Messianic Witnesses from the Nations
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Wise Men (Magi)
1. Name / Role Wise Men (Magi) 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context The Wise Men appear in the New Testament, specifically in Matthew 2:1–12, shortly after Jesus’ birth. They are central to the infancy narrative, arriving in Bethlehem to worship the Christ…
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Roman Centurion of Great Faith
1. Name / Role Roman Centurion of Great Faith 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context This centurion appears in Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10, during the early part of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. He is a Gentile military officer serving under Roman…
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Ethiopian Eunuch
1. Name / Role Ethiopian Eunuch 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context The Ethiopian Eunuch appears in Acts 8:26–40, during the early expansion of the Church following the persecution in Jerusalem. His story marks a major turning point in the spread of the…
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Cornelius the Centurion
1. Name / Role Cornelius the Centurion 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context Cornelius appears in Acts 10–11, during the early growth of the Church. His story marks the first recorded Gentile conversion initiated by divine revelation and affirmed by the outpouring of…
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Lydia of Thyatira
1. Name / Role Lydia of Thyatira 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context Lydia appears in Acts 16:11–15 and again in Acts 16:40, during Paul’s second missionary journey. Her conversion occurs in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia (northern Greece), making her the…
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Samaritan Woman at the Well
1. Name / Role Samaritan Woman at the Well 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context The Samaritan woman appears in John 4:1–42, during Jesus’ early Galilean ministry. This encounter occurs at Jacob’s well in Sychar, in Samaria, a region generally avoided by devout…
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Syrophoenician (Canaanite) Woman
1. Name / Role Syrophoenician (Canaanite) Woman 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context This woman appears in two parallel Gospel accounts: Matthew 15:21–28 (where she is called a Canaanite) and Mark 7:24–30 (where she is identified as Syrophoenician by birth). Her interaction with…
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Gerizim Demoniac (Legion)
1. Name / Role Gerizim Demoniac (Legion) 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context This man appears in Mark 5:1–20, Luke 8:26–39, and Matthew 8:28–34, during Jesus’ ministry across the Sea of Galilee. He lives in the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes), part…
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Simon of Cyrene
1. Name / Role Simon of Cyrene 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context Simon of Cyrene appears during the Passion narrative in the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and Luke 23:26—at the time of Jesus’ journey to the cross. His story takes place…
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Greeks Seeking Jesus at the Festival
1. Name / Role Greeks Seeking Jesus at the Festival 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context This event is recorded in John 12:20–26, taking place shortly before Jesus’ crucifixion during the Passover festival in Jerusalem. It occurs after Jesus’ triumphal entry and signals…
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Unnamed God-Fearers (in Acts)
1. Name / Role Unnamed God-Fearers (in Acts) 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context These individuals appear throughout the Book of Acts, particularly in Acts 10–18, during the apostolic missions of Paul, Barnabas, and others. They are Gentiles who regularly attended synagogue worship…
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Pilate’s Wife
1. Name / Role Pilate’s Wife 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context Pilate’s wife appears only once in Scripture, in Matthew 27:19, during Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Her brief but significant intervention occurs as Pilate deliberates on…
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The Thief on the Cross
1. Name / Role The Thief on the Cross 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context The thief appears during the crucifixion of Jesus, recorded in Luke 23:39–43. He is one of two criminals crucified beside Jesus, and his encounter with Christ takes place…
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The Roman Centurion at the Cross
1. Name / Role The Roman Centurion at the Cross 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context This figure appears during the crucifixion of Jesus, specifically in Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, and Luke 23:47. He is the Roman officer overseeing the execution, positioned at…
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The Greeks Converted in Antioch
1. Name / Role The Greeks Converted in Antioch 2. Category God-Fearing Outsiders or Messianic Witnesses 3. Time Period / Biblical Context These converts appear in Acts 11:19–26, following the persecution of believers after Stephen’s martyrdom. Their conversion marks a major development in the expansion of the gospel—from preaching to…