不可作假见证 You Shall Not Give False Testimony

出埃及记 Exo 20:16

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Hook

Passage

The Chinese is not from CUV, but from the CNV (Chinese New Version 新译本).

This is one of the few Chinese translations that keeps the word “neighbour.”

All major English translations are careful to keep “neighbour.”

Who is my neighbour?

The lawyer in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) asked Jesus the same question.

If you’re a Jew, the automatic assumption is a neighbour is someone living nearby, someone who is also a Jew.

But what does the Bible tell us?

So here in Exo 3:22, neighbours refer to Egyptians, and Egyptians definitely weren’t living near the Jews while the Jews were being used for slave labour.

This implies neighbour can be someone who is not an Israelite, and not living nearby.

Here in Exo 12:4, neighbour is definitely an Israelite, and is your next-door neighbour.

This is also what most people think of when they see “neighbour.”

So the answer to “Who is my neighbour?”

Anyone we come into contact with.

False testimony usually implies a court setting.

And we know definitely that we’re not to tell lies in a law court.

But what about common lying, the type that we do every day?

Does this commandment prohibit those as well?

Let’s see what the Bible says.

Here, lying is lumped together with other commandments that we know.

God hates liars!

Liars won’t escape punishment.

To lie is to be a witness for the devil.

As Christians, we definitely don’t want to be a witness for Satan.

We are a new creation in Christ, so put away our old selves,
and live our lives in imitation of Christ.

In case we think that many people get away with lies, not much punishment takes place,
the scariest punishment comes at the end, when Jesus returns.

If God punishes us in this life, we should be thankful, because the punishment in Revelation is eternal.

We don’t like people lying to us, and neither should we lie to others.

First lie: by the father of lies: The snake lying to Eve about what God said.

Many, many other examples.

What about white lies? The ones we think are harmless, and sometimes even necessary?

Imagine a wife asking her husband: “Honey, do I look fat in this dress?”

Are there biblical examples of lies that had good outcomes?

Can think of two:

1. The Israelite midwives lying to Pharaoh (Exodus 2:18–20).
2. Rahab in the book of Joshua.

Bible never encourages lying, even with lies that had what we would all agree as good outcomes.

Two examples where someone lied but with good outcomes.

Pictures from Wikipedia:
Corrie ten Boom
Oskar Schindler

Bible doesn’t condone any type of lying, so it’s best to avoid any type of lying, even white lies.

May the Holy Spirit guide us is how we should handle each situation as it arises.

asfd

From individuals, to the family, community, society, God, all lying has bad consequences.

Most of all, God doesn’t like it!

与我有什么关系? So What?

1. The reputation of every person, group, people, nation, etc., are all very important.
   When we lie, we destroy their (and our own) reputations.
2. Giving false testimony includes:
   • Gossip, innuendo, slander, etc.
3. As Christians, we need to properly and faithfully reflect the character of God. So Don’t Lie!