Is there really a "silent" witness?

Elusiv

Elusiv

Member
There was an interesting point brought up last night during the Bible Study that I wanted to explore a little bit this morning. To begin with, I am in no way making an assumption about what the person said as it relates to their own beliefs. I admit up front that I am taking what was said out of context and manipulating it a bit simply for illustration. In fact, I don’t even have a clue as to who said it. That being said, here is the statement of exploration:

I believe in a silent witness. I try to live my life the way Christ would want me to live it and that is my witness to others.

There is certainly truth in this statement. We should live our lives in such a way that it glorifies and honors God. Ephesians 4:1. And our actions most certainly have an impact on non-believers. “By their fruits they will be known” Matthew 7:20.

In some cases a silent witness is also absolutely appropriate the quiet gentle spirit f a spouse winning over her husband. However, I would argue that a silent witness is the exception to the rule. That the weight of scripture teaches us more often than not to be bold in our witness and to speak truth into the lives of other people. That truth is the Word of God.

Take for example, Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” A general statement? Or something more specific? Looking at the larger context of chapter 10 I think really helps to contextualize this verse.

Right at the beginning of Chapter 10 Paul tells us, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” So we know exactly what Paul’s intent is here. He wants to see people saved, to be made right with God.

In verses 2 & 3 Paul talks about how the people in question have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge. This is an interesting point. It seems as though there were people who were really excited about God but had no substance to their faith, they were deficient in some way. In fact, they tried to establish their own righteousness which is always a pitfall for those who don’t spend time in God’s Word.

Moving down to verse 8, “But what does it say? ‘the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’—that is the word of faith which we are preaching”. The word is being spoken, but what word is it? Is it a word of morality? No, it is the Word that leads to salvation. It is the very word that reflects the desire of Paul’s heart in verse 1 which is their salvation.

In verses 8-10 there is a progression that takes place. The Word was spoken, people heard the Word, they were impacted by it, there was a change in the heart and they confessed Jesus as Lord.

Verse 14, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

The point for bringing this up this morning was simply this…Everyday we witness to others around us through our actions. That cannot be understated. This silent witness merely reflects the inward change which has taken place within us. People will be drawn to this because Jesus said they would be, as salt in the world we season life. Plus we should look different than the world around us and in some cases people are just curious. But if we stop there, if we go no further…the unsaved are still destined for hell. Without hearing the Gospel, they will not come to faith in Christ. So I want to encourage you all (including myself) to be bold in witnessing to the lost, speaking the Word into the lives of people.

Elusiv
 
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That's some pretty good insight. As far as the whole 'silent witness', I've found that many times the best approach is a combination of silent and bold. If I can get people to ask me about my life, I find they are a lot more receptive than if I confront them first.
 
I can't find anywhere that the Scriptures encourage us to choose silence as the preferred method of witnessing. There is undoubtedly a time and a season for all things, and I hope that when we are silent we are praying God open the door that I might proclaim bodly the glorious Gospel message.

We must surely guard against hypocrisy - Charles Spurgeon once said that if you are a hypocrite, before you say anything about Christ, go two miles out of town, and then when you get there - keep silent.

But the truth is only repentance, and faith in Christ is what saves people, nothing else, so yes they must indeed hear from us, not just see us. I think that proper balance is well described in 1 Timothy 4:16 -Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Life = testimony

Doctrine = the truth about Jesus

Hearers = you have to say something for someone to hear
 
I would like to take this opportunity to state that I respectfully disagree with the assumption that you ‘must’ be more than a silent witness.

I argue this because many people speak better through actions than through verbal speech. Your actions do carry tones and your mood or opinion, even without stating it, has an impact on others. Further, handing someone a Bible can have phenomenal impacts upon an individual, or giving charity, or being there for an individual when they are in need.

In addition, I would like to point out a serious flaw in this line of thinking. Stating that one cannot witness silently is legalizing the efforts of witnessing, and thus arbitrarily claims that people who are mute cannot possibly witness to their neighbors, children, colleagues, or acquaintances. This, I hope we all agree, is clearly not true. In this case, it clearly comes down to facial expressions, sign language, written messages, and other outward expressions. Further, I think that with this statement you are drastically underestimating the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The argument becomes, rather, if you can witness without interaction with others.

“But what does it say? ‘the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’—that is the word of faith which we are preaching”
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Using this verse for this discussion I think is taking out of context the argument. The mouth is an object of outward expression, and a tool we use to convey enthusiasm and communication. However, this is not the only tool available to us. This verse (where it says 'the word is near you... in your mouth and in your heart) is also a ‘figure of speech’ and I believe cannot be used to discredit silent witnessing.
 
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Bowser...

A) People may speak better through actions but - it is clearly only the Gospel Message that saves people

B) The idea that people can be saved by my actions seems to indicate the opposite of Ephesians 2:8-9 - this to me is far more legalistic - the Pharisees believed their works saved them

C) I agree that it is the Holy Spirit that does the work for salvation

D) My works or testimony are only a tool - not the final solution - ultimately a person cannot be saved if they do not repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ - the only way you can do that is if the Bible is explained to you - whether you are deaf, blind or mute - or have no physical ailments - so for someone to get to that point they may look at me and say hmm something is different - but that is not enough knowledge to save them - that is why I think the silent witness needs to be strengthened by exposure to Scripture (the silent witness has its place it is just not enough)


BTW please no one read this and think I am attacking Bowser - it would be refreshing if this remained a discussion on the issue at hand - which we can have with passion and no hurt feelings - Christians do not need to be afraid to share and discuss - and for me this is all this is. Iron sharpens iron - and believers can sharpen each other.
 
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I didnt actually say that a silent witness doesn't have an impact. But I am willing to listen and if I am wrong...admit it. When you were saved...did anyone share the gospel story with you? or talk to you about Jesus in any way?
 
Well a good point to bring up is that in most salvation experiences no "one person" was responsible for it all. Some people helped plant the seed, some watered it and then someone was there to reap the harvest and seal the deal. It is very possible that a silent witness played a part in the first few steps and was just as big a player even while never speaking.

and obviously I believe that the real author and finisher of faith is Jesus, but He does seem to like using us to help in the harvest.
 
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I think it's important to note that salvation and witnessing are two entirely different things.

Also, we should determine what 'witnessing' really means in a Christian context, and whether it must be passive or active, or if it can be both. Also, are we stating that witnessing to someone implies they have accepted the message and/or testimony? I say that it does not.

“To witness” means many different things, but most definitions are with some similarities. I’ll paraphrase a few of them here, taken from the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, 2006. “Testimony; bear witness to the fact,” “One that gives evidence,” “One who has personal knowledge or experience of something,” and finally “Something serving as evidence of proof”.

Of these four definitions I provided only one of them* states that evidence is given; all of the rest state that evidence is observed or possessed. In a secular context a witness can be someone who observed a traffic collision, but does not necessarily imply someone who has testified in court (ie: given evidence of). In a Christian context witnessing is almost always used as an active verb, which gives it an assumed meaning of testifying Jesus Christ before an audience. However, we must realize it can be passive, as well.

Think about it in this way:

Does Redeemed actively witness their testimony of Jesus Christ to individuals outside of the guild? Alternatively, can the guild name itself, ‘Redeemed’, be a witness to others, which has a passive effect? No action or speech is being carried out; it is merely a name that may or may not mean anything to anyone. However, we have clearly seen that it is a witness to others and that people have praised or criticized the guild based on their assumptions of what the guild’s purpose is. It rarely has anything to do with what the guild does or doesn’t do, says or doesn’t say, but rather on the implication, perhaps even a statement of faith, that draws people to Redeemed.

The way an office-mate reads their Bible, or the way in which an individual prays, is witness to others in the way Jesus has impacted their lives. Again, I would like to note that the Holy Spirit is at work, too. Witnessing is never carried out by just one individual because the Holy Spirit is always involved. Additionally, it is not always active, and can be passive.

To drive home the point I'd like to say that Jesus (probably) could not speak at his birth, and yet he was, in some miraculous way, still a testament of and witness to his Father in Heaven. In the same way, our lives are evidence of our Savior.

*While you could argue that I chose the definitions on bias and therefore posted only those favorable to my argument you will find that all of the definitions (at least in the dictionary I have) are largely related to one of the four I listed.

Well a good point to bring up is that in most salvation experiences no "one person" was responsible for it all. Some people helped plant the seed, some watered it and then someone was there to reap the harvest and seal the deal. It is very possible that a silent witness played a part in the first few steps and was just as big a player even while never speaking.
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A most excellent point.
 
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I need to increase my vocabulary lol. I realize that I used 'individual' and 'assumption' about a million times. There, I did it again!
 
ewoksrule said:
They are 2 sides of the same thing aren't they? One is what God does and the other is what we do.
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I don't think so. I suspect that we sometimes assume witnessing always leads to salvation, and it doesn’t. We have to break down our presumptions and understand that being a witness to someone, or witnessing to someone (note the difference) is a logical, linear process, rather than an end or solution. We have to start thinking of ‘witness’ not as a person but as a model, as evidence of something greater than itself. It is a piece of the puzzle. Also note that the pieces are not always interpreted correctly, but they are indeed still pieces (meaning that our witness to a neighbor may not really lead that neighbor to Christ).
 
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I guess my original point is being lost. I really wasnt trying to open a can of worms about the symantics of the words we are using. Or create a huge philisophical discussion that ends without resolution because everything becomes muddied. I was simply trying to illustrate that a silent witness; 1) valid as it is 2) limited as it is ...does not equate "witnessing" to "sharing the gospel". This is obviously a failer of mine.

Ultimately, I share the same desire of Paul...to see people come to know the Lord. My actions as a believer certainly bears weight to that effect either for or against. To that end, as a Christian, I am called...as are all Christians...to share the gospel and the testimony of Christ with the lost.
 
I'm going to hit and run... because I'm short on time. But in response to the OP and first reply - I think that we can be silent. James calls us to action. He challenges us to show our faith, not (just) talk about it. From James 2:

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
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Yes, words are part of it - but they don't have to include pounding Scripture down non-believers' throats.
 
The James 2 reference is a good one. But wasnt that speaking more to people who said they believed but there was no fruit of their belief. Fruit of the Spirit is how we are know that we are believers. It is the identifying mark and that I agree. But the primary thrust of these verses was addressing an issue about believers and what they did. This is not a section about specifically targeting non-believers and how they come to faith.

Never said pounding Scripture. Not sure why it goes from "I'm silent...speak by actions" to "You have to pound Scripture into someones life". I'm not going to use the word balance here because even though it is a compromise...I don't think Jesus did that.

Yes some sow, some seed, and some water...it is God that causes the growth. /Iaccept

Ultimately....I guess the question is, "why WOULD we be silent?" We know the Bible and Jesus are going to be a stumbling block to people. As long as our silence isn't based on "I am afraid of offending someone" then I am cool with that. The reality is, people are going to find Jesus offensive. We cannot re-package Jesus to make Him better to look at because ultimately it comes down to...as sinners we are enemies of God and that simply has to be addressed. But that also doesnt mean we can't speak the truth with love and compassion into a persons life. And it doesn't imply that the only way I do that is by standing on a corner yelling at people.

What it does mean is that I should speak the word with boldness. That I speak it in truth. That I speak it in love. That I speak it out of both obedience and longing, longing to see people come to know the Lord as I have (that He has changed my life forever and wants to do so in others as well).

Point being...yes a silent witness is valid. And we know that our actions can speak volumes about what we believe. But you can come up with all types of groups that are "good moral" people, that are generous and kind. There is only one thing that that really sets us apart from any of that. And that is Jesus. Is it right to have your ONLY witness a silent one? Personally, I think that is a very hard position to back up Biblically but by all means if I am wrong, have at it...I am definitely teachable. I see very little in the Bible where a silent witness is the primary means by which we reveal the Kingdom of God to people. In fact, I see quite the opposite.

So if you are witnessing silently, cool. But if you are doing that to the exclusion of sharing the Gospel....why?
 
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And that's what I get with hit-and-run posting. I'm at work between tasks, so I still don't have enough time to do the discussion justice. I didn't mean to infer that we should ALWAYS be silent, rather that at times it may be appropriate.

With Jesus as our example, we see far extremes of complete silence (during His trials) to trashing the vendor carts in the temple ("den of thieves and robbers" episode).

Clearly, there is an appropriate time for nearly every response, an appropriate time for nearly every witnessing method.
 
a time to speak and a time to act. sounds very ecclesiatesious
 
It would seem to me any discussion with regard to how vocal our witness is should be in context with how God has individually gifted us by His Holy Spirit. Having said that, I believe it's also said in I Peter 3:15; "15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (NIV)

To me the truth is simple - if we have set apart Christ as Lord then our words and deeds become a visible representation for the hope He provides.

my 2 copper....
 
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