WITNESSING BY ANSWERING QUESTIONS

NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES:

PAUL –

Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.  Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

“walk”  peripateo to tread all around, walk at large, to live, follow as a companion, be occupied with, walk about.

“in wisdom” sophia  wisdom, spiritual wisdom; sophos  wise, skill, acumen; sunetos  mentally put together, prudent; phronimos  thoughtful, discreet, cautious.

“toward” pros forward to, toward, the side of, motion towards, nearness, nigh, among; pro fore, in front of.

“them that are without” exo outside, of doors, away, out of, outward, strange.

“redeeming” exagorazo  to buy up, ransom, rescue from loss, improve opportunity; agorazo  redeem, go to market, purchase; agora  buy, to gather, town square, market place.

“the time” kairos  an occasion, set or proper time, opportunity, season; chronos  a space of time, fixed or special occasion, particular period, interval, opportunity, season, space, a while.

“let your”  humon  from or concerning you, yourselves

“speech” logos  something said, topic, discourse, reasoning, motive, account, communication, matter, talk, tidings, treatise, utterance, word; lego  to lay forth, relate in words, set discourse, speech; epo  to speak, say by word or writing, bring word, tell; ereo  to utter, speak or say, tell; rheo  pouring forth, to utter, speak or say, command; phemi  to show, make known one’s thoughts, speak, say, affirm; laleo to talk, utter words, preach, say, speak, utter.

“be always” pantote  everywhere, at all times, always, evermore.

“with” en fixed position, a relation of rest.

“grace” charis  graciousness, of manner or act, gratitude, benefit, favor, gift, grace, joy liberality, pleasure, thanks, thankworthy; chairo  to be full of cheer, happy, be well, be glad, joyfully, rejoice

“seasoned” artuo  to prepare, spice, stimulating condiments, season

“with salt” halas  salt, figuratively prudence

“that ye may know” eido  to see, to know, be aware, behold, consider, knowledge, look on, perceive, be sure, understand; horao  to discern clearly, attend to, Hebraism to experience, perceive, see, take heed.

“how” pos  in what way, how, how much, what manner, means; pou what locality, where, place, a certain place.

“you ought” dei necessary, must, need, need, should.

“to answer” apokrinomai  to conclude for oneself, to respond, by Hebraism to begin to speak where an answer is expected, answer; Hebrew anah to pay attention, to eye, respond, to begin to speak, give account, answer, speak, testify, utter, bear witness.

“every man” heis  everyone, certain one; hekastos  each, every, everyone, particularly.

PETER –

I Peter 3:15-17 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.  For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”

“but sanctify” hagiazo  to make holy, purify, consecrate, venerate, sanctify, be holy; hagios  sacred, pure, morally blameless, ceremonially consecrated, holy, saint; hadnos  clean, innocent, modest, perfect, chaste, pure.

“the Lord God” kurios  supremacy, supreme in authority, controller, master; theos  deity, supreme Divinity, Hebraism very God.

“in your hearts” kardia  the heart, thoughts, feelings, mind, inner being.

“and be ready” hetoimos ready, fitness, prepared, made ready, readiness.

“always” aei continued duration, ever, regularly, earnestly, always.

“to give an answer” apologia  a plea, answer, a clearing of self, defense; apologeomai  to give an account, legal plea of oneself, answer, make defense, speak for self.

“to every man” pas  all, any, every, the whole, everyone, as many as, whosoever.

“that asketh you” aiteo  to ask, beg, call for, desire, require; punthanomai  to question, ascertain by inquiry, a request as a favor, inquire; zeteo  to seek, desire, enquire for, require, seek after; erotao  to interrogate, by implication to request, ask, beseech, desire, entreat; deomai  to beg, petition, beseech, make request.

“a reason” logos reasoning, motive, cause, intent, question; lego  to lay forth, relate, systematic or set discourse, extended.

“of the hope” elpis  to anticipate, with pleasure, expectation, confidence, faith, hope.

“that is in you” en denoting fixed position, a relation of rest; humin with or by you .

“with” meta  amid, accompaniment, with which it is joined, participation, follow, occupying.

“meekness”  prautes  mildness, humility, meekness; praus mild, humble, meek; praos  gentle, humble, meek.

“and fear” phobos  to be put in fear, fright, be afraid exceedingly, terror (See II Corinthians 7:1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” and I Peter 2:17 “Honor all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the king.”

“having”  echo  to hold, possession, ability, relation, condition, possessed with, accompany, having, hold, keep.

“a good” agathos  good, benefit, well; kalos beautiful, good, valuable, virtuous, honest, well, worthy.

“conscience”  suneidesis  co-perception, moral consciousness, conscience; suneido  to see completely, understand, become aware, to be conscious, informed of , consider, know, be privy, be ware of.

“that” hina in order that, because, to the intent that, lest, so as.

“whereas” en  denoting fixed position, a relation to rest, give self wholly to.

“they speak evil of you” katalaeo  to slander, speak against, evil of; katalaos talkative against, slanderer, backbiter.

“as of” hos which how, in that manner, about

 “evil doers”  kakopois  a bad doer, a criminal, evil-doer, malefactor; kakos  worthless, depraved, injurious, bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked; poieo  to make or do, commit, exercise, fulfill,  perform, purpose, work, yield.

“they may be ashamed”  kataischuno  to shame down, disgrace, put to the blush, confound, dishonor, shame; aischunomai  disfigurement, disgrace, to feel shame for oneself, be ashamed.

“that falsely accuse” epereazo  threats, to insult, slander, despitefully, falsely accuse.

“your good” agathos good, benefit, well; kalos  beautiful, good, valuable, virtuous, intrinsic, honest, worthy.

“conversation”  anastrophe  behavior; anastrepho  to overturn, to return, to busy oneself, remain, live, abide, behave self.

“in Christ” en position, a relation of rest; ek ex denoting origin, from, out of, completion; Christos  anointed, the Messiah, Jesus, Christ.

“for” gar a reason, as, because that, for indeed, therefore.

“it is better” kreitton stronger, better, nobler, best; kratos vigor, great, dominion, might, power, strength.

“if the will” ei if, whether, that; thelma determination, choice, purpose, decree, pleasure, will.

“of God” theos deity, the supreme Divinity, Hebraism very God.

“be so” thelo ethelo  to determine, Hebraism to delight in, desire, please, be willing, disposed, minded, intend.

“that you suffer” pascho patho pentho  to experience pain, feel pain, suffer, vex.

“for welling doing” agathopoieo  to be a well-doer, as favor or a duty, do good, well; agathopoios  a well-doer, virtuous, them that do well.

“than” e than, but either, except it be, rather.

“for evil doing” kakopoieo  to be a bad doer, to injure, to sin, do evil; kakopoios  a bad doer, a criminal, evil-doer, malefactor.