s testimony and reflect upon what you can learn from it such as Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler, Love Does by Bob Goff or Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Begin journaling your prayer requests and praises to better clarify your testimony
Use a social media platform to acknowledge something God has done in your life lately
Tell your children the story of how you decided to follow Jesus
Write down your personal faith journey for future generations to read
Share a song with your family that has meant a lot to your spiritual journey
Write a letter to someone go through a similar trial to one you have been through
Serve someone this week as a part of putting your testimony in action
There is not only one way to share our testimony with others; we can each use our unique gifts. One example of this is Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915), a prolific hymn writer with over 9000 hymns attributed to her. She wrote so many that she often used pseudonyms, so as not to draw more attention to herself. Fanny became blind after an untrained man, claiming to be a doctor, treated a childhood illness in a way that took her vision at the age of six weeks old. Her father died shortly after her birth, and her mother had to work long hours to support the family. As a young girl, she memorized huge sections of the Bible and then began writing poetry it inspired. She once remarked that she was glad that she was blind so that the first face she ever saw was the beautiful face of her Savior in heaven. Despite the difficult circumstances life had dealt her, she continued to testify to Christ’s presence in her life with some of our most beloved hymns such as Blessed Assurance, To God Be the Glory, and Safe in the Arms of Jesus. We will close today with the lyrics from one of her most beloved hymns where she gives her testimony. How does the meaning of the lines change knowing some of Fanny’s story?
Closing Blessing
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
Born of His Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness lost in His love.
Day of Reflection
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the ways you have been present in my life in the past. Help me to continue to look for how you are moving in my life and the world today. Let me give honor to you rather than accepting credit for the good things in my life. Amen.
Reflection
Begin today by writing about your action experience this week. How did it feel to share part of your personal story?
Modern Perspectives
Many of us may feel that our testimony is somehow inadequate. If we have not had a life-saving miracle, unexplained healing, or amazing reconciliation, we may think that our words about Jesus somehow hold less weight. Scholar Renita Weems would disagree. She believes that there is a “grace of daily obligation” in which our faithfulness, even in the mundane things of life, can be a great witness to the loving care of God. She talks about the daily care of an elderly relative, a faithful commitment to our work, and providing for the needs of young children as the type of daily consistency that can speak volumes to others about the way that God cares for our every need. It makes me think of the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” which includes the line: “Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.” God is with us in the large and small things—neither is more valuable as a part of our testimony.
Our stories are our stories whether they include dramatic events or simple daily devotion. No one should be ashamed to speak the truth they know of God to each other. Thus, I would totally be remiss if on a lesson on testifying, I did not follow my own directions! My hope is to do what Renita Weems suggests: “My task as a believer is not to inspire those who come out to hear me to believe, but to help open a space in each of them so that belief, if it ever comes, may have someplace to take root and grow.” One of my favorite images from the New Testament is in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about how a city on a hill cannot be hidden. He directs the disciples to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). I truly believe that many of us want to let our light shine, but we sometimes either feel unworthy or ill-equipped. We may also be afraid of what others might think of us, or even retribution. Cities that shine on hills also make good targets for attack.
For me, this realization happened when I was a senior in college. As the co-chair of the large service organization on campus, I was asked to speak with a few other seniors at a “Values Dinner” that the university periodically held. We were supposed to share with the attendees the things in our lives that had shaped our values. During that dinner, one of the things I shared was how my faith had informed my work with the service organization. It gave me a desire to love my neighbor and to encourage others to do so as well. I did not think about the talk too much afterward until I opened a quarterly student publication a few weeks later. There, one of the student contributors had written a scathing attack on my hypocrisy. He called me out by name for not truly living my Christian beliefs because I was going to a private university and had not given away all my possessions to serve the poor like Mother Theresa. Honestly, I was shocked. There was my name in the student journal called out for fake religiosity. I was used a symbol of all that person saw as wrong in the Christian culture of the school without even knowing me. I immediately wanted a retraction—how could someone write this about me in a school supported publication? Of course, I was getting ready to have that same student in my final 12-week senior seminar. How would I look at him when I was filled with anger after his attack?
It took a lot of prayers for peace and processing with different wise guides to realize that his attack had to do with his own issues. Through the peace of Christ, I was able to be civil to the author in what I told myself was an exercise in faith formation by turning the other cheek (including hosting this person in my home during one of the seminar sessions). I had to continue to be a light on a hill as best I could. In some ways, this attack has stuck with me as a check on my true motivations and efforts to live a Christian life. I can thank the author for helping me stop and take stock of my words and actions. It has always helped me keep an eye open to hypocrisies in my own life, that I can at least name and ask forgiveness for, even if I am not always good at stopping them. I know now that not every Christian is called to do as Mother Theresa did, but I am called to do something that matches my own situation and giftedness. Jesus did not promise us a life free from attack; the key is how we respond to adversity and how this continues to shape our testimony. Have you ever had your testimony come under attack? How did that make you feel? Do you fear sharing with certain people because you do not know what the reaction will be? Can the Holy Spirit give you strength in some area of your witness?
As we conclude this week about testifying, we should recognize that beyond our individual testimony, we have a call to testify as a community as well. It takes discernment and cooperation to craft a message to the world as to our experience, communally, with the living Christ. To illustrate, Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline shares the story of the Society of Friends meeting in Philadelphia in 1758. Here they made a communal testimony against slavery and even decided together to “reimburse slaves for the time they had spent in bondage.” Together, they made a powerful witness to the power of the Holy Spirit to reconcile. They chose to testify together of what love of neighbor meant to their community-even when it was an unpopular and radical act. Does your church have a testimony? How can it be communicated to the local community?
Closing Blessing
God of all ages:
we thank you for the faithful witness
of your apostles, prophets, and martyrs
throughout the history of your church
and throughout the world even today.
Through their witness we see and hear your truth.
We bless you for all who bless your name
through their writing, speaking, art, and music.
Through their work we glimpse your beauty.
We praise you for all who serve you without recognition or honor,
offering encouragement to the lonely, the sick, and the fearful.
Through their lives we see your faithfulness and comfort.
Now we pray that you will use even us
to reflect the glory we see in Christ.
May the voices of all your saints, made holy in Christ,
Swell in joyous praise to you, the giver of all good gifts,
Through Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Sources
The Worship Sourcebook (Closing Blessings)
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Listening for God by Renita Weems
Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading by Richard Burridge
Women and Christianity: The First Thousand Years by Mary T. Malone
Celebrating Grace Hymnal
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/poets/fanny-crosby.html