One who testifies to any fact from his own personal knowledge. Under the Mosaic law, two witnesses under oath were necessary to convict a person charged with a capital crime, Numbers 35:30; and if the criminal was stoned, the witnesses were bound to cast the first stones, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 Acts 7:58 . The Greek word for witness is MARTYR , which see.
The apostles were witnesses, in proclaiming to the world the facts of the gospel, Acts 1:8,22 2:32 2 Peter 1:12,16-18; and Christ is a "faithful witness," in testifying to men of heavenly things, John 3:12 Revelation 1:5 . The heroes of the ancient church are "witnesses" to the power of true faith, Hebrews 12:1 .