BibleProject - Can I Get a Witness?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, this is Cooper at Bible Project. I produce the podcast in Classroom. We've been exploring a theme called the City, and it's a pretty big theme. So we decided to do two separate Q and R episodes about it. We're currently taking questions for the second Q and R and we'd love to hear from you. Just record your question by July 21st

Starting point is 00:00:17 and send it to us at infoatbiboproject.com. Let us know your name and where you're from, try to keep your question to about 20 seconds and please transcribe your question when you email it. That's a huge help to our team. We're excited to hear from you. Here's the episode. All right.

Starting point is 00:00:38 Okay. We've been talking about the gospel, the word gospel. Yeah, we've had two recent videos about a word study on gospel words, Greek and Hebrew, and then a video on how to read the fourfold gospel. Yeah, and when you say we have them, we don't have them out yet in real time. Oh, I suppose that's right. Are actually will we? It's free.

Starting point is 00:00:59 I don't know, let's start out. Whenever. Let's start out. Whenever? Okay. Okay. Okay. So on the podcast, we've been talking about the Gospels as in the ancient biography of Jesus.

Starting point is 00:01:13 And then the word Gospel in general, what it means. That's right. And today, we want to talk about a cousin word that is translated witness. Yes. And so that's what we're going to do. Yes. And so that's what we're going to do. Yep. This episode of Podcast. Yes.

Starting point is 00:01:27 And we have someone new to the Podcast conversations and a recent addition to our team. Yeah, I'm coming up on a year. Wow. That's not so recent. I know. It's crazy. Yeah, that's right. So you're hearing the voice of Chris Aquinn.

Starting point is 00:01:41 Hi. Who, yes, has been on the Bauer Project team and we've known each other for some years now. The honorable title is a Bible scholar. I'd like to say Bible nerd. I think that is the more honorable title. Bible scholar. No, I like Bible nerd. Wonderful. Yeah. So yeah, maybe for share a little bit about yourself. And the reason being is that you researched the word witness and wrote this script. Yep. Then we worked on together and your voice will be reading the video and that's a new step for the Bauer project. Yeah. You're excited to have more than one scholar and writer. Yeah. So yeah, maybe share a bit about yourself.

Starting point is 00:02:26 Sure. So my background is biblical studies and education. And here at the Bible project, I get to do both. So I love that so much. So here I work on classroom stuff and blogs and writing articles. And then this is my first video script. So working on this script for the word witness,

Starting point is 00:02:45 that's what we're talking about. Yep. Yes. And I guess to be a card carrying Bible nerd, it requires some season of going to school for a way too long. Yeah, that's true. In school for about 25 years in my life. And had an identity crisis after that.

Starting point is 00:03:02 Yeah, I finished my PhD at Golden Gate Seminary in San Francisco in the Hebrew Bible and my work was mostly in the Psalms, so the story that the whole book of Psalms tells. Yeah, yes. Yeah. That's great. And at the Bible project, you are working on a number of things. One is the classroom initiative, classroom.bible.

Starting point is 00:03:23 And then also helping us think through, how do we get people deeper into learning the Bible other than just watching the videos. And script writing, starting to script writing. Super exciting. Yeah. So you did the deep dive on the Greek and Hebrew words for witness.

Starting point is 00:03:43 Talk to us about the word we think. Okay, perfect. I think that there are two basic ways to think about this word. And one is just to understand the basic meaning of this word, what it means, what it doesn't, how it's used in the biblical text. And the other way is to think about how it's used in the story of scripture. So every word occurs in a context, and this one occurs in the story of scripture. So every word occurs in a context,

Starting point is 00:04:05 and this one occurs in the story of the Hebrew Bible. So this is something I love about the word studies here is that you guys look at a word and what it contributes to the overarching story, or if it contributes, and this word definitely does. So. Yeah, that's right. The word say videos are kind of,

Starting point is 00:04:22 they're not technically just reading little condensed dictionary entry videos. They really become stories about the whole Bible. Yeah. And this video does that. Yeah, this video does that, right? Can we step back actually? Do you remember why we decided on this word?

Starting point is 00:04:37 Yes. Witness? Yes. Our friend, Kevin Plough, who came in the office and was like, guys, would it be great if you had videos on the gospel or on evangelism? On evangelism. Yeah, he's talking about how the words evangelize

Starting point is 00:04:54 and witness mean a lot of things and a lot of different Christian traditions. And so he was like, yeah, it'd be cool to have some videos that bring clarity to that. For some reason, that stuck with us. And we were like, yeah, it would be cool. have some videos that bring clarity to that. Yeah, for some reason, that stuck with us. And we were like, yeah, it would be cool. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:05:06 And that conversation was like two years ago. Yeah. I'm frankly going to it. Yeah. For me, witness was a word in, I grew up in the church, so that was a common word. Yeah. Witnessing. It was a verb mostly.

Starting point is 00:05:18 Mm-hmm. You witness. Yeah, you witness. Or go witnessing. Yeah, I guess go witnessing. I guess go witnessing. I guess go witness. I would say that. You know, we often just said share the gospel.

Starting point is 00:05:28 Yeah, always. But whenever the word witness did come up, it was in terms of that share the gospel. Yeah. It was always about like street evangelism. Usually, yeah, well, often, I mean, I've told the story with you a number of times of we had this ministry where we would actually go if people left their address on like a comic card at church

Starting point is 00:05:51 Yeah, we had a team that would go to their house and knock on their door and And then witness and we would go through the Roman's road. Yeah, so you were prepared without you were gonna say Yeah, yeah, and I did it a couple times. I was in youth group. And so if a kid came and left a comic card. So I went to like kids' houses and it was really awkward. It was extremely awkward. And I've told before and talked a story, a story, but I won't tell now, but yeah, for me, witness is all about that. It's about that. It's one-on-one convincing someone to understand the gospel, and for me at that time, the gospel was just what you need to know and believe to go ahead and what you die. And I think a lot of people are there.

Starting point is 00:06:42 Yeah. Yeah. What they think a lot of people are there. Yeah. What do they think of the word with us? Right. So that's why it's really interesting to do a word study on this word because we get to ask that question, is this what the word witness means in the Bible or does it mean something else? And it does have similar meanings, but isn't exactly that. So. Cool.

Starting point is 00:07:00 Yeah. That's why it's interesting. I think. Yeah. So we've also talked about how in a more non-religious environment, the word witness typically means just to testify in a courtroom or to see something happen and then be able to give an account of that thing. Yeah. Some people brought up. If you're like, it's either a religious word or I kind of a court.. Yeah, yeah. Judicial word. I don't. Judicial and the other. Uh, context. Did you witness that? Yeah, you wouldn't see that. Oh, oh, but maybe, but if you saw car accident, yeah, I'm witness. I'm witness. I saw that. But you witnessed car.

Starting point is 00:07:32 And that's a little more legal. It is a little bit more legal, but outside of a court realm. Yeah. But it's so that you'd be like, if this goes to court, yeah, I was a witness. Right. Right. So it's not really a common term outside of the legal setting or the religious setting. The legal setting. Correct. Yeah. But can I get a witness? Can I get a white one? I don't know. I'm thinking about that song all morning. It's a gospel thing, right? It is, yeah. But I don't know what it means. Gospel. Gospel as in the genre of music and music. Yeah. Okay. Can I get a white one? Yeah. I don't know what song I heard.

Starting point is 00:08:03 Yeah. By the end of this song of her, but. Yeah. By the end of this podcast, maybe we'll understand what that means. We know that's right. Do. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. The word witness isn't super common in everyday language for us, but it does occur a lot throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament over 200 times in each.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so it's a lot. Yeah, it's a pretty common word. Yeah, it's over 400 times throughout the Hebrew Bible. Right. Yeah, and it occurs in a lot of different forms in Hebrew. That's right. Yeah, that's right.

Starting point is 00:09:20 There's a noun and a verb, form, aid and ood. And then in Greek, there's a noun and a verb. So there's martus and there's martireto. So it's to a witness and then to bear witness or even to witness something. Yep. Yep. So even, yeah, right there.

Starting point is 00:09:38 So you have, if I witness something, that works in English. If I witness it, it's referring to my perception. I saw something. And then, if I am aware, that works in English. If I witness it, it's referring to my perception. I saw something. And then, if I am a witness. To use it as a verb, we have to add an extra word there. To bear witness. Or sometimes the word to testify is used,

Starting point is 00:09:54 even throughout our English translations. That's how it's translated a lot of the time. So in that case, it's a different English word, rendering of related Greek words. Yeah, right. So. But I think that's helpful to to witness something and then testify about that thing. So, I think it's helpful to just think about the basic meaning of the word throughout scripture, because there are a

Starting point is 00:10:15 couple things we learn that are related to those common conceptions you brought up. So, just like in English, the Hebrew words for witness and bear witness, they do also occur in a legal setting a lot of the time. Yes. So we see that when Boaz buys land from Naomi's family or when Jeremiah buys land, these are transactions. And they call together witnesses to see what happens. Is that story about Boaz is when the guy won't, the nearest Kinsman of Naomi won't buy the land and they Yank is sandal off and spit in his face. Yeah Do you know that story? No actually I think spit in the face from Deuteronomy, but they take off a sandal

Starting point is 00:10:57 They take off the sandal, but I don't think all of it is just have to do that That's a legal thing is to take off your sandal. Yeah, yeah So in this story you're mentioning in Roost Chapter 4, there's a guy who's closer in the family line to Naomi who's a widow and he's named So-and-so. Oh, how are you? Do you remember that? Yeah. This is awesome.

Starting point is 00:11:18 He breathes. I think it's Polo Nial Moni, something, so-and-so. He's named such- such and such a guy. He never gets a proper name. And then he doesn't want to do it, because he realizes, I'm going to have to take on a widow, take another mouse to feed. If I redeem the land that belongs to the family, and so he says, I won't do it. And then they say, take off your sandal.

Starting point is 00:11:42 Yeah, it's like a shaming thing, right? Oh, it's a shaming thing. Yeah, it's like a shaming thing, right? Oh, the shaming thing. Yeah, yeah. No, it was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and exchange of land to confirm a matter that a man had to remove his sandal and give it to another. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:11:56 This is a helpful little description actually, because this was a means of bearing witness in Israel. To take off your sandal. Yeah. Wait, what, what, what, he, where would he use there? Ta-udah. Oh, this was a front of a bearing witness. Yep.

Starting point is 00:12:11 So it's like a transaction, like a receipt. You lose your sandal. Oh, you actually give it over. Yeah, he takes off sandal. Isn't there a reference to a desandled person? Like that becomes a description of a person and some later writing. In Deuteronomy, there's a law when a guy won't redeem a widow from a, yeah, the family

Starting point is 00:12:32 line, the priest and the elders. This is what I'm thinking. We'll summon him to the town center. And if he persists in saying, I won't marry this woman whose, you know, my brother was married to him. His brother's widow will go up to him before all the elders take off one of his sandals and spit in his face, saying, this is what is done to the man who won't build up his brother's family line.

Starting point is 00:12:56 And the man's line will be known in Israel as the family of the unsandled ones. Yeah, that's right. That's right. It's like a public shaming, but it's bearing witness, publicly saying, we're all witnessing this guy won't inconvenience himself to help out a family member. And it's like a pie in the face. It's a little more like... More intense.

Starting point is 00:13:20 A little more intense. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, sorry, that's just a... No, it's a memorable example. And the point is that there are witnesses watching this. They see something happen, and then they can recall it later. Yeah, so the whole community knows.

Starting point is 00:13:36 With the word of taking up the sample, you tell A or whatever, you just tell it. Oh, tell it to. That's right, tell it to. How's that connected to the word witness? It's one of the words for witness. So the Hebrew word is aid, but it occurs in a few forms, and that's one of them, Tadah. Oh, okay.

Starting point is 00:13:50 So that's interesting. Someone can stand and give bear witness. I saw something, and this bear is witness. But in this case, a guy walking without a sandal is an act of bearing witness to the thing that he didn't do. Right, so actually the word witness can also function to mean evidence. So it's proof or evidence.

Starting point is 00:14:10 So the guy without the sandal is walking proof that this thing happened. So like he might not have some backup sandals at home. So for a while, he's got to wear that shame. Yeah, that's right. It's the evidence of his shame. Yeah. Evidence. Yeah, evidence. It's a kind of witness. Right. Yeah. It's another translation of that Hebrew word. So the

Starting point is 00:14:29 reason that I think this is helpful to talk about is because talking about the idea of being a witness in a legal setting shows that this word, it's kind of a simple word in the sense that it's defining someone who just sees something and then they talk about it or they share about it So it's a little bit different than what you were saying John about convincing something or something or pushing it doesn't really have that kind of connotation It's just seeing something and then talking about the thing you've seen you had an experience Yeah, and you talk about it. Yeah, so I think that's helpful. Yeah. It takes away that layer of proselytizing or pushing. It's almost shocking how unshocking it is. Yeah, right. It's just like I see stuff all the time. Yeah. And I share about it.

Starting point is 00:15:14 Exactly. I guess that's bearing witness. Yeah. But then the other part of that is that it's a simple word, but it's also a very weighty word. So being a truthful legal witness carries a lot of responsibility in the ancient Israelite culture. So you see that in a lot of different ways in scripture, it's one of the 10 commandments that you should not bear false witness. So that's kind of a big deal. It's right there. Yeah, yeah. One of 10. Yeah, and it's a serious crime in Israel. So whatever the false witness is intending to do to the other party, that's the consequence that they will bear upon themselves if they are found out. Isn't it amazing how much even today the value of a witness

Starting point is 00:16:03 to as evidence. Yeah, you know, like getting someone hearing from their mouth, which is there's so much weight to that. It's a big deal when you do that when you say, this is what I experienced, especially when it's saying that someone did something wrong. That's right. Yeah, are you thinking primarily legal?

Starting point is 00:16:24 And the legal sense, yeah. Yeah, it's witty. Yeah, there was some legal document that my wife and I had to sign. I thought it was a first insurance or something like this. And we had to get a notary public in the witness me signing and so I walked a block down to like a UPS store. Right.

Starting point is 00:16:44 Because it had advertised on the window, get your document signed here. And I had to pay this woman $10 to watch you. So watch me sign a piece of paper and then you put a stamp on it. Yeah. It was my first time ever doing it. And now I realize it's like a normal. Do you notice they have they have the most wonderful signatures? Have you ever like a notable? Oh, yeah. Oh, man. They're so elaborate. Sorry. So the point is this is actually more woven-in-door-lives than perhaps we realize. It's a very simple act. This is why the Psalmist says in Psalm 27, he begs God to not abandon him and he says false

Starting point is 00:17:47 witnesses have risen against me. So I think when I read those kind of verses in the Bible, I don't hear the waitingness of it until I'm like looking at what the word witness really means. And if false witnesses are surrounding this person, his life is actually being threatened because of it. Yes. Yeah. So yeah, it's interesting.

Starting point is 00:18:08 It is. Yeah, so I think, yeah, that's right. And also in more traditional cultures, where your public honor is way more tied into your identity, a false witness, is like challenging your standing in the community. It could actually ruin your whole life. And that's still true today. Someone cooks up a scheme at you against work, to people or try to take you down so you don't get the promotion or something.

Starting point is 00:18:32 But yeah, probably even more in an honor shame. In a society. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so witnesses are one of the primary ways that people in the community would know what's true or not. So it's a weighty thing. I think it's interesting that God is referred to as a witness throughout the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament actually. So what's the effect of saying God is my witness? That's a question I've been asking as I've

Starting point is 00:18:57 been looking at this. So here's one example. In Genesis 31, when Jacob and Laban make a covenant, In Genesis 31, when Jacob and Laban make a covenant, Laban says to Jacob, if you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see God is a witness between you and me. So it seems like it's both because nobody's there. Yeah, right.

Starting point is 00:19:22 But to say God is a witness also implies some severity if you do this thing. It's kind of up in the end, too. Yeah. If it's like, you know, Joe Ab over there is a witness. Yeah, okay. Well, if you ever imagined you were on the Truman show, you know, like that someone was always watching you. Every moment I have that, yeah. And like, if you're just kind of in a private moment and you're like, like that someone was always watching you. Every moment I have that thought.

Starting point is 00:19:45 Yeah, and like if you're just kind of in a private moment and you're like, what if, what if someone was watching this private moment? Oh, I see. You know, like this feels so by myself, but like what if this was, and what would someone be thinking about my life right now if they were observing it, they were witnessing it?

Starting point is 00:20:02 Yeah, yeah, terrifying. It is a terrifying thought. Yeah. I think that's what Laban's talking about. Yeah, I think so. I think it might be a bit of a- Like God's watching you. A threat.

Starting point is 00:20:13 Says the guy who just cheated a man out of 20 years of his life. Right. Yeah. So yeah, people invoke God as a witness. Right. That's like playing the God card. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:20:24 And he's a witness of a lot of things in the Hebrew Bible, like covenants like this, or treaties that people are making between each other. But what's interesting is that in the New Testament, God, the Father, the Spirit, and Jesus are all referred to witnesses about Jesus. So there's like a very specific content or thing that they're witnessing about. So this is a thing in the Gospel of John, especially.

Starting point is 00:20:50 Yeah, yeah, especially this word is used a lot in John. So the Father bears witness to the identity of Jesus, Jesus and the Father bear witness to who Jesus is that God sent him the spirit bears witness to Jesus. That's a weird thing that Jesus bears witness to himself. I am the... Well, that's a big job. This is John 8, right? The leaders say, too, they say, you can't testify about yourself.

Starting point is 00:21:12 And he says, well, I testify about myself and the father testifies about me, too. So, my witness is reliable. I am a witness to myself. Yeah. But just, that's true. Yeah. Like, it's the same.

Starting point is 00:21:27 It's your word. My question is, is there another witness that it might cooperate with you? Well, and in the legal context in the Hebrew Bible, two or three witnesses were always in it. So that's kind of the famous one. Yeah. Right. And it occurs in multiple places.

Starting point is 00:21:41 And then Jesus also says that in John 8, 17 and 18, it says, he says, in your law it's written that the witness or testimony of two people is true. I'm the one who bears witness about myself and the father who sent me bears witness about me. So I think he's got it. He's drawing on that. Yeah, this is like an inner trinitarian, the father sent in spirit, all bear witness to each other. Yeah. Yeah, you know, I've never fully worked that out in the Gospel of John, but if I remember, it's really a prominent theme or motif.

Starting point is 00:22:17 It's like the whole narrative is a, ooh, think through the epilogue at the Gospel of John, he says I could could have there are lots more stories about Jesus. I have chosen these so that you may trust the Jesus system of science. I've often wondered if the witness theme isn't a part of a strategy of persuasion. It's like the story has all these witnesses so that by the end you the reader have to say, wow, yeah, that's interesting. There's so much evidence. Yeah in the story Yeah, and evidence again is a related word so yeah, that makes sense

Starting point is 00:22:52 Yeah, this is an interesting thing Paul says multiple times so Romans one in the greetings of his letters He says God is my witness That I pray for you or God is my witness, how are you in for you? So it almost seems like this idea of God being a witness becomes a little bit colloquial. Like the phrase. Almost like I swear to God. Yeah, except a little more. Yeah, I don't think that's yeah, essentially becomes the equivalent. I think so. Yeah. Swear to God. Except that can be used in a less serious way, maybe. But even if you're using it in a very,

Starting point is 00:23:26 in a less serious way, in a casual way, I think that's what you mean. If you really asked a person, if they said, I swear to God, what do you mean? Maybe they wouldn't mean that, that God's their witness. Maybe it does become too colloquial. Yeah, maybe they just mean what I'm saying.

Starting point is 00:23:42 And this is what I think, call me. I think this means trust me. Yeah, what I'm saying. And this is what I think calls me. Trust me. Yeah, what I'm saying is true. It's reliable. Yeah. But what Paul is saying is because God is my witness. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:23:54 Mm-hmm. No, it's interesting. I'm just looking at these three examples. Romans, Philippians, Thessalonians. These were all groups of people that he says in other places he wants to go see them, but for one reason another he hasn't. And I know in other cases like in Corinth,

Starting point is 00:24:14 the fact that he didn't go travel and see a church, people started to wonder if he was reliable. Yeah, interesting. And so I wonder if that became, he traveled so much, it became a thing where he kinda needed to be like, listen, God's my witness. I yearn for you with the affection of Christ.

Starting point is 00:24:31 He comes to Philippians, even though I can't come see you right now, I'm in prison, but God's my witness. Yeah, trust me. Yeah, trust me. Yeah. A lot of people wanted him to come, hang out. You're saying, and he couldn't get to everyone. Or he said that he was going

Starting point is 00:24:45 to come but then he wasn't able to. Yeah and then people started to wonder if he was reliable. Yeah. Yeah. You know we all friends like that. I'm usually like that. Maybe you can pick up this phrase. God is my witness. God is my witness. I meant to and then I fell asleep. What the battery is. Okay, so that's interesting. God can be a witness. A person can be a witness of something they see. And then another use of witness is that an object can be a witness. So an object can be personified, whether an altar or a pile of stones. What?

Starting point is 00:25:51 Yeah. That's my guinea's son. I know. Even listen to this verse. This sounds kind of weird. So it says in Joshua 24, when Joshua and the people renew the covenant, Joshua says, behold, this stone shall be a witness against us for it has heard all the words of Yahweh that he spoke to us. So.

Starting point is 00:26:10 Is this a figure of speech? Like what does he do in there? Oh, this isn't crazy. This is, I think what happens when you sign a document. Does he think the stone heard what he said? Oh, I see. I think it's just personified.

Starting point is 00:26:24 I think God heard what they said. Yeah. The stone is a symbol of that. That's interesting. I need to think about this more. I mean, that's what he said. He says the stones, the witness, the stone. He heard everything we said.

Starting point is 00:26:34 Well, what they did is they just read out the covenant terms of Torah. Right. And they all said, we're going to follow the covenant of the Torah. Yeah. And he marks the moment with this pillar. That was there while it was red. This stone, every time we come here. We were here, the stone was here. We all set it. We set it. And this stone will be remembered. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it's a reminder. Yeah. So whenever the people see it, they remember all the things that were read. So it's a memorial or

Starting point is 00:27:02 a reminder. But then it's also evidence. It's so that when people see it, they're like, oh yeah, this thing really did happen. Yeah. It's similar to the way that our signatures function on a document where you have to get you, maybe a co-witness or co-signer or something like that. Don't you think? And then the piece of paper is like a witness.

Starting point is 00:27:24 Yeah, though, I kind of like the idea of having an object that reminds you of something, or is a witness of something. Yeah, I don't know. It is a cool thing. Yeah. Don't you think, like, I don't have any of my diplomas up on my wall?

Starting point is 00:27:39 No, me, no. But you know when you go into a doctor's office and there are, in a way, it's a witness. You're right, it's testifying to something we haven't. But it'd be weird if they said this diploma was there when I... It heard all night. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:27:52 It saw me, it saw me graduate. Yeah. It was just a weird turn of phrase. It is. It's a weird turn of phrase, but that is what it means. It's kind of what it means. It's like that's bears witness that I'm qualified to give you the whatever medical advice.

Starting point is 00:28:04 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then somewhat related to this idea is in the New Testament, the works of a person. So this is... In fact, the Gospel of John. Yeah. Right. Back to John, the works of a person can testify or bear witness to that person or who

Starting point is 00:28:19 they are. So they function as evidence. So again, it's kind of an object. It's an action, a thing, not a person. So the works of Jesus testify about him, about his identity. So witness is a thing that humans do. But if something else is doing that, we can anthropomorphize it in a way and say it's being a witness. I see. Yeah. The works bear witness, the pillar, hears, and is a witness.

Starting point is 00:28:44 It is a testimony about something. I think we would typically say it's evidence. Yeah. Yeah. But to say it's a witness, anthropomorphizes it. I see. Yeah. And just reels at home even more. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:28:58 Which I think is cool. That's cool image. Yeah, that is cool. Okay. So that's the outline of the basic meaning. That's the basic meaning. It's a simple word that means to see something, share what you've seen. It can refer to a person in a legal setting, an object. God. God can be a witness. So here's the fascinating part, though, and why I like the word studies we do, because this word does tell the story of the whole Bible, especially the people

Starting point is 00:29:28 of God and the Bible. So it gives us insight into that. And something that I've noticed, and we talked about this in the script writing, is that for these word studies, you typically look for whether there's a basic pattern for how this word functions in the story. If it function in a design pattern or repeated. Yeah, so this word does have a basic pattern that it follows. So the word witness tells the story that God wants a group of witnesses, so people who see him, who experience him, and then his desires that these people would represent him or bear witness to him, to who he is. And he typically raises up a chief witness to help them

Starting point is 00:30:12 do this. So you see this theme, even though the word isn't used yet, you see this theme in Genesis 1 and 2 and he wants people to partner with him for the flourishing of the whole world. So he has, you know, specific individuals who will, oh, all humanity, I suppose, Genesis one and two. But then especially in Genesis 12, he chooses one group Abraham's family out of the many so that the many would be blessed. You know, sorry to go back. Yep. It's an interesting way to think about the image of God and Adam and Eve as the word witness isn't used, but image, which is a representation. Images to statue. Yeah, I think the theme is there for sure.

Starting point is 00:30:54 Yeah, in a way, one of the most basic things of witness is you represent the person or thing or event that you saw. So in a way, humans are like a living witness to the creator whom they represent. That's a logic, I think of the witness. So in that sense, humans are, yeah. Is that again? Humans are a representation of the creator.

Starting point is 00:31:18 If you put the witness in a bigger, more basic, abstract category of just representation, I saw a car accident. Yeah. Now, the car accident has passed. You can't go over there, but I can represent to you what happened because I was there. In a way, the image of God is a embodied representation of the creator. That's what I mean. Yep.

Starting point is 00:31:44 Yeah. And so, in a way, humans are these embodied witnesses to the the creator. That's what it means. And so in a way, humans are these embodied witnesses to the invisible creator. And so is all creation then in a way too. And all creation is just what. Paul's going to get that in Romans 1. Oh, yep, that's right. For since the creation of the world, gods and visible qualities have been clearly seen

Starting point is 00:32:01 being understood from what has been made. And then he'll use legal language. Therefore, people are without excuse. Who's suppressed that knowledge? Yeah, because there's been a clear testimony or clear witness. That's right. So, your point is, the word witness isn't used in Eden narrative. That develops later.

Starting point is 00:32:19 But the concept of a group of people who represent God, out to creation, that's like the foundation. Yeah, it's right there. That partnership is the foundation of the whole story and then humanity fails over and over. That's part of the pattern. Interesting. I don't think of a witness as a representative.

Starting point is 00:32:37 That's a new idea for me. So when I think of the verb that we usually translate as to bear witness, to me, I think I would say to bear witness or to represent. Yeah. Well, it's interesting is when you talk about being representative, it feels like you have skin in the game, you are like an ambassador of some sort. Or if you're just a witness, it feels a little bit more neutral. Like, hey, here's what I experienced. I'm not going to give any judgments. Just here's my experience. That's right. But it is your representing your experience. I'm representing my experience. Representing. Yeah, representing it.

Starting point is 00:33:15 Yeah, maybe that's it's the word represent that in English sounds. Well, let's take it to this idea of being made in God's image then. I'm representing that God made me and wants to partner with me and design me in a certain way. But you also, a human, is a representation of God to creation and to other people and to the animals. I think that's the logic of the image of Genesis 1. I have a witness of God's creativity and his nature. Yeah. Yeah. And witness, witness means both to see and experience. Ah, right, right, right. So like the idea of being in His presence in the garden, then that experience has carried forward through people. Yeah, as Adam and Eve spread the Garden of Eden

Starting point is 00:34:09 and cultivate new land, whatever, the vision of the expanding Eden, that's being his representatives, his images, and in a way, witnesses. So the word doesn't use. I'm not trying to put it too far into saying it's an interesting way to think about it. Yeah, so the word doesn't use there and it's not used yet with the idea of Abraham's

Starting point is 00:34:27 family being a blessing to all nations, but that theme is there. But it's in the story of Moses and the Torah or the law that the idea of being a witness to the nations or testifying to who God is becomes a little bit more clear. So, in the story of the Exodus, when God rescues the people from slavery, he says to Moses to tell the people, this is Exodus 19, 4 through 6, you yourselves have seen or witnessed what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on Eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession

Starting point is 00:35:12 among all the peoples for all the earth is mine. So at this point, if you're like me, you're going, wait, so we chose one nation for like the special privilege or salvation or what, but then the next verse clarifies why he chose this nation. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So here we see God chooses Israel for this role of being a servant to the rest of this point. The logic is you saw. You saw what just happened. Now you're a kingdom of priests and the rest of the point. The logic is you saw. You saw what just happened. You saw something. Now I'm. Now you're a kingdom of priests.

Starting point is 00:35:47 And the idea of a priest is that this is a person who mediates between two parties. And the only parties in the story so far are Yahweh and the nations. Yes. So you're saying one way to summarize Hebrew Scriptures is that God selected a people who could experience him and witness him and who he is and then bear witness to the rest of

Starting point is 00:36:16 creation or rest of the nation. Right. So they're chosen for a specific role, but the purpose is that all nations would know who that is because of the witness of this one group. This is a good example of where the word witness isn't used, but the theme of the idea of witness is what the covenant is about. You've seen an experience may now now go represent me. Right. To the nations. But what's interesting is that this is where the word witness starts to be used a lot

Starting point is 00:36:49 to describe the Torah. The cut in the comment relationship. Yeah, so now it's the law, the Torah that is over and over again called the witness, but it's usually translated as the testimony, like the tablets of the testimony. Oh yes, that's interesting phrase. Yeah Yes, that's right over and over again or the arc of the testimony the arc of the witness So the tablets it's this Experience that that Moses had with Yahweh and the things that he goes up on the cloud. Yeah 40 days

Starting point is 00:37:19 Right He has this experience with like the kingship and the power of Yahweh and the rescue from Egypt. And then God talks with him, he experiences him, and he gives him all of these instructions. And this is called a witness to who Yahweh is. The tablets of testimony as a rank to it. Yeah. Yeah. Sounds like it's in the Jones Bible.

Starting point is 00:37:42 Yeah, that's right. The tablets are the testimony to the covenant relationship. That's what's written on them. Yeah. The terms of the cult. And I think it's interesting to ask here, why are these things called a witness? What about them?

Starting point is 00:37:57 Yeah, that's right. This one always made most intuitive sense to me, because it's like signing a legal document, the stones. There's actually some debate about what exactly was written on the tablets. Well, enough to fit on two tablets. Front and back. But it's some summary, a representation of these covenant agreements. Similar to when you sign a legal document between two parties, then the actual text becomes like a witness of the agreement you made

Starting point is 00:38:28 But then they put it in a box of testimony Which is what the ark is sometimes called right so the all of this is is bearing witness Yeah, so I want to make sure I don't lose a plot So you're saying this idea of being a witness Yeah, it holds the whole narrative of scripture together and that you see God choose Israel to be a witness to him in order to help other people see who God is. And then you even see this through Moses, specifically one Israelite, get called out,

Starting point is 00:39:01 and you call it a chief witness. Yeah, right. And this is because the group of people who are supposed to be the witnesses are already worshipping other gods. One Moses is up on the mountain. That's right. Right.

Starting point is 00:39:13 So it takes one guy. Moses has this incredible experience on top of the mountain. And he's up there for 40 days. It's crazy. And then he comes down with, he's actually written out on stone, the things that God told him. And so now he's a witness, the stones are a witness. And it's a witness for this group who are

Starting point is 00:39:34 supposed to be witnesses for the world. He's a witness to the witnesses. Exactly. There's a witness in the witnesses. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the Torah being a witness, it's an interesting concept because the the law of Moses is this story that's peppered with instruction. Right. So I think there are a couple ways that this law could be a witness. One is that it tells a story about who God is. So it tells the story of an experience with God. So through it, people can know him, which is kind of the point of a witness. And then the instruction and the Torah also. Like the specific dalsh out. Right, yeah. Not in dalsh out. Right, I think a lot of those testify

Starting point is 00:40:14 to the character of God or what he's like, that he's just and creates this fair society and wants relational harmony between among this community. And then Moses even writes a song that is said to be a witness to the people that tells the story. So this is Deuteronomy 31 and 32. This song is called a witness and it tells the story of how God has cared for the people. So the witness of the Torah is almost this story that people, they experience God through it,

Starting point is 00:40:48 and they also remember what he's done. So it becomes a witness for the people, and also a witness against them. If they ever stray from God, there's this song. It's good. I'm summarized just for myself. So the storyline of the Torah as a story bears witness to God's purpose to bring blessing to the nations through this family. Then the laws of the Torah bear witness to Israel and anybody reads them of God's righteous

Starting point is 00:41:18 character of how he wants a people to be organized. And then Moses's song and words bear witness against the people of Israel if they fail to fulfill the covenant. And that's... I think that's probably a witness for and against the people because it's a witness for or to the people and that when they hear it, they are experiencing God. That's true, because he was the one up on the mountain. So he's bearing witness to that experience.

Starting point is 00:41:49 And I see. And then if they fail to fulfill the covenant, then his writing spare witness against them. Right. That's right. Yeah, there's that odd, yeah, and Deuteronomy 31, he writes a song can be a witness. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:42:04 And then the song that he sings is essentially, I mean, it begins by saying, you guys are corrupt. Yeah. You're not going to be faithful to God. You're going to destroy yourselves and God's going to let you do it. So it's like, kind of like, and I told you so. Yeah. Before it happens. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:42:19 Before you go destroy yourself, I'm going to tell you that I told you so as to bear witness against you so that you can remember that I, anyway. Yeah. Interesting watching. It is. Yeah. Witness. It is.

Starting point is 00:42:33 So the Torah is a witness about Yahweh. And what's interesting is that in the New Testament, Jesus says that the Torah bears witness to him. Yeah. That's right. So in the Hebrew Bible, we see that it's about this God who's a king and a deliverer. And then Jesus says that this is actually all talking about him. Yeah, that's right.

Starting point is 00:42:53 Yeah, and John 5, he says, you search the scriptures and it is they that bear witness about me. The prophets also become these chief witnesses for Israel. So they also see and experience God as king in a similar way to how Moses did on not sign a. The prophets, both the people and the writings, are meant to bear witness or warn Israel about what will happen if they continue to turn away from Yahweh in his Torah. So a great example of this is Isaiah who sees Yahweh on the throne as the king and the deliverer in Isaiah 6. It's called like his version of Moses' Mount Sinai. Yeah. Yeah. The glory of Yahweh fills the temple in this vision. Yeah. And then Isaiah is meant to bear witness about this experience to the people and also warn

Starting point is 00:44:27 them. Yeah. Which warn a lot of times our Hebrew, our English word, warn is the Hebrew word witness. So the prophets, yeah, the prophets witness to the people. Why do we translate it warn? Because it's witness with a lot of stake. Yeah. Here's an example from Second Chronicles 24-19. It says,

Starting point is 00:44:50 yet he Yahweh sent prophets among them to bring them back to Yahweh. These witness or warned them, but they would not pay attention. So, or sorry, they witnessed to or warned them. Yeah, it's interesting that we would change it to warned in this context, but it makes sense. But a warning in English doesn't always mean that you're a witness of something. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:45:17 You could just be warning something that you had, you know, secondhand knowledge of. Yeah, that's interesting. Just understand logically. Not something you actually were a witness of. I'm looking at an IV as they testified. ESV has testified. Okay. NAS has, did you remember what translation? It was a King James.

Starting point is 00:45:40 No, I thought it was ESV, the second Chronicles 24 and 19. Yeah, yeah. At least the ESV I have. No, I thought it was ESP second chronicles 24 19. Yeah. Yeah At least the the ESP I have okay, so testified they testified to them oh against them They testified maybe that's the Testify against is kind of similar to warning. It's a negative word Yeah, interesting. Yeah, yeah, so the prophets are also these chief witnesses that testified to Israel about who got is and and testify about what will happen if they continue to go away from him and their purpose is to restore Israel to their rightful role. And you see this is especially in Isaiah 40 through

Starting point is 00:46:20 48. So this is where the word witness gets applied to Israel in a really explicit way or a really direct way. So in Isaiah 40 through 48, we see the word witness and also the content of what the people are supposed to be witnessing about or witnessing to. So Isaiah 43, 10 through 12 says, you are my witnesses declares Yahweh. So here, that word's plural, so we can assume he's talking to Israel. You are my witnesses and my servant whom I have chosen. And here's the content of their witness.

Starting point is 00:46:56 And the servant is singular? Well, I think servant could be collective. So it's singular, yeah, but it could be the nation or one. And I think it gets narrowed to one eventually, but Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So ideal is that the whole people as a group are always Serpent the bears witness. Yeah, but I think almost in this this idea of servant who you know Israel as a whole is supposed to be the servant Yeah, and that does get narrowed to an individual that's kind of similar to this idea of a group of witnesses, but there's a chief witness who

Starting point is 00:47:27 yep, who's supposed to help the people. Yeah, so you're my witnesses so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me. There was no God formed and there will be none after me. So it's this witness about who God is. I even even I am Yahweh, and there is no Savior besides me. So there's a unique God. He's the Savior, deliverer. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange God among you. So you are my witnesses to Claire's Yahweh. So I think that's the clearest Isaiah really, Isaiah 40 through 48 really clarifies. Israel's role as a witness about who God is. Yeah, to the nations.

Starting point is 00:48:12 Which think creates problems in those same chapters. Yeah, so yeah, what's the problem? Isaiah is constantly calling them a death and blind service. Right, which is kind of a problem if a witness is a person to see. Who sees God? who seems like a Monty Python sketch. Yeah exactly but this is the witness God has to work with yeah that's not gonna work at all yeah exactly which is why then Isaiah starts

Starting point is 00:48:37 talking about a servant who will turn Israel back into the witnesses they're supposed to be who will open the eyes of the blind. That's right. Yeah, this is the famous, yeah, servant of Isaiah 49. Exactly, yeah. Who's called Israel? That says you are my servant.

Starting point is 00:48:55 Israel is the servant. But then he says, yeah, it's exactly what you have highlighted here. Yeah, but then, right, so the servant is called Israel, but then the servant in Isaiah 49 is said to bring back the preserved of Israel. So it's not just Israel, it's a person or a remnant or yeah, it's a chief witness. So chief witness? It's bearing witness to the blind witnesses.

Starting point is 00:49:18 Yep. This servant will be a light for the nations and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. That's what Isaiah 49 says. So. Which is the point of the witness's existence first. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:49:30 All right. The story is coming together. Yeah. It's cool how you could tell the story of the Bible through this one word. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Yeah. 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc

Starting point is 00:49:48 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc

Starting point is 00:50:04 1 tbc 1 tbc That's what Jesus says he's doing when he comes on the scene. He says that he is that servant and witness. He says that in a lot of different ways, but one of the ways is that he claims to be the light of the nations when he says I'm the light of the world. In John 8. He's basically riffing off Isaiah here when he says I'm the light of the nations when he says, I'm the light of the world. And John A. He's basically riffing off Isaiah here when he says, I'm the light of the world. I think so.

Starting point is 00:50:30 Among many. Yeah, among many other hyperlinks. That's cool. To the Hebrew Bible. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so he says, I'm the light of the world. And then when he teaches in the synagogue, he quotes directly from Isaiah 61, one and two,

Starting point is 00:50:44 to say that he is the servant, he's this chief witness who is expected. So he says that he was sent to free prisoners and recover sight for the blind. So open the eyes of the blind, which is what Isaiah says the servant needs to do for Israel. Literally. Yeah, that's right.

Starting point is 00:51:04 But then also figuratively here, this idea of these blind witnesses, their eyes being opened. Yeah, that's right. Yes, it's interesting, dynamic of the gospels. He comes as the chief witness to the blind witness. Oh, I think this is the whole story of the blind man in John. Has these two layers of meaning,

Starting point is 00:51:23 because he heals the eyes of the blind man. And then these religious leaders are all angry about it and then Jesus starts calling them the blind ones. And it becomes this kind of double meditation on who is really blind. What kind of blindness constitutes true blindness? Yeah, he's probably saying, hey, remember the Israel of Isaiah's day, who were blind? That's right.

Starting point is 00:51:47 That's what you're like. You're like, yeah. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so Jesus, he's the ultimate witness, bearing witness about who he is and proclaiming God's kingdom. And he's called a witness over and over, especially in the book of John.

Starting point is 00:51:59 So we've talked about that already. And ultimately, it's his witness specifically that he gives this testimony or witness about who he is that gets him killed. Oh, right. At the trial. Yep, the court. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:52:12 So in Luke 22, the leaders say to Jesus, if you're the Christ, then tell us. And he pretty much says, oh, you're not going to listen to me anyway. They're the deaf people. Yeah. And then he says, they ask him if he's the son of God and he says, yes, I am, then they said, what further need do we have of witness or testimony?

Starting point is 00:52:32 We've heard it ourselves from his own mouth. So it's his witness as the chief witness that gets him killed. But what's ironic is that it's this death and resurrection that his companions witness that caused them to become the witnesses that God had always intended to have for himself. So that's right. Yeah, it's this ironic twist. And then that becomes one of the key titles to describe Jesus' followers in the world. Yeah, right.

Starting point is 00:53:00 The witnesses. Oh, and you taught me this. We kind of skipped over it, but Jesus, his death as a witness in Greek, that's what's the word? Martus. Yeah. And that's what we get our term martyr. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:53:16 Yes, that's right. That's right. Which I had no idea. Yes. So to be a martyr, I've always thought of a martyr as someone who dies. Well, a martyr is someone who is killed because of their faith or because of the thing they believe in or for the cause that they have. But to think of that specifically about bearing witness to that cause or to that thing. That's right. You're dying for that. You're dying as a witness. It's a cool image.

Starting point is 00:53:44 Yeah, it's powerful. Yeah, you're staking your life on the truthfulness of what you're dying as a witness. It's a cool image. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's powerful. Yeah. You're staking your life on the truthfulness of what you're representing. Yeah. Even if... And that's what Jesus did. It cost you. Yeah. He's the chief witness. He's the chief witness. Yeah. In the revelation, Jesus calls himself the faithful witness. Right. The faithful witness, the first born of the dead. So maybe those ideas of being a witness and dying are already being connected in that book. So Jesus' death is his witness and then he commissions in the famous axiom. Yep, axiom. He calls his followers to be witnesses. Yeah, something interesting about the New Testament witnesses is that just like in the Hebrew Bible,

Starting point is 00:54:26 the witnesses are just simply those who have seen and experienced the resurrected Jesus, and then they talk about it. So the word witness occurs a lot of times connected to the resurrection and the New Testament. So Peter will stand up or Paul will stand up and say, we've witnessed the risen Jesus and implied is that now we're talking about it. So seeing the resurrection and then talking about it or one event or seeing experiencing the resurrected Jesus like Paul does. But it's just still that simple act of you just talk about what you've seen, but here it just carries a lot more weight because you could be killed for it Yeah, yeah, it's cool. So I mean this idea of my concept of being a witness or witnessing is

Starting point is 00:55:13 To convince someone in a religious context to convince someone but going through the story of the Bible through the lens of witness You see I was just it's so connected to experiencing God and then sharing that experience. And to that, we have the word testimony, give a testimony. That's another really common thing in the Christian culture. Share a testimony. In my mind, that's always been detached from witnessing.

Starting point is 00:55:39 I mean, I guess no, no, that's not true. It's a part of witnessing. But witnessing really is the convincing, where the testimonies kind of is a nice little way to kind of get in the door so that you can then give the logical argument seal the deal. But being a witness is about your testimony.

Starting point is 00:55:55 It's about you experience something. Yeah. And then you represent that, you share that. I feel like it gives a different, again, I didn't grow up in terms of culture that you should. I feel like it gives a different, again, I didn't grow up in terms of culture that you did, but what I see in your body like Widge and in your voice is there was like a pressure. And when I'm thinking about powerful experiences that I've

Starting point is 00:56:15 had in my life, I don't feel pressure to share. It's just the most normal thing in the world, because it's a powerful experience that you had. You just talk about it. What else do we have to talk about except things that matter to us that we've experienced? And that seems more like the biblical use of the word. This is natural sharing about something you've experienced. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:56:38 Yeah. Natural, but then also like we've said, it's very weighty. It ties the whole story of the Bible together It's like God's plan for Communicating who he is is selecting witnesses to share. So Jesus Becomes a chief witness and then he commissions his disciples to witness It's just part of being a follower of Jesus is carrying that on

Starting point is 00:57:05 You know, it's interesting. I'm looking down in your notes here then. That makes sense of a lot of these other examples where people's actions bear witness to their character. Right. Yeah. So yeah, Hebrews 11, people's faithful, trust and obedience. Yeah, to have a good witness could also just be to be of commendable character. Yeah. So it could be talking about something, but just like how an object can be a witness, maybe it can also be just your person, how you represent God by what you do or is that what you're saying? Yeah, that's what I'm going for. And there

Starting point is 00:57:41 may be some other words to be brought into it. I was reading. There's the word tested or Daki Masa or Daki Masa, which means trust worthy or it has been tested and it's trustworthy Yeah, which means it's a kind of witness and it's referring to someone's character. Yeah, talk about somebody is having character that is Tested and trustworthy and here people in Hebrews people's behavior, acts of trust in God are a kind of witness. Yeah, a testimony to their character and even to a God they represent. Yeah, so it's mostly verbal. Yeah. What you bear witness means you shit talk about it, but the life, your way of life can also be a kind of witness.

Starting point is 00:58:26 Yeah. Which is the truth about God's Kingdom. I live this way because I believe in God's Kingdom coming Jesus. My actions then become a kind of witness alongside my word. It's a great way to frame existence. It's not a way that I typically do walking around thinking of myself as a witness. I'm just trying to imagine how that might shape me or my day if I kind of had that paradigm to be a witness of something. It's an important task. You get called to a courtroom to be a witness.

Starting point is 00:59:04 You're going to be preparing for that. In your psyche, you're making, like, oh yeah, I'm gonna go on to stand, I'm gonna think about it. I just remember one time witnessing a car accident and then leaving my number and then the person called and wanted the story. And I felt like really significant, like, oh, I'm gonna be a witness right now and I'm someone's getting in trouble because of what I said. That kind of waitingness

Starting point is 00:59:25 of that identity. Well that be if I carried that with me. You know that the trouble's witness really kind of have something going there with. It's just in it. It's in their name. Yeah. Yeah. Although I think related ideas to what you're saying would be like representing related ideas to what you're saying would be like representing God. I don't know if you do in those terms or imaging, imaging God, yeah, or partnering with him. I think those are related ideas in the story line. I was thinking about this this morning. My sons pointed out to me that within the first 10 minutes of my being awake and walking around the house every morning, what I do every day is make coffee. It's apparently the very first thing that I do.

Starting point is 01:00:13 I'm so witty, yeah. And so I was just thinking about this for their little observations about me, you know? Over these years, my actions bear witness to what I prioritize first thing in a way my actions are a witness That coffee is the best the most important thing to me in the morning That's actually well I also give them a big hug and kiss every morning even before making coffee So I hope that bears witness to something too, but I was just thinking about I pointed out and then I was thinking about what you're saying My actions are constantly bearing witness about what I've

Starting point is 01:00:45 out of you the most. What I believe is ultimately true. My older son the other day was like, I was putting my socks on standing up near my closet. And he goes, that's hard. Yeah, it is hard. And he goes, it's just for you. And he goes, yeah.

Starting point is 01:01:00 And he goes, Dad, you usually put your socks on sitting on the bed. And I was like, you notice how I put my socks on. Wow. I better like, stop up my game. Like you're paying attention to me. Yeah. Yeah. He's looking at your testimony. Yeah.

Starting point is 01:01:17 He's examining how I live life. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not sure what that is. Like testimony to. Yeah, what is that testimony to? But, you know, sir. And he even said, sometimes you sit right there on the bed and sometimes you sit over there Yeah, yeah, I'm not sure what that is it like testimony to Even said sometimes you sit right there on the bed and sometimes you sit over there on that chair That's like oh my goodness

Starting point is 01:01:41 So so all this came from you are kind of going in this direction that if you thought of your day today Habits patterns of behavior as a form of bearing witness, how would that change how you think about your life and your... Well, I wasn't even thinking that my character is a witness. I'm just thinking in terms of... Oh, I see. My role is to witness not into stop someone and say, hey, can I try to convince you of something? Yeah. But that my identity is kind of wrapped up in that I have something, a perspective and experience that I want other people to understand, I want to shape how people see the world.

Starting point is 01:02:23 I mean, I think we think of that in terms of being an ambassador of Christ, I think of the term. I think Christians use. But even there, these words can get very flattened out very quick. And just thinking of myself, again, just if you were summoned to be a witness in a courtroom, you do take it really. I would take that really seriously. It would just consume my whole day, my whole week, thinking about, oh, I'm going to be a witness. Yeah. And the importance of that.

Starting point is 01:02:52 And, uh, yeah, it is. I'm just trying to let that sit for me a little bit. Yeah. It's weird how simple and how big of a responsibility. It is, and also how when you see the whole storyline of Scripture that God wants this group of witnesses who experience him and then talk about it to imagine being a part of that storyline even today. That's an interesting feeling. Yes. Thank you, Chris, for putting this all together.

Starting point is 01:03:20 Oh, thanks for being with me. Yeah, thank you. And thank you for researching and writing a script. Yeah, yeah, excited for me. Yeah, thank you. And thank you for researching and writing a script. Yeah, yeah. Excited for that. Yeah, me too. This video will come out. Sometimes this fall, or early winter.

Starting point is 01:03:33 Yeah, fall or winter. Winter, winter. Winter. And it's kind of a dual word study gospel, word study witness. It'll be a little pair. A little pair. And I'm excited for it.

Starting point is 01:03:44 Yeah, me too. Awesome. High five is excited for it. Yeah. Me too. Awesome. High five is all I want. Alright, thanks. Yeah. Hi, this is Gisoo and Joanne and we're from California and we first heard about the Bible project because I church Jesus the videos for our understanding of the Bible. We believe the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. We're a crowdfunded project 우리의 인사는 인사한 이야기가 있습니다. 우리의 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사한 인사 가르치는 책이라고 생각하고요 더 알고 싶으시면 The Bible Project 다 감으로 가시면 됩니다 아니 추천합니다 고맙습니다 you

BibleProject - Can I Get a Witness?

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