Express Image Confirmed by Two Witnesses

Posted May 31, 2011 by Craig Jones in Exposing Spiritualising the Word

Deuteronomy 19:15: ¶One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

When studying the Scripture the Bible tells us that a matter is established by at least two witnesses. Think of the illlustration of finding one text in the Bible that we think indicates a certain idea. This is like driving one post into the ground. But until we can drive a second post or witness to confirm that idea we do not have any direction. It requires two posts lined up to give direction to the idea.

I was studying the passage John 6:27 where it states that the Father sealed Jesus. I wondered what that actually meant and so I looked it up in the Strongs.

Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

G4972
????????
sphragiz?
sfrag-id'-zo
From G4973; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication to keep secret, to attest: - (set a, set to) seal up, stop.

The word has the idea of a stamped mark. This idea has a second witness in Hebrews 1:3

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
G5481
????????
charakt?r
khar-ak-tar'
From the same as G5482; a graver (the tool or the person), that is, (by implication) engraving ([“character”], the figure stamped, that is, an exact copy or [figuratively] representation): - express image.

Therefore in two passages we have the idea that Jesus is the stamp, copy or express image of the Father. The only way that one can be an exact copy of an original is to come from that original. It is impossible for someone to become an express image or stamp of an original if you were something else before this. Then you could only be considered similar, but not an exact copy or stamp.