Witness

Concept

Witness in Scripture encompasses both the legal requirement of testimony and the theological concept of bearing testimony to God's truth. Mosaic law required at least two witnesses for any capital charge (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15) — a safeguard against false accusation that the New Testament extends to church discipline (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1). The false witness was to receive the punishment he sought for the accused (Deuteronomy 19:16–21). The bearing of false witness is explicitly prohibited in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20) as a sin against both neighbour and truth. In the prophets and Psalms, God himself is invoked as witness between parties (Genesis 31:50; Malachi 2:14). In the New Testament, the concept expands: Jesus calls his disciples to be his witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:8), the word martus (witness) becoming the root of "martyr" as faithful testimony to Christ led to death. The Holy Spirit is called a witness to Christ (John 15:26), and God is called as witness by Paul (Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23).