Testimony

TESTIMONY. Generally “a solemn affirmation to establish some fact,” and commonly among Christians the statement of one’s Christian experience. In Scripture it usually refers to that which was placed in the ark of the covenant (Exod.25.21), or to the Word of God (Ps.119.14, Ps.119.88, Ps.119.99 kjv). In Mark.6.11, shaking off the dust of the feet in leaving an unfriendly city was to be considered as a testimony against it.

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TESTIMONY. With a variety of meaning in Scripture, testimony (עֵדוּת, H6343, עֵדֻ֖ת; μαρτυρία, μαρτύριον), depending upon the context, denotes (1) witness, (2) evidence which witnesses to or for something, (3) the tables of stone on which the law of God was written, (4) the Ark, (5) the whole book of the law, (6) God’s Word given a prophet, (7) the Gospel, or (8) all of Scripture.

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Bibliography

HDB (1942), IV, 725; IDB (1962), IV, 579; TDNT (1967), IV, 474ff.