Topics from the Gospel of John
Part III: The Meaning of
"Witness" in John
Merrill
C. Tenney
Among the numerous terms that can be
classed as specially
Johannine, the word witness, whether a verb or a noun, is
outstand-
ing. The noun marturi<a
occurs fourteen times in the Gospel, and
the
verb marture<w
thirty-three times; in the Johannine Epistles
marturi<a
occurs seven times, and marture<w
ten times; and in
Revelation
marturi<a
is used nine times, and marture<w
four times.
The
Johannine usages of these two terms outnumber their
total usage
in
the rest of the New Testament.
Obviously John gave great importance
to this concept in his
presentation
of the message about Christ. Its general meaning de-
notes
attestation of some person or event which might naturally be
the
object of antagonism or skepticism. Because of the stupendous
miracle
of the Incarnation which brought other miracles with it,
some
sort of confirmation was necessary if Jesus were to be regarded
as
anything more than a wandering prophet who made fantastic
claims.
The support for His claims became the witness which is
Christian
testimony. This term thus became the summary of the
apologetic
teaching that the Gospel advanced in defense of Jesus'
life
and work.
Marturi<a ("witness'") does not refer
primarily to the cor-
roboration of Jesus'
historical existence and works, though it is so
used
on occasion (John 15:27; 21:24; 1 John 1:2; 4:14), nor to
particular
events in the story (except in John 19:35). The witness
EDITOR'S
NOTE: This is the third in a series of four articles, first delivered
by
the author as the Louis S. Bauman Memorial Lectures at Grace Theological
Seminary,
229
230
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
is
mainly to the character and significance of His person. The attesta-
tion of the factual
history is only the first step toward the witness
of
His significance in the divine revelation and in the reality of
experience.1
The concept of witness is also closely
related to the progressive
presentation
of the person of Jesus in the Johannine narrative. It
appears
in every major section of the Gospel, but the heaviest con-
centration occurs in the
second, third, and fourth sections that deal
with
Jesus’ ministry. The establishment of His claims necessitated
convincing
testimony, and the addition of personal witness to the
mute
attestation of His "signs" made John's proclamation doubly
effective.
The first use of witness appears in
the Prologue (1:1-18),
describing
the work of John the Baptist: "He came for a witness,
that
he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through
him"
(1:7). The ministry of John was introductory, paving the way
for
the revelation of God in Christ by summoning men to repentance
and
to the renewal of their relationship with God. John was the
messenger
who directed men's faith toward God, not the object of
faith
himself. He came to testify concerning the coming Messiah, not
to
take His place. The Gospel of John does not record the baptism of
Jesus
as the Synoptics do (Matt. 3:1-17; Mark 1:4-11; Luke
3:15-
22)
, but it deals much more fully with the effects of the baptism.
The
function of John the Baptist is merely epitomized; the introduc-
tion of Jesus is
given much more space. The Prologue simply pre-
sents John as the
prophetic figure who closed the old dispensation
of
the Law and who opened the door to the new dispensation of
grace
(cf. Luke 16:16: "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed
until
John; since then the gospel of the
preached").
The second section of the Gospel, the
period of consideration
(1:19-4:54),
opens with a more detailed statement of the witness
of
the Baptist. Not only did he disclaim any messianic office, and
deny
that he was Elijah or the prophet of which Moses spoke (Deut.
18:15),
but he pointed directly to Jesus as the person whom he had
been
sent to introduce. Declaring Jesus to be the Lamb of God, he
used
a word that connotes a sacrificial lamb, and so connected Him
with
the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7b: "Like a lamb that is led to
slaughter,
and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He
1
Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament, s.v. "ma<rtuj," by H. Strath-
mann, 4:498.
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 231
did
not open His mouth." His statement that Jesus would baptize in
the
Holy Spirit recalls the prophecy of Ezekiel:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you,
and I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you
a heart of flesh. And I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you
to walk in My statutes, and you will
be careful to observe My
ordinances (Ezek. 36:26-27).
John's
final word to his disciples was: "I have seen and have borne
witness
that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
John's dual testimony to Jesus
presented both His atoning ministry
and
His right to divine authority. In these respects Jesus was superior
to
the Law: He was Himself the final sacrifice to take away sin, and
possessed
an authority greater than that of Moses. In the wake of
the
revival produced by John's preaching came the new message of
a
Redeemer and Revelator who would introduce the new age of the
kingdom.
The witness of John put Jesus in the focus of the attention
of
men who were eager for some new work of God.
From this witness came Jesus' first
disciples. They began their
investigation
of Him on the basis of John's teaching. As they inter-
viewed
Him one by one, they emerged from that interview to express
their
belief that He was indeed the One "of whom Moses in the Law
and
also the Prophets wrote" (1:45), "the Son of God . . . the
King
of
were
induced to join their group, so that by their witness others were
drawn
to Jesus.
Jesus used the word witness concerning Himself in the conver-
sation with Nicodemus:
"We speak that which we know, and bear
witness
of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our
witness"
(3:11). He emphasized His personal knowledge of spiritual
realities
which His hearers generally rejected because they could not
equate
these realities with their experience. To Jesus the new birth
was
no mystery; it was the normal effect of God's intervention in
human
life, and He testified to His firsthand knowledge of its power.
For
Jesus, spiritual realities were as familiar as physical realities are
to
us. He did not present them as theses which He had developed,
but
as experiences of His past. "I speak," He said, "the things which
I
have seen with My Father" (8:38).
The third section of John, the period
of controversy (5:1-
6:71),
deals much more fully with the idea of witness. This section
depicts
the tensions and debate that arose in Judaism over the teach-
ings and actions of
Jesus. Because He had healed a paralytic on the
232
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
Sabbath
He was accused of being a rebel against the Mosaic Law.
When
He asserted His authority by saying, "My Father is working
until
now, and I Myself am working" (5:17), He compounded the
offense
in their eyes by blasphemy, for He placed Himself on a level
with
God. The ensuing argument with the religious leaders evoked
an
appeal to the various witnesses which accredited His ministry.
John
used this occasion to present five of them.
JOHN'S FIVE WITNESSES TO
CHRIST
THE
WITNESS OF THE FATHER
As already stated, Jesus had a
peculiarly vivid consciousness
of
God that transcended that of any ordinary human being. He
claimed
that He was the special object of the Father's love (5:20)
and
that He was the administrator of the Father's judgment (5:22-
27).
Particularly was the Father's witness apparent in the works of
Jesus,
for He performed them by delegated power (5:20)--a type
of
witness which was extended also to Jesus' followers as noted by
the
writer of Hebrews (Heb. 2:4). At the crisis of Jesus' career
as
described by John, He prayed that the Father's name might be
glorified,
whatever His own fate might be. A voice from heaven
responded,
"I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again"
(John
12:28). Jesus said that the voice had not spoken primarily
for
His sake, but that the multitude might know that He was fulfilling
the
Father's commission, and that the victory was assured. On the
basis
of the Father's witness Jesus claimed that He was the confidant
of
the Father, who disclosed to Him all His purposes and acts, and
that
the Father had entrusted to Him the power to impart life
(5:20-21).
This commission was the first witness of His high
position.
THE
WITNESS OF HIMSELF
A second witness was Himself, though
at this point He dis-
counted
His own testimony: "If I alone bear witness of Myself, My
testimony
is not true" (5:31). Jesus did not mean to say that He
did
not tell the truth, or that He did not have a proper estimate of
Himself,
but rather that His witness would not be fully admissible.
The
Old Testament law demanded that two or three witnesses ex-
ternal to the man on
trial be called (Deut. 19:15). Morris argues
that
Jesus' witness by itself would not be true because it would be
unsupported;
independent information would be required.2 From the
2
Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John
(
Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1971). p. 325.
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 233
personal
standpoint, His witness was valid, for who would know
more
about Him than He would Himself? This aspect He mentioned
in
a later conflict: "Even if I [do] bear witness of Myself, My
witness
is true; for I know where I came from, and where I am
going;
but you do not know where I came from, or where I am
going"
(8:14).
THE
WITNESS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Jesus said, "You have sent to
John and he has borne witness
to
the truth . . . . He was the lamp that was burning and was shining
and
you were willing to rejoice for awhile in his light" (5:33, 35).
The
recurrence of the concept of light recalls the statement of the
Prologue:
"He was not the light, but came that he might bear wit-
ness
of the light" (1:8). Jesus characterized John as a lamp shining
in
the darkness. It is adequate for the night season, but is unneces-
sary in the full
blaze of day. If Jesus' ministry were of no greater
significance
than John's, it would have been meaningless. The lesser
prepares
the way for the greater. Jesus evidently felt that the witness
of
His person and work outweighed any human testimony that could
be
given to Him. The people, however, had accepted John's words
and
had placed confidence in him. His testimony, therefore, should
be
convincing to them (5:34-35), for he had exercised enormous
popular
influence which had prompted the investigation of the re-
ligious authorities and
the arbitrary arrest by Herod Antipas.
THE
WITNESS OF JESUS' WORKS
"The works which the Father has
given Me to accomplish, the
very
works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent
Me"
(5:36). The "works" comprised His miracles or "signs,"
which
illustrated
the operation of divine power on every aspect of human
life.
Whether they dealt with the material or immaterial world,
whether
they involved the forces of nature, or physical disease, or
death
itself, they revealed a power resident in Jesus that set Him
apart
from the rest of men. These works were not only the physical
marvels
of healing or of raising the dead, but involved also the
restoration
or renewal of inner life. The transformation of Peter, the
generation
of a new quality of faith in the nobleman of
spiritual
education of the Samaritan woman, the enlightenment of
the
blind man, the new understanding gained by Mary and Martha
are
also samples of the works of God. In most instances mentioned
in
the Gospel spiritual effects accompanied the physical effects, and
made
these "works" a testimony to the mission and power of Jesus.
234
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
Furthermore, His works were never
performed for mere exhibi-
tion or
self-aggrandizement. Jesus did not rest His claim solely on the
extraordinary
character of His works, as a magician might establish
his
reputation by the spectacular tricks that he performed. Instead,
the
miracles were the normal result of Jesus' divine personality as
He
came in contact with human problems and acted on them. In
the
words of the blind man, "Since the beginning of time, it has
never
been heard that any one opened the eyes of a person born
blind.
If this man were not from God, He could do nothing" (9:32-
33).
John has told us plainly that the seven "signs" which he cited
as
convincing works of Jesus were simply samples selected from a
much
larger potential list. Others which are mentioned in the Synop-
tic
Gospels would confirm the conclusion that Jesus did indeed do
the
works of God.
Incidentally, there is no indication
in the Gospels that His
enemies
ever denied the factual character of Jesus' works. In rabbinic
tradition,
He was condemned not as a worker of fraudulent miracles,
but
as a sorcerer. The fact that He performed remarkable deeds was
not
questioned. Stauffer states that "around A.D. 95 Rabbi Eliezer
ben Hyrcanus
of Lydda speaks of Jesus' magic arts."3
This position
in
the rabbinic tradition — accusing Him of sorcery — is perhaps
reflected
in the accusation of demonic power that Jesus' enemies
brought
against Him (8:48).
THE
WITNESS OF THE SCRIPTURES
In referring to the testimony of the
Scriptures He meant the
Old
Testament, especially the Pentateuch. The first five books of
the
Old Testament, which the Jewish people call the Torah, or Law,
were
particularly revered as the work of Moses. The scribes con-
tinually studied them in
order to ascertain the requirements of God
for
their daily worship and conduct. By the observance of the Law
they
hoped to obtain eternal life. "You search the Scriptures, because
you
think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear
witness
of Me" (5:39). The attitude of the people is reflected in
the
words of the young ruler described in the Synoptic Gospels, who
asked
Jesus, "What shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?" When
Jesus
asked him if he knew the commandments, he replied that he
had
kept them from his youth. Jesus then told him to sell his prop-
erty, give the
proceeds to the poor, and to become His disciple
(Matt.
19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23). Jesus did not
3
Ethelbert Stauffer, Jesus and His Story
(
1960),
p. 9, quoting Shabbath
1046: Tosophila Shabbath 11.
15.
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 235
say
that the Law was inconsequential; but He indicated that He
was
the means of bringing its revelation to perfection. The attain-
ment of eternal
life, or the life of the age to come, could be possible
only
through Him. The Scriptures, then, were intended to draw men
to
Him.
The witness of the Scriptures was not
only the projection of its
ethical
focus on a coming revelation in His person, but was also
the
fulfillment of hope in a coming Messiah who would bring spiri-
tual deliverance to
all mankind. The first prophecy of the Bible,
recorded
in Genesis 3:15, announced that the "seed of the woman"
would
crush the head of the serpent. In other words, the descendant
of
the woman, human, but appointed by God, would conquer the
power
of evil and undo the mischief that God's adversary had already
done.
The "line of the seed" is subsequently traced through the
genealogies
of the Old and New Testaments until its end in the
Son
of Mary, who is called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He is the
heir
to the blessings promised in the covenant with Abraham (Gen.
12:1-3;
22:18), and to the kingdom promised in the covenant with
David
(2 Sam. 7:12-16). He is also the Suffering Servant of Isaiah
(Isa.
52:13-53:12), whose astounding prophecy depicts graphically
the
rejection, vicarious suffering, agonizing death, and final triumph
of
One who was led like a sacrificial lamb to the altar of sacrifice,
who
was entombed in a rich man's grave, and yet survived to prolong
His
days and to see the purpose of Jehovah completed through His
life.
Micah had even predicted the exact place of the Messiah''s
birth:
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little
to be among
the
clans of
in
eternity"
(Mic. 5:2). John alludes specifically to this text as messi-
anic and states that
the rulers rejected Jesus because He came from
Galilee,
not realizing that He had actually been born in
(John
7:41-42).
This general reference to the
Scriptures in John 5:39, 46 is
amplified
by several other citations or allusions elsewhere in the
Gospel.
John the Baptist applied to himself the prophecy of Isaiah
40:3,
by which he claimed to "make straight the way of the Lord"
(John
1:23). In summarizing the rejection of Jesus' ministry, John
referred
to Isaiah 6:10: "He has blinded their eyes, and He hard-
ened their heart;
lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with
their
heart, and be converted, and I heal them" (John 12:40). Hav-
ing thus identified this prophecy
with the career of Jesus, John
236
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
added:
"These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he
[Isaiah]
spoke of Him [Jesus]" (12:41). A comparison of Isaiah
and
John shows that Isaiah designated by the pronoun "He" the
person
of Jehovah who appeared in such glory that the prophet was
prostrated
before Him; John says that the prophet saw the glory
of
Jesus. By this equation John attributes to Jesus the glory of the
Father,
and asserts that the Scriptures witness His deity.
In the narratives of the Crucifixion
there are three declarations
that
the aspects of that event fulfilled the Scriptures. The first declara-
tion (19:24) is the
division of Jesus' garments among the members
of
the execution squad, referred to in Psalm 22:18: "They divide
my
garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." The
second
declaration is Jesus' cry of thirst, recorded in John 19:28-29
and
foreshadowed by Psalm 69:21: "They also gave me gall for
my
food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." The
same
psalm, incidentally, was connected by the disciples with the
cleansing
of the
(John
2:17; Ps. 69:9).
The third declaration related to the
omission of the breaking of
Jesus'
legs on the cross: "Not a bone of Him shall be broken" (John
19:36).
The passage is taken from Exodus 12:46, or possibly Num-
bers 9:12, which
referred to the lamb sacrificed at the Passover. The
oblique
reference in John 20:9 alludes to "the Scripture that He
must
rise again from the dead." Luke asserts that in the postresur-
rection period Jesus
gave definite teaching to the disciples from
the
Scriptures concerning His death and resurrection (Luke 24:26-
27),
but specific predictions concerning the latter are difficult to
identify.
Whether he relied on types, or whether the key to some
has
been lost is difficult to ascertain. Judging from analogy with the
preaching
of the apostles, one can only say that such passages as
Psalm
16:8-11, which was quoted by Peter as prophetic of the
Resurrection
(Acts 2:24-32), may have been utilized. John, how-
ever,
does not provide apposite citations. Such passages as are cited
and
the general trend of Scripture as previously noted do confirm
the
witness of the Old Testament to the claims of Jesus.
These five witnesses were mentioned by
Jesus in defense of
His
person before His accusers. John presents them immediately be-
fore
introducing the turning point of Jesus' career at the feeding of
the
five thousand. No one of them is elaborated into an extensive
argument;
they seem to serve as reference points or as indications
of
an apologetic procedure rather than as a comprehensive discus-
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 237
sion of the
testimony of Jesus' divine character. They are, however,
representative
of the converging lines of testimony that point to a
conclusion:
He is, as John stated, the Son of God. The Synoptic
Gospels
contain the same lines of evidential support for Jesus' claims,
but
they are not categorized as definitely. John seems to have com-
posed
a more selective and direct apologetic.
These five witnesses are supplemented
by others of more sub-
jective nature
mentioned later in the Gospel. As the tension between
Jesus
and His opponents increased, His insistence on the validity of
His
claim became stronger. The period of conflict (7:1-11:53),
following
the period of controversy, was marked by outward hos-
tility that gradually
crystallized into a definite attempt to take His
life.
The loss of favor with the multitude because of His refusal to
become
a political leader (6:15, 66) caused a sharp division of
opinion
among His followers. "Some were saying, ‘He is a good
man’;
others were saying, ‘No, on the contrary, He leads the multi-
tude astray’"
(7:12). The general impression given by the narrative
of
chapter 7 is that of confusion, except that the hierarchy of
unsuccessful
because the arresting posse was overawed by His teach-
ing (7:46) and possibly because of
dissenting voices within the tri-
bunal itself
(7:50-51). One thing, however, was clear: Jesus was
definitely
challenged, and was placed on the defensive by His
enemies.
Jesus' reply to the questionings and
attacks was a fresh affirma-
tion of His claims,
"I," He said, "am the light of the world; he who
follows
Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light
of
life" (8:12). The Pharisees retorted that since He was bearing
witness
of Himself, the witness would not be valid because it would
not
be unprejudiced. Whereas Jesus had conceded this point on a
previous
occasion, He did not do so here. The apparent contradiction
between
5:31 and 8:14 can be resolved if one recognizes the differing
bases
for His statements. On legal grounds, self-testimony is not
valid
because it is presumably biased; but on personal grounds, who
would
know more about Him than Himself? This affirmation makes
the
point precisely: "My witness is true; for I know where I came
from
and where I am going; but you do not know where I came
from,
or where I am going" (8:14). Jesus appealed to the principle
stated
in the Law that the testimony of two persons is valid (Deut.
17:6),
and then spoke of the witness of Himself and of the Father.
This
amounted to self-affirmation; He took His stand on the witness
238
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
of
His self-consciousness. It seems as if He were saying that there
could
be no higher court to which He could appeal than Himself and
the
Father; or, to phrase it differently, His own consciousness of His
relationship
with the Father is the absolute which should be
self-evident.
In the subsequent text He takes the
attitude that He is simply
stating
what is fact; He is not manufacturing pretensions nor enter-
taining fancies.
Despite the incredible magnitude of His claims —
"Before
Abraham was born, I AM" (John 8:58) — He is simply
speaking
naturally from the level on which He lived.
The rejection of this personal witness
was inevitable in the
light
of the prevalent unbelief. Jesus recognized that it would not
be
convincing to His enemies, and He consequently reverted to an
appeal
to His works, which were undeniable. The account of the
healing
of the blind man which followed the argument of chapter 8
shows
the impact of Jesus' ministry on an unprejudiced beneficiary
of
it, as well as the negative reaction of His enemies. The reality of
this
miracle was acknowledged by many, who said, "These are not
the
sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes
of
the blind, can he?" (10:21). In response to those who demanded
of
Him a declaration of messiahship, He said, "The
works that I do
in
My Father's name, these bear witness of Me . . . . If I do not the
works
of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though
you
do not believe Me, believe the works; that you may know
(
gnw?te) and understand
(ginw<skhte) that the
Father is in Me,
and
I in the Father" (10:25, 37-38).
The uncertainty and conflict that
filled the last few months of
Jesus'
life were brought to a crisis by the raising of Lazarus. The
rulers
were all the more determined to destroy Jesus, because, they
feared
a popular uprising that would endanger their relations with
the
Roman government. The high priest Caiaphas openly declared
that
it would be better to sacrifice Jesus than to risk a war that
might
cost
the
ruling class of the people (11:48-50). Evidently Jesus had won
back
some popular favor, for John states that at His entry into
Lazarus
out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, were bearing
Him
witness" (12:17). Their testimony confirmed the miracle of
Lazarus'
resuscitation which they had seen for themselves.
In this period of crisis (11:54-12:50)
Jesus withdrew from
public
notice; at least, John gives the impression that He devoted the
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 239
last
hours before the cross to the small band of people who were
sympathetic
with Him. In the discussion that followed the Last
Supper,
Jesus mentioned two more witnesses to Him that would
emerge
after His death: the Holy Spirit, and the disciples themselves.
THE
WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
These appeared in the period of
conference (13:1-17:26), which
was
devoted to the preparation of the disciples for the final struggle.
He
intended them to become His representatives in the world after
His
departure. The function of the Holy Spirit would be to encourage
(parakalei?n) the disciples
in His absence. They had been accus-
tomed to depending on
Him for their information and guidance.
Without
Him they could quickly become disorganized and discour-
aged.
In order to ensure a continuing reality of spiritual experience
that
would enable them to proclaim His message with certainty,
Jesus
agreed to send them the Spirit, who, He said, was abiding with
them
and would be in them (14:17). His witness concerning Jesus
would
reassure the disciples of the verity of their past experience,
and
would empower them to meet new conflicts.
The witness of the Spirit would then
have a twofold direction.
His
presence would confirm the disciples in their faith and bring
to
them a further revelation of truth concerning Jesus. "He will bear
witness
of Me," said Jesus (15:26). Peter confirmed this aspect of
the
Spirit's work in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. In affirming
the
reality of Jesus' resurrection, he said: "Therefore having been
exalted
by the right hand of God, and having received from the
Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus] has poured forth
this
which you both see and hear" (Acts 2:33). The coming of the
Spirit
and the manifestation of His presence certified the validity of
Jesus'
claims and was intrinsically a witness to His truthfulness.
The witness of the Spirit refers to
the witness which the Spirit
brought
as well as to the witness which the Spirit constituted. Jesus
promised
that the Spirit would guide the disciples into all truth, and
that
He would declare things to come. In the shaping of the disciples'
thinking
and by conferring on them the enduement of prophecy
He
would
continue and corroborate the testimony of Jesus. The disciples
could
therefore count on divine direction and aid in their ministry
which
would be in itself a testimony to the continuing work of
the
Lord.
The linking of the witness of the
Spirit with the witness of the
disciples
gives the basis for their experiential testimony. John pur-
sued
this matter further in his first epistle by saying that the con-
240
/ Bibliotheca Sacra — July 1975
nection of the living
disciples with the resurrected Lord depends on
the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Twice in his epistle he assures
his
readers that "we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit
which
He has given us," and then adds, "And we have beheld and
bear
witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the
world"
(1 John 3:24; 4:14). For this reason he is able to say later
that
"the one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in
himself"
(5:10). The witness of the Spirit conferred on the disciples
an
unshakable certainty in their own experience, and in their faith.
The witness of the Spirit would also
be manifested in His effect
on
the world. Jesus said that the Spirit would convict men of sin,
righteousness,
and judgment (John 16:8-11). These three things
are
the most difficult to impress on any man, for he can always
attempt
to justify himself by asserting an excusable motive for evil
actions,
or by pleading a relative scale of ethical standards in the
place
of absolute righteousness, or by assuming that judgment is
indefinitely
deferred so that it is no real threat. The witness of the
Spirit
becomes evident when it can make a sinning person acutely
aware
of these absolutes by comparison of himself with the righteous-
ness
of God in Christ.
THE
WITNESS OF THE DISCIPLES
The last witness on John's list is
that of the disciples themselves.
"You
will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from
the
beginning" (15:27). The completeness and intimacy of their
experience
would make them competent witnesses to the character
and
message of Christ. The apostolic writers lay great emphasis on
the
value of eyewitnesses. Luke states in his preface that he drew
much
of his information from those "who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses
and servants of the Word" (Luke 1:2) — phraseology
which
sounds much like an echo of the Johannine prologue.
In Jesus'
parting
commission to the disciples as given in Acts, He told them
they
would be witnesses to Him after the Holy Spirit had come on
them,
and that they would have a worldwide ministry (Acts 1:8) .
Peter
affirmed this mandate when he said, "This Jesus God raised
up
again, to which we are all witnesses" (Acts 3:32). Paul, con-
tending
for the historical reality of the resurrection of Christ, said
that
one of His postresurrection appearances was attested
by more
than
five hundred brethren at once, of whom the majority were
living
when he wrote his epistle (1 Cor. 15:6). Had he not valued
the
testimony of the eyewitnesses, there would have been no point in
stating
that they were still living.
John, of course, does not attempt to
give any extended account
of
apostolic witness as Luke does in Acts. On the other hand, his
The Meaning of
"Witness" in John / 241
Gospel
was written at a later date than Acts, and undoubtedly
assumes
what was known to his readers, that the apostolic witness,
including
his own, had been spread far and wide, and that it had its
origin
in Jesus' commission to witness and in the power of the Holy
Spirit
in their lives. They were responsible for maintaining a loyal
adherence
to Him, and for propagating His message to the world.
THE EFFECT OF THE WITNESS
The perpetuation of this witness is
described in the First Epistle
of
John, which seems to have been written as a postscript or applica-
tion of the teaching
of the Gospel. The author affirms that he based
his
teaching on the witness concerning the Word of life, which he
had
experienced by physical contact, and which was manifested to
him
and to his associates. The content of this witness was the sonship
of
Christ, who had come to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).
The
divine empowering of this continuing witness was accomplished
by
the Holy Spirit, who creates and confirms the new life that results
from
salvation. The effectiveness of the witness of the church depends
on
the validity of its spiritual experience. The Holy Spirit provides
the
inward witness that enables the believer to render an effective
outward
testimony by keeping Jesus in the focus of his consciousness.
This inner witness provides the verity
and continuity that consti-
tute the dividing
line between the experiences of the believer and the
unbeliever.
"The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life,
and
this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he
who
does not have the Son of God does not have the life" (1
John
5:11-12).
In conclusion, this witness of which
John speaks is self-authenti-
cating. The Prologue
uses the figure of light, and calls Jesus "the
light
of the world," a metaphor which He used in controversy with
His
enemies. "I," He said,
"am the light of the world: he who
follows
Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of
life."
The instant reaction of the Pharisees was, "You are bearing
witness
of Yourself; Your witness is not true" (John 8:12-13). Light,
however,
needs no authentication; it validates itself. Nobody needs
to
label or to describe light; it speaks for itself. In the same way the
reality
of Christ makes its impact on human life and verifies His
claims
by the transformation that it produces on all that He affects.
The
risen Christ is His own best witness, and He confirms the sub-
ordinate
witnesses that support His claims.
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