Witnessing and Holy Spirit

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Christian witnessing is made effective through the empowering, strengthening and guiding of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing is an aspect of spiritual warfare, and believers need supernatural aid to face Satan’s opposition.

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Stephen’s Defense/speech

Stephen’s Death

The Church Persecuted

Philip in Samaria

The Ethiopian Eunuch

The Holy Spirit and Witnessing

1. The Holy Spirit supports believers in witnessing

Acts 5:31–32 NIV
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
See also
John 15:26–27 NIV
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

2. The Holy Spirit empowers effective witness

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Acts 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
See also ;

3. He confirms the testimony of believers

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4. He convinces people of their need

John 16:7–11 NIV
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

5. He brings people to new birth

John 3:5–8 NIV
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

6. The Holy Spirit guides believers in witnessing

Acts 8:39–40 NIV
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
See also ;

7. Witnessing and spiritual warfare

Revelation 12:11 NIV
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
See also

8. Witnessing and persecution

a. Witnessing results in persecution

Revelation 1:9 NIV
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
See also ; ; Stephen’s witnessing leads him to become the first Christian martyr. The English word “martyr” comes from the Greek word for “witness”; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Acts 7:54–60 NIV
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

b. Supernatural help to face persecution

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Acts 7:55 NIV
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
See also ;

c. Witness is promoted by persecution

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Acts 8:1–5 NIV
And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.
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