Paul is standing before people who are angry with him.
What does he do?
He tells his story.
Acts 22 gives us a powerful model for understanding Christian testimony.
A Testimony Tells the Truth About Before
Paul does not polish his history.
He tells the crowd that he persecuted followers of Jesus.
A Christian testimony does not require pretending you have always had everything together.
Actually, that would make many testimonies considerably shorter.
Honesty gives testimony credibility.
Jesus Is the Center
A testimony can accidentally become:
“Let me tell you how terrible I was and how amazing I am now.”
That misses the point.
Paul’s story turns on Jesus.
The important question is not simply:
“How did Paul improve?”
It is:
“What happened when Paul encountered Christ?”
Christian testimony ultimately points beyond the storyteller.
Tell What You Know
Acts 22:15 describes Paul becoming a witness of what he had seen and heard.
That is refreshingly simple.
You do not need to know the answer to every theological question before telling someone what God has done in your life.
You can say:
“I started praying again.”
“I came back to church.”
“I finally asked for help.”
“I am learning to forgive.”
“My circumstances did not immediately change, but I did.”
That is real.
Do Not Exaggerate
A testimony does not become more powerful because we make it more dramatic.
Truth does not need decoration.
If God worked through six months of ordinary counseling, prayer and Christian community, tell that story.
Not every testimony needs lightning.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a truthful account of a person’s experience of God’s work, particularly the difference Christ has made in his or her life.
No. Quiet, gradual transformation is no less worthy of gratitude.
Explain enough of your life before, what changed, how Christ became central and what God is doing in your life now.
Not necessarily. Wisdom, privacy and the wellbeing of other people should be considered.
