You shall not bear false witness (Exod 20:16)

This commandment is primarily concerned with false testimony in court and therefore with justice through telling the truth. The law elsewhere expands on this and warns against lying to one another and slandering a neighbour (Lev 19:11, 16). Spiteful gossip and untrue rumours that damage someone’s reputation and poison other people against that person are also encompassed in the idea. Sometimes people put down others not because they try to alienate them maliciously from others, but simply to feel better about themselves. Their self-loathing is transformed into highly critical behaviour towards their neighbour. The prophet Hosea broadens the concept even further when he alludes to the Ten Commandments and uses the word ‘deception’ instead of false witness (Hos 4:2).

Not telling falsehoods especially where such statements may harm someone else whether in or outside a court is the basic sense of the commandment. The exceptions that confirm the rule are those social contexts where most of us would hedge because we do not want to hurt others’ feelings. When someone asks, ‘How do you like my hair?’ and we think it is hideous, we usually do not say so unless the questioner genuinely wants help and we are close enough to be honest. If someone botches a meal and is distressed about it, we do not want to add to it by being critical even if it is the truth. There may, of course, be ways in which the truth can be communicated in love (Eph 4:15), but it is a delicate balance. There are also exceptional circumstances where some feel justified to lie or deceive so as to save lives (e.g. those who sheltered Jews from the Nazis or issued false papers for them during World War II). On the other hand, others feel strongly that lying is not appropriate even in those situations. Brother Andrew famously smuggled Bibles into Eastern Europe and refused to lie to the authorities about it. God honoured his commitment and he experienced divine intervention on many occasions so his ministry could continue and succeed.

While the emphasis of the commandment is on not harming one’s neighbour, deception more generally may also be focused on one’s own self. Some pretend to be conscientious and cover up or lie about their faults to get ahead in their career, others use double-talk to justify their actions to others. We are all prone to delude ourselves to some extent attributing to ourselves the most noble motives, excusing our behaviour while sometimes being suspicious of others’. The opposite of a false witness and deception is truth and this matters because truth is like a light that illumines a dark room. In our sinful nature, we are prone to twist reality in our favour, yet God wants to show light into the dark corners of our lives. It is only as we acknowledge the true state of our heart that redemption and transformation can happen. As Jesus said, when we know the truth, it sets us free (John 8:32).

As Christians, this also means, that we have a responsibility to be faithful witnesses to God’s truth in the gospel. In Western societies it has become increasingly hard to speak of sin and the need for repentance when these concepts have largely been eliminated from our vocabularies. For many, the gospel has become nothing more than a way of encouraging people to believe in a God who wants to give everyone a happy and fulfilled life. Such a gospel might sell but it won’t save and will harm those who believe such half-truths. Ultimately, as with other commandments, we see that the prohibition reflects something of God’s character. Whereas Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44), God does not lie (Num 23:19). Jesus says of Himself that He is the truth (John 14:6) and describes the third person of the Trinity as ‘the Spirit of truth’ who leads us into all truths (John 16:13).

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