BEARING FALSE WITNESS

Exd 20:16, Pro 14:5

THE SCENARIO: Lynchim got into a predicament on his job; at the time he was a back-slidden Christian. According to Lynchim, the folks that he worked for wielded some considerable power, and did not particularly like him. Lynchim claims he kept himself distant from the “old boy network” that these individuals patronized, and stuck more or less with his own circle of friends whenever possible. He claims he was thus an outsider insofar as being a part of this “clique” and their fancies and practices goes, which practices he claims were “prejudiced, fraudulent, and wasteful.” He admits getting into confrontation, even physically, with some of these folk several times. Lynchim says that unbeknownst to him, some of these folk had arranged a ploy to get rid of him in an underhanded way. He claims they took this approach because they had no substantive case against him to present to personnel to warrant his removal; he claims further that he “was an efficient worker and did all that was required of him, and more.” So one morning, after Lynchim arrived at work and was seated at his work station in the small isolated room where he worked (Lynchim worked with radiation equipment), one of the power players “led a very large security officer into the room, and then immediately left,” leaving Lynchim alone there with the officer, who, according to Lynchim, entrapped him (the underhanded ploy), claiming that Lynchim had assaulted them, but Lynchim claims he did not assault the officer; Lynchim claims it was the other way around. Lynchim was then promptly fired for the alleged assault (before any sort of trial, or hearing before personnel). Because of the serious nature of the claim against Lynchim, the matter had to go to trial, whereupon Lynchim was found guilty of assaulting a security officer, and ended up serving three years probation for misdemeanor assault of a security person. Concerning the trial: Lynchim claims the officer perjured himself.

In the outworking of this scenario please consider the following:

1. This scenario is a literal example of bearing false witness; false witness that is coming from several possible angles—can you spot them all? As a Christian, what does “bearing false witness” mean to you? Please consider your answers over against Mat 15:16-20, and Jas 3:3-10, as also any verses you think appropriate.

2. Pro 11:9 says that 'With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered'—how is this possible; what does this verse mean—is the promise strictly spiritual? Assuming Lynchim were innocent of the assault charge—how would you as a Christian encourage him with such a verse? How about other verses—which of God's promises would you point out to Lynchim?

3. Our Eternal Father commands: "You shall not murder" (Exd 20:13). The Lord Jesus Christ expounded our Father's commandment and declared that whoever is angry with another (without just cause-Eph 4:26?) commits murder in their heart, and is in danger of the Judgment (cf. 1Jo 3:15). Our Lord further proclaims that one is in similar danger of judgment when one maligns another with the tongue (Mat 5:21-22). It would seem to follow that in the latter case one has murdered with the tongue. Murder is conceived in the heart and effectuated with the hands and or tongue. When one bears false witness against another, they are in effect murdering them from the heart with their tongue—do you see it that way too? How about Lynchim—if he were entrapped, would not what was done to him be tantamount to murder from God's perspective?

4. Let us suppose for the moment the officer did perjure himself. Not only did he then disgrace his uniform and put a slight upon all those who wear the same with honor, his guilt would suggest that he leveraged that uniform in such a way as to strike viciously at an unsuspecting fellow human being. Worst of all, he would have disdained Jehovah God upon whom the oath he swore rested (the latter reflects the tragedy of bearing false witness under oath). On the other hand, if Lynchim did assault the officer without provocation as claimed, he Lynchim got his just recompense. Only God knows with certainty who is telling the truth. It is our prayer that whoever is guilty confess their sin before God with a contrite heart, and as a token of sincerity in that regard that they voluntarily make amends to the other party as necessary. In regard to confession before God, one or the other of them must understand that they are a false witness before God.

5. Scripture likens the blow of a false witness to that which might be inflicted by a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow (Pro 25:18). Notice that these are all potentially lethal instruments. Small wonder that bearing false witness made God's top ten commandments list. We suspect that this commandment is one of the most broken/violated commandments, for it is intimately wrapped up with human self-interest, be it promotion or protection of the same. But God is against the false witness—it is a capital crime in His eyes (Pro 19:9, 21:28; O the blessed mercy and grace of Calvary...). Would you agree that it is the lethal potentialities of bearing false witness that render it so odious as also punishable in God's eyes? Let us bring this closer to home if you will—do you know someone who has suffered as a consequence of being the victim of a false witness? Has their suffering borne out God's concerns?

6. Is flattery a form of bearing false witness? Please consider here the different motivations behind a true compliment and flattery. How about slander, is that a form of bearing false witness? Please explain. In consideration of flattery and slander, please discuss any three of the following verses: Job 32:21-22, Pro 28:23, Pro 10:18, Pro 29:5, Isa 32:7, Jer 9:3-9, Eph 4:31. Would you agree that flattery and slander and false witness are all instruments of deceit (of Satan)?

7. Dear Christian friend, the self-serving cruelty of bearing false witness is something that we as Christians must never engage in; God help us.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE LEGEND

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