Bible Matters 418: One Witness 

God was clear in the Old and New Testaments that the truth in his word can only be obtained out of the mouth of two or three witnesses.  Four times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament, witness testimony has been provided from multiple witnesses that establishes God’s standard for establishing the truth out of the mouth of two or three witnesses.  Two witnesses have provided testimony that God is also clear that the testimony of one witness shall not be used to put one to death or to rise up against an iniquity.   

Numbers 35:30 – Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

Deuteronomy 17:6 – 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 – 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.

We’ve studied multiple one witness testimonies in the New Testament.  One witness testimony does not establish God’s doctrine for his gospel of Love in the New Testament.  You’ll recognize some of the false doctrine that has been studied already. 

Only one verse in Acts gave testimony that certain men from Judea wanted to impose the Jewish religious work of circumcision to be saved.  Of course, in this verse it is not clear exactly what saved means.  Jesus was the minister of the circumcision of the heart.   All that matters is that you are a new creature that surrenders to God and turns from sin.  Your belief in one God is by faith.  That is what matters.

Acts 15:1 – And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Romans 2:25-27 – For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

Romans 15:8 – Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

Galatians 6:15 – For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Romans 3:30 – Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

You also know that God wants women to serve in his ministry, side by side and equal with men, delivering his gospel of Love in the New Testament.  Only one witness, Paul, spoke out against women serving in God’s ministry.  This is false doctrine that Paul delivered.  Just because he spoke about women not serving in two messages, does not make his testimony that of two witnesses.  It is still but one witness testimony and is to be ignored!

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 – Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Timothy 2:9-12 – In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

It has been clear in these men driven ministries, that they have offended God’s little ones by exercising false doctrine out of the mouth of one witness.  If you are a woman that feels qualified to serve the Lord, then serve and make God proud!

Mark 9:42 – And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Christians celebrate in remembrance of Jesus’s last supper before his death on the cross.   Multiple witnesses have provided testimony of this event!  Eating or drinking the bread (i.e. body) and the wine (i.e. blood) of Christ means nothing, unless the word of God changes your heart.

Matthew 26:26-28 – And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark 14:22-24 – And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luke 22:19-20 – And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

 1 Corinthians 10:16 – The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Hebrews 9:20,22 – Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Only one witness provides testimony that one should not partake of the bread and wine unworthily.  One is required to repent of your sins to start your walk with the Lord.  Humble yourself and repent of you sins daily to keep you walk with the Lord pure. 

1 Corinthians 11:24-25,27-28 – And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Only one witness provides testimony that when you eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus shall you live forever and have everlasting life. 

John 6:47-51,53-58 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life.  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.

From the preponderance of standard, it is clear that one-off testimonies mean nothing.  God wants you to celebrate the body and blood of Christ celebration as performed by Jesus during the last supper on Pentecost in remembrance of him. Just doing this alone will not guarantee everlasting life in heaven. 

From the testimony of the witnesses, it is clear that God requires you to do the will of God for his gift of everlasting life.  God sent his gospel of Love to the Jews and Gentiles through Jesus.  Jesus had a monumental task.   The Jews loved and served no one but themselves.  They shared the love of God with no one.  The laws of religious works required the Jews to burn, sacrifice and offer animals daily for the forgiveness of sins.  The church offered them righteousness by their sacrifices.   This method of self-righteousness showed no love of neighbor.  Jesus offered his sacrifice on the cross as a way to turn the Jews away from the worship of self to the worship and love of God and love of neighbor.

God gave you two commandments in the New Testament.  

–         Love God

–         Love Neighbor

Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father to present to man, the gospel of Love.  One is to live a godly life, loving and serving God and his neighbor.  These are the words that the Lord Jesus brought to man

1 Timothy 6:3 – If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

The works and laws of animal sacrifice are destroyed.  These are the works that Paul refers to in his messages.  Jesus said he would destroy the temple in three days.  The Temple curtain split in two when Jesus died on the cross.  The law of serving self was destroyed.  The law of serving God and neighbor was created by faith in the teachings of God.  With his death on the cross, Jesus was obedient to the will of God.  Multiple witnesses have provided testimony of his death on the cross. 

Matthew 27:42 – He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Mark 15:32,39 – Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.  And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Luke 23:33 – And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

John 19:23,30 – Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Consistent with the use of the word “save” in the Old and New Testament, “saved” was the avoidance of destruction by the enemy or physical death, saved from violence or to be saved from wrath.  

2 Samuel 22:3 – The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

Matthew 27:42 – He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Romans 5:8-9 – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Jude 1:5 – I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

A review of God’s word for testimony providing evidence of “Saved” meaning everlasting life or eternal life is not present in the New Testament.  None of the eight New Testament witness testimonies have ever defined saved as meaning eternal life.  Only one time in the Old Testament has one witness used saved in conjunction with everlasting salvation.  To blindly assume that everywhere in the New Testament that the word “saved” implies “everlasting life” is false doctrine.

Isaiah 45:15-18 – Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.  They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.  But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord ; and there is none else.

One witness has provided testimonies which states that when you believe in the Son of God should not perish and have everlasting life. 

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36 – He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:40,47 – And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

In contrast to one just believing unto eternal life, multiple witnesses have testified that when you believe you do the will of God.  You do because you believe.  The man of God is to be thoroughly furnished unto good works. Your faith is shown by your works

Matthew 7:21 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

John 3:19,21 – And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

3 John 1:4-7,11 – I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;  Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:  Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.  Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 – And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

1 Peter 2:11-12,15-16 – Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

1 Peter 5:2 – Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

James 2:14,17 – What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 4:17 – Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Above all, God requires you to do the will of God.  To glorify God and his gospel of Love in all that you do.   Not by saying you just believe, but by picking up your cross and following Jesus. When you celebrate the last supper in remembrance of Jesus, you shall live by Jesus’s teachings. 

Peter 1:3,5,17,21-23 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 4:16-19 – Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

James 1:18-22 – Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Matthew 19:16-17,21-22 – And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.   But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Mark 10:17-21 –  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

John 9:31 – Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

1 John 4:4,6-7,21 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

God’s gospel of Love is not established by one witness testimonies.   

–         Circumcision doesn’t do it. 

–         Celebrating the last supper doesn’t do it. 

–         Believing to be saved doesn’t do it.

God wants women in his ministry.   

Using multiple witness testimonies, men and women doing the will of God and following his gospel of Love does it. 

God gave you two commandments in the New Testament.  

–              Love God

–              Love Neighbor

One is to live a godly life, loving and serving God and his neighbor.

Do not be offended by the truth in God’s word out of the mouth of two or three witnesses by using the preponderance of evidence standard.  In this year of 2025, plan on turning from sin, living in the spirit and to live together as Godly people, doing the will of God and serving him!  To spread God’s gospel of Love.  Endure to the end and look forward to being judged by God, enjoying everlasting life in heaven. 

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.