What the Bible says about Faithful and True Witness
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Luke 12:47-48 The evil servants fail in their responsibility because they are not looking faithfully to Christ and hopefully toward the Kingdom. The penalty tells us that Jesus is speaking about Christians who are not ready either because they ignore their calling or because they neglect to produce fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8). Faithless Christians will be judged more strictly than those who, though wicked, do not understand about the coming of the Son of Man. Professing Christians with knowledge of God's revelation will have to answer for their lack of response to God. Their punishment seems severe until we realize that the servant who knew his master's will represents those who sin arrogantly or presumptuously (Psalm 19:12-13). Even though the servant who was ignorant of his master's will sins unwittingly, it was his business to know his master's will. In either case, each holds personal responsibility for his actions and therefore comes under judgment. All have some knowledge of God (Romans 1:20-23), and He judges according to the individual's level of responsibility. The parable finishes with the warning that knowledge and privilege always bring responsibility. Sin is doubly sinful to the person who knows better (Numbers 15:27-31). We who know better would like God to find us with our work completed upon His return, just as Jesus was able to say to His Father, "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4-5). It would be wonderful for God to find us glorifying Him and at peace with our brethren when Christ comes. Martin G. Collins Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants Related Topics: Bearing Fruit | Bearing Fruits Worthy of Repentance | Faithful and True Witness | Faithfulness | Faithfulness in Little Things | Faithfulness to Christ | Faithlessness | Fruit, Bearing | Fruits of Repentance | Neglect | Negligence | Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants | Responsibility | Responsibility, Sense of | Responsibility, Varying Levels of | Sin, Deliberate | Sin, Presumptuous | Sin, Willful

Hebrews 11:2 It was by faith that the elders, meaning those who lived long ago, the ancients, received God's approval and made a good testimony. Because of faith, they were enabled to become good witnesses. We need to connect this word "testimony" or "witness" with Hebrews 12:1, where it is said that we are "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses." The author does not mean that these people are watching us as unseen spirits, but that they witnessed through their lives that they had faith in God, and we see them now in our mind's eye. These heroes of faith are dead and still in their graves. However, we can look at the record of their lives in Scripture, and it is as though they yet live. It is similar to Paul saying that the blood of Abel crying out from the ground yet speaks, for that story tells us a great deal about Cain and Abel. This great cloud of witnesses is there in the Bible for us to observe so that we can examine the testimony that they left—how that they used their faith, how they endured, how they glorified God by the things they said and did. It was faith that strengthened them and enabled them to overcome. It enabled them to suffer and to endure the privations of their lives. This patient waiting under trial is the primary object, teaching, or subject of this wonderful chapter. John W. Ritenbaugh Faith (Part Two) Related Topics: Faith | Faith, Examples of | Faith, Heroes of | Faithful and True Witness | Heroes of Faith | Testimony | Witness | Witness of the Apostles | Witness, Quality of | Witnesses, Great Cloud of

Revelation 3:14 In the letter to the Laodiceans, Jesus is referred to as "the Faithful and True Witness" (martyr). None of the other letters to the seven churches uses this title. Christ emphasizes His own faithful and true character because the Laodiceans so completely lack these two qualities. Christ's example shows that to be a fitting witness of God, one must be faithful and true, that is, spiritually reliable and accurate. A true witness of God is a reflected example of the life of Jesus Christ in word and behavior. Martin G. Collins 'You Are My Witnesses...' Related Topics: Christ's Faithfulness | Faithful and True Witness | Faithfulness | Faithlessness | God's Faithfulness | Laodicean | Laodiceanism | Witness

 

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