Does the testimony of an eyewitness account still inspire confidence of a thing being true? When we read the Bible, does it still occur to us that these were real events that happened in history? Yes, when we observe the Scriptures, we understand its nature from different facets. It is literary; a document made up of specific words, pen put to paper, much ink for an all-important message. It is theological; the events it records are all part of the history of redemptive revelation. They are the events of God acting in the world and then through the human author God’s interpretation of the events. Great! God tells us how He wants us to understand those events. Hence the inspiration of the Scripture. But then we have another facet. It is historical. What the Bible records for us are actual events that happened with ordinary people like you and I. We are only separated by millennia and nothing else. Same humans, same issues. The only difference between us and them is that we have electricity! There is a tendency to think of it as happening so long ago, that it has been relegated into myth, legend, irrelevance and untrustworthy. I wonder what the world will be thinking about World War 2 a hundred years from now, should the LORD tarry. The myth of total war? The legend of Hitler?

But here’s the thing. Our confidence in something will affect how we act in accordance with it. The intensity of belief we have towards it is seen in our actions about it. But we have read so much, prayed so much and even asked the LORD to stir up in us a passion for His name and His glory. But here’s a thought. Are the Scriptures, by itself sufficient to strike your heart, even as a Christian, to stir up confidence in you for action? It should!! Any other evidence should be supplementary and not primary. The Bible is sufficient! Sola Scriptura! Yet not “solo scriptura”.

Now consider the Lord Jesus Christ and what was revealed about Him; written literature, theological and historical. He was born about 4-6 BC, which is approximately 2030 years ago. We read the four gospels and the epistles which explain the good news of God the Son taking on flesh, living a perfectly sinless life, perfectly keeping the law of God (Rom. 3:19-24), being perfectly righteous, making atonement for sins on the cross (Rom. 3:25), dying, rising, ascending to glory, sitting as LORD over all (Phil. 2:9-11), as Righteous Judge (2 Tim. 4:8), and returning King (Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 21:25-28). This is the wonderful news of the Gospel. But again, did these things really happen? Are they just a form of literature reduced to a story? Has the displacement of time caused us to view the Scriptures as mythology and legend in our minds?

Hear what these witnesses of the Word said after our LORD ascended into the heavens; their recollection of seeing Him:

The Apostle Peter said about Christ in his second epistle that “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic glory, “This is My Beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” – and we ourselves heard this utterance from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18). Here we have Peter, a man, giving first hand witness/testimony of Christ at His transfiguration. Embedded in history is the fact that Peter saw the Lord transfigured, saw Moses and Elijah, heard the voice of God the Father – the Creator of the universe – the One who exists outside of space and matter. Isn’t this the basis of our confidence, that Christ is the One sent from above? These were real events that were witnessed.

What about John? In his gospel, he says in chapter 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God …” and then in v14 “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John affirms Christ’s deity in v1 and claims to be a first-hand witness to Him in v14. In his first epistle, defending the human nature of Christ against the Gnostics, John says yet again in chapter 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life – and the life was manifested (appeared), and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us – what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also …” These are all appeals to the physical senses of the human being in witnessing the Word of Life, Jesus Christ. They are used by John here to proclaim the reality of this Person. He was real. He was witnessed. John saw everything; the life, miracles, transfiguration, dead, risen and ascended Lord. John literally leaned on the breast of Christ. Oh, what a privilege!! That was as close as one could get to Him. Christ was not some superstitious apparition. On top of all that, John saw the end. Christ revealed to him the consummation of human history in the apocalypse, the book of Revelation. The things this man saw should stir up confidence in us beyond measure. Don’t worry. In the end, we win.  

Outside the canon of Scripture, the early church Father Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis and companion of Polycarp, was a direct disciple of the Apostle John. He referred to John as a “living and abiding light”. Imagine being a direct student of a man who knew Jesus Christ personally and who saw everything about Him in the Gospels and perhaps more than what is recorded for us in the Gospels (John 20:25).

The Apostle Paul cannot be left out. On his journey to Damascus to persecute believers, the risen and glorified Christ appeared to him. Paul fell to the ground and the Lord Jesus spoke to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Some have argued that this is where Paul got his doctrine of Christ as head of the church as the Lord identified with His people here. The Lord then commissioned him as an Apostle. Christ himself said of Paul, “… he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). This Paul who saw the risen and glorified Christ also gave testimony of his personal experience of the heavenly places. He stated that he knew, “a man (speaking of himself) in Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, God knows – such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows – was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak” (2 Cor. 12:2-4). Paul was witness to these things. It happened!! And he is there right now experiencing the things he testified about. Amen and Amen. How does this affect us? Ponder on this.  

These eyewitness testimonies about Christ bring together the three facets of the nature of Scripture as noted above. It is written literature, a theological understanding of the life of Jesus Christ, and historical as being witnessed firsthand. However, there is something else we need to be mindful of. Yes, the apostles preached to call men to respond to the Gospel as they were commissioned by Christ. But the truth always remains independent of our responses. Whether we believe in something or not is not the basis for something being true. You could believe you could fly, but if you jump out of a building you will hit the truth in a rather sudden and unpleasant way. The truth will remain the truth no matter what you think or feel. Whether you believe in Christ or not doesn’t affect in anyway the reality about Him!

So, in another sense the Bible was also written not only to teach us the truth but to give testimony of the things accomplished among us whether men believe it or not. Luke records in his gospel chapter 1:3, “it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything from the beginning to write it out (“the things accomplished among us” 1:1) for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth of the things you have been taught.” Truth brings clarity. Clarity brings understanding. This understanding if accepted, brings comfort. We have learnt that the Holy Spirit comforts us by revealing the truth about Christ (see John 14:26). Christ is the only true representation and basis for defining and understanding reality - its origin, purpose and redemption. For to truly know Christ is to make sense of this world we live in. To know these things is to have peace. For in Him we live and move and have our being. To be without Christ is to be in confusion and really be “out of touch with reality.” Take a look around the world and see the result.

The Old Testament literarily, theologically and historically anticipates the coming of Christ – a pre-witness if you like. In the Gospels, the incarnate Jesus Christ is witnessed and reported literarily, theologically and historically. Our responsibility is to understand the Scripture that way. If this is the case, does it stir up that confidence within us so convicting, that our response to it should be obedience to its demands? Do we believe it? Have we embraced it? Does it induce in us motion to live for Him, to work for Him, to hope for Him? We cannot say we believe in Him and there is no evidence of that in us. That would negate our claim to believe. The reverse is also true. What is the evidence that we have believed in Him? Paul makes it clear to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:11-13). It’s true that Christ came. He was seen, heard and touched. We have salvation in Him. However, we have been instructed to deny ungodliness, live righteously and look for His coming in hope and expectation. That’s the evidence. This manner of life demonstrates that we truly believe in the Word who was witnessed.

Be encouraged dear Christian. The events of the Bible occurred. You are standing on a sure and firm foundation. Your Lord is real. There were witnesses to the Word. On that wonderful day so long ago, the disciples saw firsthand the greatest of events, God the Son with a physical body went back to His abode in heaven; His glorious ascension having completely finished His work (see Luke 24:50-51). He accomplished redemption and returned to where He came from. He has gone to prepare that place for His people (see John 14:2-3). He has demonstrated our hope of resurrection and eternal life (see 1 Cor.15:20-24). It is true that the “natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14) but praise be to God that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). We are no longer as the “natural man” but a “new creation”. As a result, Christians have come to embrace what is revealed in the Bible about Jesus Christ. May this be the message we proclaim to a dying world. To the child of God I say, build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word who was witnessed.

Meditate on this.