Witnessing and martyrdom:
Suffering Witnesses
Start
Can i get a witness?
The word witness has had a good run through the book of Acts so far. Here is a quick review of its use in Acts 1-5. Can you remember who said it each time?
- Acts 1:8 | "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- Acts 1:21 | "Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
- Acts 2:32 | "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it."
- Acts 3:15 | "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."
- Acts 5:32 | "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
NEXT
Meet Stephen, a Good Witness
Acts 6 & 7 tell of Stephen, an early Christian leader and the first person to be killed for their faith. Interestingly, these chapters use the word "witness" twice, in both 6:13 & 7:58 - but not to describe Stephen. Look up those two verses and see what kind of witnesses are described.
Click here once you've read...
NEXT
Meet Stephen
The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.
- Soren kierkegaard, journals
martyr/witness
NEXT
To witness is to struggle.
The majority of Acts 7 is Stephen's testimony before the crowd that would soon kill him. It is a long, powerful message that shows one key thing: getting God's message to be received well has always been a struggle.
- Read through Stephen's speech. What difficulties, struggles, and obstacles to God's message does Stephen point out from Old Testament history?
- How do the people react to this rather negative retelling of their history?
- Where do you see that happen today...
- at a generational level?
- in society and culture?
- in yourself?
- FINISH THE STATEMENT: In view of the struggle, the work of the witness is...
NEXT
Thank You
You're all amazing people helping other amazing people.
Suffering Witnesses
Kent Reeder
Created on July 15, 2025
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Transcript
Witnessing and martyrdom:
Suffering Witnesses
Start
Can i get a witness?
The word witness has had a good run through the book of Acts so far. Here is a quick review of its use in Acts 1-5. Can you remember who said it each time?
NEXT
Meet Stephen, a Good Witness
Acts 6 & 7 tell of Stephen, an early Christian leader and the first person to be killed for their faith. Interestingly, these chapters use the word "witness" twice, in both 6:13 & 7:58 - but not to describe Stephen. Look up those two verses and see what kind of witnesses are described.
Click here once you've read...
NEXT
Meet Stephen
The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.
- Soren kierkegaard, journals
martyr/witness
NEXT
To witness is to struggle.
The majority of Acts 7 is Stephen's testimony before the crowd that would soon kill him. It is a long, powerful message that shows one key thing: getting God's message to be received well has always been a struggle.
NEXT
Thank You
You're all amazing people helping other amazing people.