You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. – Exodus 20:16
Lying is not good, but it is particularly grievous when a lie is told that damages someone else’s well-being or reputation. Today’s verse is applicable in a court situation as well as in common gossip. Often the one who gossips believes they are telling the truth, yet what they say may be out of context and not the whole truth. There are generally two sides to a story.
Relationships suffer from sharing “false witness.“ Though a person and the one they gossiped against may solve their issue, the third party who heard the story may now have a problem with the person spoken against. It is essential to not slander your brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, guard their reputation. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). This would include how you speak to others about your pastors and teachers.
Maintaining unity in the church is a high priority in the New Testament. The apostle Paul said, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus cautioned against criticizing others when you might be doing the same thing or even worse. Pray for the unity of the church in the United States. Pray for the expression of truth in the government and media.
Today’s Verse: Exodus 20:16
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: James 4:1-11
4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
