A major theme in 2 Corinthians 3 is boldness. 2 Corinthians 3:12 states:
“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”
In this verse we also see the word hope. Hope is different in the Bible than it is in the English language. Hope as an English word often conveys doubt, but almost always in the New Testament the word hope is the Greek elpis/elpizo. There is no doubt attached to this word. This means that when we see the word hope in the Bible, we know it means confidence and security.
So, if there is no doubt in this type of hope, let me ask you a question. What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? If you already knew you won the game or aced the test, you would be bold and confident in what you are trying to do. Biblical hope is a reality, not just a feeling. It’s a sure foundation that we can build our lives on.
Kirk Cameron once asked the question, if you had the cure for cancer would you keep it to yourself, or would you share it? If you knew you could save someone’s life you would be more bold. As Christians we have the opportunity to save people by being bold with our faith. We are called to give an answer to anyone that would ask.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?
-Brooke Cisneros
Reflection Questions
What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? How would you explain your hope – and how it is different from a hope with doubt?
When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?
How can you boldly share your faith today? Will you?
He is risen indeed! I write this devotion to you on the heels of celebrating Resurrection Sunday with our church family. What a joyous celebration, as we celebrate the victory that Jesus had over death and what that means for us today. The first people who heard that Jesus has risen from the grave were the ladies present when the angel rolled the stone away. The angel told them that Jesus “is not here, for he has risen” (ESV Matthew 28:6). The angel then gave the ladies simple instructions: “go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). Go and tell. That’s what the ladies were to do; they were to go and tell others that Jesus is alive. If there has ever been a bona fide star of someone who simply goes and tells others about Jesus, it would have to be the apostle Paul.
From the moment that Paul placed his faith in Christ Jesus, his whole life seemed to revolve around spreading the gospel message of the king and the kingdom. He took a few missionary journeys and wrote many letters seeking to advance the gospel message of the king and the kingdom. What we have here in Romans is another example of Paul’s innate desire to go and tell others about Jesus and what was important to him.
Romans 1:1 identifies Paul as the author of this letter: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” I would say that is a pretty good summary of who Paul is. Paul served Jesus from the moment that Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and Paul was sent off to advance the gospel message of God. Romans 1:7 identifies the target audience of this letter: “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” Paul was writing to all of the saints in the city of Rome. A saint is simply someone who, like Paul, is set apart from the world around them. Paul is writing to those in Rome who have set themselves apart from the world by putting their faith in Christ Jesus.
It is believed that Paul wrote this letter around 56-58 AD – less than 30 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The Roman Empire is nearing its peak in power. In 49 AD, the Roman emperor Claudius banished all Jews from the city of Rome. This decree lasted until Claudius’ death 5 years later. Thus, at the time of the writing, the Jews were just able to reenter the city of Rome. Around 56-58 AD, Nero would have just become the emperor. He would eventually wreak havoc on the Christians in the city of Rome, but this would not have come until after Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome. The saints in Rome would have consisted of both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. I am sure they experienced similar tension that other groups of Christians experienced as well.
Paul would eventually find his way to the city of Rome in chains, but at the time of his writing, he had not yet been to Rome. Verses 8-15 detail Paul’s desire to go to Rome. We learn that Paul was “eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome,” (Romans 1:15). Paul wanted to go preach the gospel to them in person, but in the meantime, he would write a unifying letter to them about the gospel message. That is largely what the letter of Romans is – Paul’s presentation of the gospel message. I like to break down Paul’s presentation of the gospel message in Romans into three parts: 1. Our sin and need of salvation. 2. God’s plan of salvation for us. 3. How to live a Christian life.
After Paul’s introduction in the first 17 verses or so, Paul transitions into the topic of our sin and our need of salvation. It is not a fun section to read though, but it is needed to get to the fun sections. Why talk about salvation if we have no need of being saved? There would be no point! However, as we will see in the next couple of chapters, Paul does a pretty stand-up job of expressing mankind’s desperate need of salvation.
I look forward to progressing through this letter with you. In the meantime, I encourage you to consider Paul’s task and desire of going and telling others about the risen savior. Just as the ladies present at the tomb of Jesus and the apostle Paul himself, I implore you to go and tell!
-Kyle McClain
Reflection Questions
Where and to whom might God be directing you to Go and Tell? Paul used both letters and visits to tell the gospel message of the king and kingdom. How could you share the message with those you know – and those you have yet to meet?
What is the importance of each part of Paul’s message: 1. Our sin and need of salvation. 2. God’s plan of salvation for us. 3. How to live a Christian life? What happens when any one of those are not shared and taught?
Pray for the God’s wisdom, words and direction as you follow Paul’s example. Then Go and Tell!
I used to own a pair of fish that my best friend gave me. I thought I was a decent fish owner. But then I went off to Australia for three weeks and when I returned, I came home to find that the slow-release food supply that I put into the tank, didn’t dissolve. My poor fish starved to death. Oops.
So your reservation to take seriously any of my mentioning of fish, fishing, or fishermen would totally be understandable.
But I ask that you hear me out, just this once, for this particular topic. After all, I did my due diligence and Googled some information.
Mark 1:17 says, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Being a fisherman was way back then and continues even today to be a daily job. Likewise, as we follow Jesus daily, our casting of nets should happen every day we are around others. If we are called to be fishers of men, all of our interactions need to be with the purpose of building relationships and showing others, verbally and nonverbally, what life with Jesus as our Lord looks like.
Peter and Andrew knew when the best time to go fishing was. According to www.takemefishing.org (I’m totally serious… ) the best time to fish is usually later on in the day. I know that there are probably a gazillion other variables that should be considered, so don’t go dismissing the bigger picture here. Later in the day, the fish are primed for feeding because their metabolism and digestion are roaring. There is a lesson for us here – in order for people to win others to Christ, they need to be primed. In God’s own timing, a person’s heart will be open to receive the Gospel. As fishers of men, we need to be praying for those opportunities to present themselves so we are able to discern what to say and when to say it.
We know from verse 16, that Simon (later called Peter) and his brother Andrew used nets for fishing. Not a pole, line and lure, but nets. They caught hundreds of fish at a time. When Jesus says that he will make us fishers of men, I think His intention is that we not just teach a few people about Jesus, but that we influence hundreds of people, over our lifetime, to consider what life as a follower of Jesus would look like.
We also know from verse 16, that fishing was not a solo effort. It demanded at least a pair to get the job done. Our faith is meant to be in a community. Yes, Jesus goes off to a solitary place in verse 35 of Chapter 1, but that doesn’t mean we live in a vacuum. Working and serving with other believers is how our faith is supposed to be carried out.
I fully admit that sharing the Gospel is not my strength. But as I read this verse, I became convicted that this is something that I need to take more seriously. That’s partly why I chose it to be the verse to memorize for the week. So even though it is a short verse and easy to commit to memory, it’s potential to change my life and the lives of those around me, is significant.
Wanna go fishin’?
-Bethany Ligon
(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on September 11, 2017)
Reflection Questions
How have you been helped by your fishing community? How can you help them?
How committed are you to following Jesus and fishing for people? What do you find hardest about these jobs? What gets in the way?
Pray to God about how He would like to see you fishing for men/people. What does it look like? When and where will it be done? Who will your fishing partners be?
At the end of the book of Acts we are following Paul in his ministry as he shares his testimony and all he is learning from God with established groups of believers as well as with those who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus Christ. He is told through a prophet that he will be bound by the Jewish leaders and sent to the Gentiles to share his story. He is accused by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, then arrested and imprisoned while the Roman authorities try to figure out which side of the story to believe. Over the course of Paul’s imprisonment he is moved to various cities and meets with several governors as well as King Agrippa. Then finally he is sent to Rome. During each of these transitions, Paul has an opportunity to share the story of his conversion…who he was…who he is and who he will continue to be through God’s grace. Every time he is questioned he says something like the following phrase from Acts 23:1 “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
Paul faced so much opposition during this period of time and yet he continued to stand firm in his belief that God had a purpose for him which would be fulfilled no matter what…arrest, false accusations, storms, shipwrecks, imprisonment, isolation, death threats, nothing was going to stop God’s message from being spread.
As the book of Acts closes we are given a chance to witness Paul as he teaches a group of Jewish leaders in Rome.
Acts 28:23-30
They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [29] [b]
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Some of those who were listening, heard Paul’s message and their lives were changed. Others found that they couldn’t believe what Paul was preaching and left. They heard but didn’t understand, they saw but didn’t allow comprehension. Paul kept right on teaching, preaching and sharing his mess so that God’s message could get through.
Oh to have Paul’s boldness and eloquence! There are many times that we are provided the opportunity to share our own stories of faith with others and we often let them pass us by. Are we afraid? Maybe we don’t think they would be interested, or that we’ll be bothering them if we share. Or maybe we don’t want to offend anyone…but if we are learning from Paul’s example, we need to be sharing our stories of faith regardless of the personal costs. God’s message will be heard, don’t you want to be a part of that exciting adventure? I promise it’ll be a good one!
-Joyanne Swanson
(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on November 8, 2018)
Reflection Questions
What do you admire most about Paul? What do you admire most about how God worked in Paul’s life?
How has God worked in your life? When was the last time you told someone one of your stories of faith (it could be a conversion story, or how God provided or guided)?
Does fear keep you from sharing? What is the worst that could happen if you share a story of faith? What is the worst that could happen if you don’t share? What is the best that could happen if you do share?
If you would like to practice writing out a faith story, leave a comment here, we’d love to hear yours!
Acts 18 details the cities that Paul visited on his way from Jerusalem to Greece and some of the highlights in those cities. While in Corinth Paul again has issues with the Jewish community there and instead finds a Gentile man named Titius Justus who was a worshiper of God. Paul also has a vision from the Lord saying,
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9,10)
I understand why Paul would need this encouragement with the number of cities that he had been thrown out of after annoying the local Jewish population with his message.
What I find interesting is the fact that Paul is the first missionary to set foot on the continent of Europe and just recently we read about the first convert in the area, yet even in this “heathen” land filled with idols and false gods God is working in people’s lives and has people who worship him. These people do not know the gospel and need to hear about Jesus desperately, but even without that knowledge they are seeking God and worshiping him. We see this today in many of the mission fields that we send people into. The people do not know about Christ, but it is obvious that God has been working in their community to prepare them to hear. This is why it is so important that we get out there and evangelize. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Then while traveling in Ephesus in modern day Turkey, Paul runs into a man named Apollos who was a Jew that knew his scriptures (Old Testament) thoroughly and knew only the message of John the Baptist. With only this information he was boldly speaking about Jesus and the fact that he was the son of God. He was off on some things, but he was on fire for God and was running with it.
These verses are encouraging because they show that you do not need to have everything figured out theologically in order to follow God. You don’t need a master’s degree or years of training for him to be working in your life. Now I do think that seeking truth should be an important part of any believer’s life, but all that is needed to get started with God is faith in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to work in your life.
-Chris Mattison
(Originally posted Feb 27, 2019 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection & Application:
If you heard the Lord speak to you in a vision do you think he would say, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” or “Do not be afraid; START speaking, do not be silent” or something else?
Like Apollos, who didn’t first know the whole story, how has your understanding and knowledge grown? What and who has helped you in this area?
How, where, when and to whom do you think God wants you to share what you know about Him, His Son and His plan of salvation?
Acts 17 is very inspiring to me. Paul and his companions are traveling talking to others about God and our savior Jesus. They persuaded some Jews as well as God-fearing Greeks and prominent women. This made others jealous, causing them to make trouble for Paul and the believers. Paul did not stop talking, they went on to another city.
The people in the next city received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (vs 11). I pray that we have the the same eagerness that I imagine they had. I envision them diving into the Scripture and asking questions, strengthening their relationship with God. Can you guess what happens next? Yep, more trouble and they move on to another city.
In Athens Paul was greatly distressed to find the city filled with idols. I wonder how distressed he would be if he were to see the world as it is now. I know the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun and I don’t doubt that, but it seems that we have more to direct our attention away from God. We have more “things” to distract us from Him. I think that God had a plan with our reading today because Acts warns us about idols and so does Leviticus. Chapter 26:1 says “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” We need to be very careful of what we worship and keep God at the center of it.
Going back to Paul’s journey, he spoke about the Messiah all over the city. Some people became followers and believed. We need to continue to speak out to others about our faith. I am not saying that we need stand on the rooftops and scream at the top of our lungs, but I am saying that we need to live each day with God in our hearts. People should be able to tell that we are followers of Christ by the way we act. If someone comes to us with something, do not hide our faith but share our love of God with others so they can have a relationship with Him as well. Who knows, you may inspire them to speak out as well.
-Jeani Ransom
Reflection Questions:
Do you have eagerness to learn and study the Scriptures?
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch provides us with an example of how to witness and share our faith with others. Let’s start from the beginning of Phillip’s journey in Acts 8:26.
Philip is told by God to travel in a certain direction. Next he is told to walk next to a certain carriage. His directions are coming step by step. Philip trusts God. He doesn’t demand to know the game plan, but allows the Holy Spirit to guide his way bit by bit. Sometimes, that is how God delivers his instructions to us.
Next, we see Philip addressing the Ethiopian man with a question. Philip sees the man is reading scripture and instead of butting in with his own agenda, Philip asks the man if he understands what he is reading. Starting with a question is a great way to initiate a conversation about faith. This allows the other person to set the tone of the conversation with how he or she chooses to answer. In this instance, I love the man’s response, “‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’” (Acts 8:31 NLT) He is straight up honest, aware of his own limitations, and you’ve got to admire that!
Philip joins the man in his carriage and instead of launching into his own explanation, he waits for the eunuch to ask his own followup question. Again, Philip is allowing the man to take control of the conversation. Philip is not following his own evangelical agenda, but meeting the man where he’s at with what he wants to know. Therefore, even though the eunuch is admitting to not having knowledge on the subject, Philip is giving him dignity by letting the man determine the direction of their discussion.
I love what Philip does next. Acts 8:35 says “Beginning with the same scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.” Beginning with the same scripture. That phrase is key. Philip didn’t ignore the eunuch’s questions and launch into his own prepared testimonial speech. He didn’t pull out the Roman Road, or a pamphlet in his back pocket on how to talk to people about Jesus. He related what the man was already reading to the Gospel.
This is not to say anything negative about evangelical tools. In fact, I led a Bible study in college using the Roman Road method, and I think it’s great. There is nothing inherently wrong with these tools, but that’s just what they are, tools. Tools to use with human judgment. Not every faith related conversation calls for your life story on how God changed you. Not to say we shouldn’t tell our stories, but we should find an appropriate way to fit it into the conversation while witnessing. We should never ignore someone asking direct questions about our faith.
One year in my high school art class I sat next to a girl who was openly a non-believer. Art class is one of those few classes in school where you can actually get away with talking as long as you are still focused on your work. When she learned I was a Christian she would come into class with prepared questions for me. I don’t know if she was actually genuinely interested, or if she was just trying to find a way to trip me up. It seemed more like the latter. She asked the hard big questions, like why does evil exist, why did God give us freewill. I never pressed her too much, but I answered her questions. If I didn’t know the answer, I would ask the adults in my life or look it up on my own then come back with an answer later. This went on for several weeks. I didn’t preach at her, but I answered her questions honestly and in doing so, shared the Gospel with her. I prayed for her in my own quiet time with God and asked for his direction during our conversations. I never had a come to Jesus moment with her, but I don’t think I was ever meant to, either. I kept hearing a voice in my head urging me to plant the seed. I don’t think she was ready to receive the Gospel at that point in her life. I believe I was meant to plant a seed that would be given the chance to grow years later. I did all this by meeting her where she was at, with her questions, instead of my own agenda.
Philip quite literally and figuratively meets the eunuch where he is at. Eventually, the eunuch becomes so moved by what he has heard from Philip he decides to be baptized. Church history relates this encounter to how the Gospel came to Africa. After the eunuch was baptized and Philip left him, the man brought his new found faith to his people. This all comes from Philip being willing to follow God and being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Next time you find yourself in a position to share the Gospel, remember Phillip. Remember how Phillip treated the eunuch tactfully with dignity, meeting him right where he was at, just as Jesus does with us.
-Emilee Ross
Reflection Questions
How well do you follow promptings from the Holy Spirit, especially as it applies to sharing your faith? Have you ever felt like you missed a God-given opportunity? How can remembering Philip help you?
What questions do you think are common among the world regarding faith in God?
Pray for guidance and wisdom in knowing how God wants to see you sharing your faith.
There is a sharp difference between commercial fishing and recreational fishing. With recreational fishing that we are all more familiar with, we are selective in the bait we choose and try to reel in one fish at a time: depending on what type of fish you want to catch, you will choose to use something different. For example, if you want to catch catfish like I did when I was younger, you’ll have more luck using stinky chicken liver than ordinary worms (I can tell stories of how bad that stuff can stink up a truck). But commercial fishing is very different: you are trying to catch as much as possible with a net, and will sort out whatever garbage after you have pulled it in. Commercial fishermen are not selective (except in what area to fish in): they cast their net wide and hope for the best.
Jesus compares the kingdom of God/heaven to this type of commercial fishing: at the end of the age, the angels will draw up everybody and then sort them out. The kingdom of God is not seeking individual fish, but casting its net over EVERY potential fish, because every person has a chance at having eternal life. Unfortunately, as with commercial fishing, some are going to be bad and reject the offer Jesus came to bring: they will reap the consequences of their decision in the end. However, that is the nature of commercial fishing and the nature of the kingdom of God: allowing everyone to have a chance in the net, and letting the angels sort it out in the end.
Jesus called us to be fishers of men and participate in his fishing expedition (Matthew 4:19): however, he was calling us to be like commercial fishermen rather than recreational. We are expected to cast our net of the gospel WIDE, offering it to whoever we come across, not being selective about who gets to hear it. While we recognize that there will be some people who reject our message (and maybe persecute us), we are doing our duty by offering them the chance of eternal life. Unfortunately, we often pick-and-choose who we think should hear the gospel for various reasons, rather than “being ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) for the person who comes across us. We need to remember our calling as fishermen and put aside our personal preferences.
Ask yourselves these questions today:
1. Are your nets ready? (Do you understand the gospel yourself?) 2. Are you willing to step out onto the boat? (Are you moving towards the people rather than sheltering inside?) 3. Are you prepared for the fish you might encounter along the way? (Are you ready for anybody to accept the message, even if they seem “less desirable” in your eyes?)
Suppose you were given the task of building a team that was responsible for learning some teachings and convincing everyone else in the world that those teachings were true. What kind of people would you pick for this team? I would go with an all-star team of doctors, lawyers, scholars, politicians, successful business people, and someone famous. Jesus had this same task, but he built an all-star team of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, probably some tradesmen, and more fishermen. These were the occupations of the twelve disciples. Think about how unremarkable this group was, and yet they were chosen to carry out probably the most important job in the history of mankind, to spread the gospel to the whole world. They were ordinary people on an extraordinary mission.
And guess what…the mission is not over, especially considering there are about seven billion people alive today that were not living a couple thousand years ago. I’m pretty sure all of the disciples died so they are not able to help with the work anymore. God needs a team now to carry on the mission and I suspect he is still counting on ordinary people to join the team. Yes, I am talking about you. God wants you to help preach the gospel to all of the nations.
But what is the message? In Matthew 10:12, Jesus said he wanted them to go out and preach about the kingdom. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the coming kingdom. Is everyone going to accept the message? Absolutely not. Jesus said if they don’t accept the message, shake off the dust of your feet and move on to the next place. It might seem odd that Jesus was sending them to places where they would be rejected, but he still thought it was important that everyone should hear the message so they can make the choice themselves. If someone doesn’t hear about the kingdom, they don’t have a chance to accept the kingdom message.
Is it going to be easy? Nope. Jesus said we are like sheep in the midst of wolves. He told us that it won’t be easy, and in fact, it could be dangerous. Moreover, if you choose to be on this team, the message is not always viewed favorably and your own family may hate you for it, even to the point of your own family having you killed. Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 that no one was ever greater than John the Baptist, yet his life ended when they chopped off his head. However, Jesus tells us the good news in Matthew 10:39, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.”
In Matthew 12:19, it talks about Jesus’ approach. He won’t quarrel or cry out, and nobody in the streets will hear his voice. I believe this is our model of how to spread the gospel message. We are not looking for a fight. We don’t have to get angry with people because they disagree with us. We do not have to stand on street corners and scream at people that they are going to hell if they don’t repent. We just need to speak the truth in love. Explain to people what is going to happen in the future, especially what happens to them after they die. Tell them about the kingdom and how to attain salvation. If they are not interested in what you are saying, move on. There is no need for a heated debate and there is no need to keep pestering them. Just shake off the dust and move on. You can feel good that you gave them a chance for eternal life. The only time you should feel bad is when you had the opportunity to talk to someone and kept silent. What if they would have embraced the gospel message, but nobody ever gave them that chance? That would be a tragedy to let someone die eternally without ever trying to save them.
Fortunately, it is not our responsibility to make sure others attain salvation. It is only our responsibility to make sure they hear the gospel message. Don’t put any pressure on yourself for results. It is only your job to make sure that people have a choice and they don’t have a choice unless someone tells them about the choice. Matthew 12:50 says that whoever does the will of Jesus’ Father is a brother, sister, or mother of Jesus. That is a family I hope you want to be a part of.
-Rick McClain
(originally posted April 30, 2017 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
Do you consider yourself a part of Jesus’ family – why or why not? What do you think Jesus would say?
How do you do at telling others of the choice they have? What can you do this week to tell someone else – who, how, when?
Following our strange detail about John eating the Scroll that God gave to him, we are finally going to learn about what the Scroll says through what John tells us! Unfortunately, it is very detailed, also strange in some ways, and has been the cause of many interpretations over the past 2,000 years. However, we are going to do our best to humbly try and understand what John says in this passage, while focusing on his main point. I don’t assume that my interpretation is 100% correct, so I invite all of you to critique it by looking at the text itself and speaking with other Christian teachers that you trust.
We are introduced to two Witnesses, or two Martyrs, who are proclaiming to people “their testimony”. Now, throughout Revelation, we see that John testified to “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1:2, 9) and that the Christian martyrs from chapter six also had a “testimony” that they proclaimed (6:9). We will learn later that Christians are able to overcome Satan using “their testimony” as well (12:11). Narratively speaking, it is likely that these two Witnesses have the same testimony as John and the Christians. That testimony is the gospel message about Jesus’ death, resurrection and eventual return to establish God’s kingdom, as can be seen throughout the whole letter. In other words, the two Witnesses are two individuals that are faithfully preaching the gospel to those around them.
There has been speculation as to whether these are literally two individual people that are to come in the future, or whether they represent what the churches are supposed to be doing, since they are described as lampstands like the churches (compare 1:20 and 11:4). I assume that these are representatives for what the churches, and us, are supposed to be doing, but also don’t believe that John’s main point is in their identity; John’s main point to this vision is what is produced by their faithful preaching of the gospel.
After the two Witnesses are killed, resurrected, and exalted to God’s space, the people actually repent of their evils! In 11:13, it states that people “gave glory to the God of heaven”, which is repentance language. As we saw in the previous seven seals and seven trumpets, and will see in the later seven bowls, God’s judgment actions are not enough to bring about repentance; but the faithful preaching of the gospel message is enough, even if Christians die for it!
My encouragement to you today is to behave like these two Witnesses; faithfully preach the gospel, even at the expense of your own life. Whatever the cost may be for you, the reward is going to be more than you ever imagined! And just like the story of Revelation states, that reward is coming soon, after the Church does her job of faithfully preaching to the nations. Are you ready for that day to come?
Talon Paul
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Nov 13, 2019)
Reflection Questions
As Talon asked, “Are you ready for that day to come?” That’s the most important question.
Whatever your age or occupation, how can you help preach the gospel?
What is your testimony of Jesus Christ and his Father and God? Who needs to hear it?
Seek Grow Love 