AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Friday – August 26, 2022, Av 29, 5782
FRIDAY NUGGETS
TWO WITNESSES
Greetings dear and precious friends and partners of this Ministry who follow The Three Minute Word blog. You are certainly a blessing to us and we trust the Lord that we are a blessing of encouragement and empowerment for you. Please take a moment to share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. This expands our reach with the Truth and you have a critical role. Thank you for sharing.
Today I am going to talk about the importance of the second witness especially as it relates to rightly dividing the Word of Truth as we study Scripture. All of the Word of God is true, all of the Word of God is for our learning and is an example for us to benefit from. Not all of the Word of God is speaking to the Church. Some Scripture is speaking only to the Jews and some is speaking only to the heathen. However, all of it is for our (the Church) learning. Another very important aspect of studying Scripture is to evaluate each verse, each idea, in its full context. We like to grab verses, even phrases, and run with them. This habit can get us in trouble with regard to believing and walking in the Truth and not error. Now, let’s get back to our topic of two or three witnesses. First let’s see what the Master said about it.
Matthew 18:16 (KJV)
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
This particular passage has to do with bringing correction or addressing a trespass. However, Jesus tells us that it must not be addressed on the word of one witness but at least two. It seems this is a general principle to apply to other Scripture, to our lives.
Proverbs 18:17 (PassionNTPsa)
17 There are two sides to every story. The first one to speak sounds true until you hear the other side and they set the record straight.
Now let’s look at the first mention of this concept.
Deuteronomy 17:6 (KJV)
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:15 (KJV)
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
As you can see in these verses, we are talking about two different people. So, as we apply this to Scripture, we would be looking for two or three different writers, like Moses and the Apostle Peter and so on. Now, let’s take a look at another couple of Scriptures to help us establish this principle.
2 Corinthians 13:1 (KJV)
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Doesn’t this sound a lot like the Words of Jesus in Matthew 18:16 above? None of these are hearsay (gossip) witnesses but first-hand accounts. Anything that starts with “did you hear” regarding another person should be either shut down immediately or received with caution, it may be gossip. Whatever we hear including our understanding of Scripture is only a very small part of the full truth. A couple more Scriptures and we are done.
1 Timothy 5:19 (KJV)
19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:28 (KJV)
28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
By the way this principle does not just apply to these human interactions and in the rightly dividing of Scripture but in the judgments that are rendered in the court of Heaven. Court is in session in Heaven everyday and of course there will be a final accounting for the Christian at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The devil brings accusations against all of us day and night. He, the devil (s) is the first witness and we ourselves are the second witness. The establishing of any Scriptural truth, a truth upon which we base our life, requires at a minimum two witnesses.
Lord willing, I will return next Friday with more nuggets of Truth.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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