"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" (Deut. 19:1515One 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. (Deuteronomy 19:15)). See also 2 Cor. 13:11This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (2 Corinthians 13:1), Matt. 18:1616But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Matthew 18:16), 1 Tim. 5:1919Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. (1 Timothy 5:19).
The chief thought attaching to this numeral appears to be that of competent witness, sufficient evidence.
So, 2 false witnesses are brought against our Lord in Matt. 26:6060But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, (Matthew 26:60). And, as their witness did not agree together, He could not be condemned on their testimony.
In John 5:3131If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. (John 5:31), the Lord says, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true," not that it would be false, but that taken by itself it would not be conclusive according to Jewish law.
In the terrible defection of the twelve spies (Num. 13 and 14), God still gives the faithful report by 2 men of them, Caleb and Joshua, to the people.
Joshua afterward sent 2 spies "to view the land, even Jericho" (Josh. 2).
Moses attests his message to Israel in bondage by 2 miracles: his leprous hand and his rod turned into a serpent (Ex. 4).
"Urim and Thummim" were the twofold means of witness, when God would make His will known.
In Matt. 9:16-1716No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. (Matthew 9:16‑17), our Lord gives 2 illustrations for evidence of a principle, the new cloth and the new wine. Again, in Matt. 12:4,54How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? (Matthew 12:4‑5), He quotes David eating the shewbread and the priests' labors on the Sabbaths, in witness against the Pharisees. In Matt. 22:2020And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? (Matthew 22:20), the image and the superscription witness together for Caesar.
"The days of Noe" and "the days of Lot" testify together in Luke 17:26, 2826And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17:26)
28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (Luke 17:28). Sarepta's widow and Syria's leper also in Luke 4:26-2726But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. (Luke 4:26‑27), "the queen of the south" and "the men of Nineve" in Luke 11:31,3231The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. (Luke 11:31‑32) give convicting illustrations of the points in question.
Peter and John are sent by the apostles to Samaria. Paul goes out in testimony with Barnabas, and afterward with Silas. And Barnabas took Mark.
Two genealogies are given of our Lord's earthly ancestors, one in Matt. 1, one in Luke 3.
In Rom. 4, Abraham and David are witnesses to faith while in James 2, Abraham and Rahab witness to justification by works (faith's result).
God has given to us 2 immutable things (His counsel and His oath) in which it was impossible for Him to lie, that "we might have strong consolation" (Het). 6:18). And God's future testimony will be given by "two witnesses" as stated in Rev. 11.
Two outward memorials (and more than that) of the Lord's work are left for our observance: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Enoch and Elijah are God's 2 recorded witnesses to translation from earth in place of death.
The Old and New Testaments give a double character to God's single Revelation as His witness to man.
In some of the foregoing, a measure of fellowship will be seen expressed by the 2 together, for it is the support of one by a second that gives the weight to their testimony. This fellowship gives character to a number of twos, where witness is not found, or is not prominently the idea. Also both thoughts will be seen in evil connections as well as in good ones.
Rechab and Baanah joined to slay Ishbosheth (2 Sam. 4:66And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. (2 Samuel 4:6)), Bigthan and Teresh to kill Ahasuerus (Esther 2:2121In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. (Esther 2:21)), Adrammelech and Sharezer to kill Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:3737And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 19:37)), Zabad and Jehozabad to kill Joash (2 Chron. 24:2626And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess. (2 Chronicles 24:26)).
Two were sent for the colt (Matt. 21:11And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, (Matthew 21:1)), 2 to prepare the Passover (Mark 14:1313And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. (Mark 14:13)). Two angels were seen by Mary in the sepulcher (John 20:11-1211But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (John 20:11‑12)).
In the Old Testament, Moses and Aaron stand together before Pharaoh. Bezaleel and Aholiab are joined in the work of the Tabernacle. Eldad and Medad prophesy together.
In another view, it takes both Moses and Aaron to complete the type of Christ, both Red Sea and Jordan to fill up the figure of His death, and both David and Solomon to prefigure His reign; also, both Tabernacle and Temple to foreshadow God's Habitation completely, and Boaz must be supported by Jachin to tell not alone what the Lord is but how surely His strength shall be exerted for us (1 Kings 7:2121And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz. (1 Kings 7:21)).
Another group of couples having opposite ideas will readily be distinguished. Perhaps the 2 trees which are named in the Garden of Eden may be regarded as intimating the principle of the difference: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Light and darkness, life and death, good and bad, love and hatred are such contrasts. Hence, suffering and glory, the wide gate and the narrow gate, "oil of myrrh" (cleansing) and "sweet odors" (actively fragrant) in Esther 2:1212Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) (Esther 2:12) (figuring grace's action first in getting rid of evil and then in giving positive blessing), Ishmael and Isaac (Gal. 4:22-2422For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. (Galatians 4:22‑24)), Orpah and Ruth, Ahithophel and Hushai, death and resurrection, the first Adam and the last Adam, Yea and nay.
"God is light," and while grace is richly present in the Old Testament, He is there revealed chiefly in government. "God is love," and while the purity of the Light is unclouded, yet in the New Testament, He is there fully revealed in grace, which came by Jesus Christ.
In Matthew, the Jewish gospel, there will be found a repetition of statements, though in different connections, which gives a character to its structure. This will be seen in the following list, on comparing the references which are bracketed together.
{3:10,7:19} (3:12, 13:30)
{3:17, 17:5} {3:7, 12:34, 23:33}
(4:23, 9:35) {5:21, 19:18}
(5:29, 18:9) {5:30, 18:8}
(5:32, 19:9) (6:15, 18:35)
(7:11, 12:34) {7:20, 12:33}
{7:23, 25:41}
(8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30)
(8:12, 22:13, 25:301 {9:3,26:65}
{9:13, 12:7} {9:27, 20:30)
{9:34, 12:24} {10:6, 15:24}
{10:15, 11:24} (10:17, 23:34)
{10:22, 24:9} (10:22, 24:13)
(10:38, 16:24) (10:39, 16:25)
(11:14, 17:12) (11:15, 13:9, 13:43)
{12:15, 19:2} (12:39:16:4)
(13:12, 25:29) (14:2, 16:14)
{14:5, 21:26} {14:20, 15:37}
(14:33, 16:16, 27:54) {15:4, 19:19}
(16:19, 18:181) {16:21, 17:23, 20:19}
{17:20, 21:21} (19:19, 22:39)
(19:28, 25:31) (19:30, 20:16)
(20:16, 22:14) {20:26, 23:11}
(20:28, 26:28) (21:9, 23:39)
(24:30, 26:64) (24:42, 25:13)
{26:59, 27:1} (26, 67, 27:30)
(27:34, 27:48)
Matthew also tells of 2 earthquakes in 27:51 and 28:2, gives us two miracles, each on 2 blind men (9:27 and 20:30) and two sick of the palsy are healed in 8:6 and 9:2.