Books Jesus Read

202

Books Jesus Read

Learning to Recognize Our Holy History from the Apocrypha: The Discipline of Testimony In legal cases, people are often asked to give their “testimony” before the court. As judges and juries examine the evidence, the defendant or plaintiff can request eyewitnesses to give their testimony—their story, opinion, or understanding of what happened. Often, those who give testimony in court are either eyewitnesses to an incident or experts in a pertinent subject area. Hearing testimonies allows judges and juries to weigh the evidence for both sides so that they can reach a just decision. Testimonies are a valuable source of knowledge in court cases. Testimonies are not only important in court cases, but also in sharing the Christian faith. A testimony is your story for God’s glory, telling how God has uniquely worked in your life. Testimonies can help others consider how God might be working in theirs, leading them closer to faith in Christ. One example of a testimony is C. S. Lewis’ book Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life . 1 In Surprised by Joy , C. S. Lewis gives his testimony from birth to 1931, detailing his conversion from Atheism to Christianity. This story of the “most reluctant convert” has played an influential role in many peoples’ consideration of Atheism, Theism, and Christianity. Testimonies are not only good for sharing our faith with nonbelievers, but they can build up and encourage Christians as well. Consider another of C. S. Lewis’ books, A Grief Observed . 2 This book describes C. S. Lewis’

1 C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1955). 2 C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (London: Faber and Faber, 1961).