Lexical Summary summartureó: To bear witness with, to testify together Original Word: συμμαρτυρέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance testify unto, bear witnessFrom sun and martureo; to testify jointly, i.e. Corroborate by (concurrent) evidence -- testify unto, (also) bear witness (with). see GREEK sun see GREEK martureo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sun and martureó Definition to testify or bear witness with NASB Translation bearing witness (1), testifies (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4828: συμμαρτυρέωσυμμαρτυρέω, συμμαρτύρω (T WH συνμαρτυρέω (cf. σύν, II. at the end)); to bear witness with, bear joint witness (with one): συμμαρτυρούσης τῆς συνειδήσεως, their conscience also bearing witness, Romans 2:15 (i. e. together with the deeds of the Gentiles, which accord with the law of God and so bear witness (cf. Winer's Grammar, 580 (539))); followed by ὅτι, Romans 9:1 (besides the fact that the close felloship I have with Christ compels me to tell the truth); τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, with our spirit already giving its testimony, Romans 8:16. Middle present 1 person singular Συμμαρτυροῦμαι, I testify on my own behalf besides (i. e. besides those things which I have already testified in this book), Revelation 22:18 Rec.; but the true reading here, μαρτυρῶ, was restored by Griesbach (Sophocles, Euripides, Thucydides, Plato, others.) Topical Lexicon Overview of Meaning and Emphasis The verb translated “to bear witness with” joins the ideas of testimony and partnership. It conveys an allied, corroborating witness—never a solitary voice, but one that adds weight to an already existing testimony. The New Testament confines the term to Paul’s Letter to the Romans, where it appears three times and describes three distinct yet harmonious spheres of witness: the conscience, the Holy Spirit, and the apostle’s own spiritual perception. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Romans 2:15 – the conscience bears witness with the work of the law written on the heart. Witness of Conscience (Romans 2:15; 9:1) • In Romans 2:15 the Gentile conscience “bearing witness” affirms the moral imprint of God’s law on every human heart, leaving all people accountable to divine standards whether or not they possess the Mosaic code. Taken together, these verses present conscience as a God-given internal court that corroborates truth. When informed by the Spirit, it becomes a reliable ally to apostolic proclamation and personal integrity. Witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16) “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Here the verb describes the Spirit’s direct, experiential assurance of adoption. The apostle does not ground assurance merely in external rites or intellectual assent but in a joint testimony—Spirit with spirit—producing filial confidence and freedom from fear (Romans 8:15). This inner witness anchors the believer’s identity and empowers victorious Christian living. Apostolic Witness Paul models transparent dependence on this co-witnessing. Whether defending God’s universal justice (Romans 2) or expressing personal grief (Romans 9), he refuses to rely solely on rhetorical skill. Instead, he invokes corroboration from conscience and Spirit, demonstrating that authentic ministry operates in concert with God’s internal testimony. Theological Implications • Universality of moral awareness: Romans 2:15 teaches that every human possesses an echo of divine law, leaving all accountable and removing any excuse of ignorance. Practical Ministry Applications • Counseling: Guide believers to listen for the Spirit’s corroborating voice alongside Scripture, strengthening assurance without fostering introspective anxiety. Historical Interpretation Early church fathers such as Augustine cited Romans 8:16 to explain the believer’s inner certainty of salvation, while Reformers emphasized the passage in articulating the doctrine of assurance. In systematic theology, the witness of the Spirit remains a cornerstone for discussions of regeneration and adoption, balanced with the external testimony of Scripture to safeguard against subjectivism. Related Biblical Themes • Two or three witnesses establish a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16). Conclusion Strong’s Greek 4828 highlights God’s gracious provision of corroborating testimony—an intertwined chorus of conscience, Spirit, and apostolic integrity—securing both the believer’s assurance and the credibility of gospel proclamation. Forms and Transliterations συμμαρτυρεῖ σύμμαρτυρει συμμαρτυρόμενος συμμαρτυρούσης συμμαχήσετε συμμαχία συνεμαρτυρόμην συνεμάχησαν συνμαρτυρει συνμαρτυρεῖ συνμαρτυρουσης συνμαρτυρούσης summarturei summarturouses summarturousēs symmartyrei symmartyreî symmartyrouses symmartyrousēs symmartyroúses symmartyroúsēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 2:15 V-PPA-GFSGRK: καρδίαις αὐτῶν συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς NAS: their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts KJV: conscience also bearing witness, and INT: hearts of them bearing witness with their Romans 8:16 V-PIA-3S Romans 9:1 V-PPA-GFS Strong's Greek 4828 |
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