Testemunho de fé e história de Jesus

The figure of the eyewitness guarantees a connection between the historical reality of Jesus and the knowledge of Him that is transmitted to us. There is something juridical about the witness, as a guarantee of the veracity of what has been witnessed. The witness (martyria), who may be sealed with his/her own blood, is a fundamental figure in the NT, as an ultimate raison d’être of the scriptures that it comprises. In this way, there is a profound sense in the NT texts that constitutes his/her ultimate raison d’être. The interpretation that discloses the sense of the facts may not be that of the “masters of suspicion”, but that of believers who see there the very essence of the witness as a guarantee of the veracity of events. It is this essence of the witness that is made explicit in confessions of faith. Thesemay only be understood in the light of their own historicity and the historicity of the facts to which they testify.