“The commentator who comes to the Bible with the assumption that it is immoral to tell a falsehood in every conceivable case, must naturally conclude that [all such] actions… [are] unlawful. However, such an a priori assumption concerning deception overlooks, or in some instances deliberately suppresses, the testimony of the Bible that God may bless deception for a godly cause.”1 –Gary North
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exod. 20:16; ASV). 2
INTRODUCTION:
The Word of God is a text that is sacred to the believer in the Triune God. Within its holy writings we are introduced to our Maker, in whose image we have been fashioned, and at the same time we are confronted with the reality of who we are. Creatures distinct from our Creator, made to be extensions of His will, imitators that glorify Him with every aspect of our lives… this is our purpose, our charge, our high calling. And yet, we are incapacitated from fulfilling these obligations/privileges because our inner nature has been corrupted by sin.
Sin is, as the Bible reveals, a rebellious spirit demonstrated through acts of lawlessness, due to our inner hostility to what God has revealed as His prescribed guidelines for living. Sin is, therefore, the absence of love: love for God and love for neighbor. As it is written:
“Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law”
(Rom. 13:10; LEB).
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
(Gal. 5:14).
Since we know that the Law of God is a reflection of His holy character, we can readily agree with Jesus that fulfillment or the force of the Law was not nullified with His coming, but rather, substantiated as that which would stand throughout all epochs of history (cf. Matt. 5:17-19). Unless the Law-Giver has abrogated His own Law we are in no position as the creature to dare to do such a thing.3 Like Eve in the garden, we ought to respond that we shouldn’t “even touch it” (Gen. 3:3). However, there are some notable “changes” in the law in terms of circumstances, as noted by commentator and pastor James B. Jordan:
“If the law has not changed, then what has? It is the circumstances which have changed.”4
Now, what Jordan refers to are the obvious instances like the shedding of the blood of bulls and and goats, or the separating of materials in farming or upholstery (cf. Deut. 22:9, 11). In our area of the world putting a parapet (fence or boundary) around our roofs makes little sense, but we do fence in our porches, balconies or swimming pools (cf. Deut. 22:8). The Law still has applicability but the circumstances affect the use or necessity of the law. Thus, the underlying principle that governs all uses of the Law of God are summed up nicely in two points: Loving God with all our beings, and loving our neighbors as ourselves (we shall return to this a little later).
Revisiting an Ethical Dilemma…
We are going to revisit an ethical dilemma that I introduced last week. What I would like to do today is think through these issues from a few other perspectives. Some of you may already be convinced. Others might still need convincing. And, others still may never be convinced. However, I am touching on these issues in much the same way that I have on other matters in the past—i.e., I will finish speaking on the matter when I have concluded my thoughts on the issue at hand.
Years ago I did a four part sermon series on tithing. I could have said what I had to say in one message, but that would not have satisfied my concern at the time. It does little good for me to teach something, but not to take my time in clarifying the issue and showing you (the reader) how I got to the conclusion that I did. We may still disagree, but I will have done my part in sharing what needs to be shared. For it may in fact be a reality (in the near future) that you will be confronted with.
Defining Ethics, its Function, and the Formation of One’s Conscience…
I have noted in the past that ethics pertains to law. It speaks of a established marker for human behavior. From ethical standards we get our moral bearing. Ethical teachings are that which we receive as children from our parents5 (or those who have acted as parents in our young lives), and they are ingrained in our little minds through the exercise of sanctions (disciplinary judgments: blessing or cursing). This training helps to form the parameters through which our conscience works (the term means “with-knowledge”). Thus, if we were taught to not use certain words in our home (e.g., stupid, idiot, etc.), or not to eat certain foods at certain times of the day (deserts are for after you eat dinner), or not to spend too much time doing things that are not profitable for daily living (e.g., entertainment versus chores) when, as we grow, if we do those things that we were instructed not to do, a sense of shame, or guilt, or remorse wells up within us.
However, the more you do that thing that you’ve been instructed not to do the easier it is to do that thing in the future. That is what the Scripture refers to as “searing one’s conscience with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2; Eph. 4:19) ,or “growing calloused” (cf. Psa 17: 10; 119:70), or “our love turning cold” (cf. Matt. 24:12; Rev. 2:4, 5).
I will note, however, that just because your conscience has been trained a certain way—whether in justifying your behavior (“I don’t feel guilty for that”), or in condemning your behavior (“I shouldn’t have did that, why did I do it!?”)—it doesn’t mean that it is properly guiding you. Thus, we are encouraged (and commanded) in Scripture to “renew our mind” to learn what is “holy, acceptable, and good” (Rom. 12:1-2) and to do those things as we are being conformed into the image of our Maker, Jesus Christ. The One who delivered us from sin and now is recognized as the Lord of our hearts (cf. 1 Pet. 1:13-16).
We live in a fallen world. I don’t need to tell you that. You know it. But, sometimes we need reminded of it because our thinking often times looks like we have ignored this truth. We live in a world that suffers under the curse of sin. Now, I know that this curse is being driven back bit-by-successive-bit since the history of our Lord’s resurrection and ascension, but the elementary principles that govern the hearts of the sinner still exist. Our struggle is still, as the apostle says, “against principalities and powers…of darkness” (Eph. 6:12) Until all are redeemed and our Lord returns there will be a struggle against sin in all areas of life. Therefore, we will continually be faced with ethical dilemmas that we have to navigate through.
A preliminary example…
During the so-called Pandemic the idea was being flirted with that without a vaccination card verifying that you had accepted the prescribed shot, you wouldn’t be able to buy or sell. You’d be denied access to markets, to medical centers, and other areas where the rest of the population might gather or exercise commerce. In response to this, some Christian leaders and others began making plans to provide false forms of identification that would say they’d been vaccinated when they hadn’t. Some argued that to do such a thing was a lie, and therefore shouldn’t be done. It was, I read, unbecoming of the Christian to entertain such immoral acts.
Is providing food for your family a good thing? Is getting medical treatment when needed something you should be able to do? What about gathering together with family and friends, or going to church? Are these activities that the civil government has the right to restrict? Depends on what we are talking about, and in what circumstance we are facing. Ethical questions are not always cut and dry.
If someone calls me an idiot in front of a group of my peers, I am faced with an ethical dilemma. I have a choice in how I will react. Christians are called to be loving, even to our enemies. We are commanded by our Lord to turn the other cheek (cf. Matt. 5:39). So what should my response be?
Silence? Maybe.
“He who lacks sense belittles his neighbor, but a person of intelligence will remain silent” (Prov. 11:12).
“The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, ‘Do You not answer? What is it that these mean are testifying against You?’ But He kept silent and did not answer” (Mark 14:60-61; NASB).
Correction or Rebuke? Maybe.
“Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26.5).
“A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person than a hundred blows on a fool” (Prov. 17:10).
“Again the high priest questioned him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I Am,’ said Jesus, ‘and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven’” (Mark 14:61b; NET).
How one answers or doesn’t answer will depend upon the circumstances. It may be better to be silent and turn the other cheek, or it might better serve the occasion to highlight the folly of the fool lest he look wise in his own vanity. This is a common ethical dilemma that we all face in our daily lives. Sometimes the evil words spoken against us are from enemies, and at other times those close to us. But, our response is to be dictated by the Word of God. Wisdom is demonstrated in identifying the situation and acting accordingly.
The Parameters of Loving…
The fulfillment of the Law of God is situated in/on the Love of God. The commandments are nicely summarized by our Lord:
“And He said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all our mind.’ This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39; NASB).
Love has to be defined not as our culture or society might desire to articulate it, but from a biblical standpoint. This sounds easy enough, but experience has shown that allowing biblical ideas to be limited within the confines of Scriptural revelation is a task that evades a lot of well-meaning Christians. True love sometimes means denying what others might desire. It may mean inflicting harm. One such example comes to mind that is easy enough to grasp:
“The one who spares his rod hates his child, but the one who loves his child is diligent in disciplining him” (Prov. 13:24; NET).
However, there is another that will offend the sensibilities of quite a few today:
“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thess. 3:10; NIV).
Both commands demonstrate the love of God. But how many Christian parents or para-church ministries, even local church bodies, would argue against these prescriptions from the Law-Word of God? “Are we not to take care of the homeless and feed the hungry?” it will be argued. “Isn’t the use of a rod or a belt or a paddle to punish my child (or an other) for wrong doing nothing less than child abuse?” inquires another.
A Quick look at the Law…
Let us take a quick look at the Law of God. Specifically, I want to call your attention once more to the 9th commandment:
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exod. 20:16; ASV).
I said last time that the childish version of this law… what we dummy down for our children, is “Thou shall not lie.” Most Christians understand the commandment in that light, and give little concern any further. The sad truth is that professing Christians today prefer to spend their time in the New Testament where they assume that it is far easier to understand what the Holy Spirit has handed over to us. But the fact remains that the New Testament is meant to shed light on—give further revelation on—what has come before in the older testament. However, how can it shed light on that which you spend so little time in studying and trying to understand? If you do not meditate on the Law-Word of God how can you know for sure the meaning of what you are reading in the New Testament? This is precisely why Christians struggle with the meaning of holiness and love and grace. The attempt to read about and understand those biblical truths separated from an understanding of what has come before is an anemic approach to fearing the Lord in terms of knowledge and wisdom (cf. Prov. 1:9; 9:10).
The 9th commandment is focused on bearing false witness against ones neighbor. It is a verbal attack, an accusation of wrong doing, or the maligning of one’s character in the primary sense before a judge in a court of law. Exodus 23: 1-9 are some of the case laws that focus on aspects of this particular law. The thrust of the negative sanctions that are highlighted are the slandering of a persons name (i.e., namesake). It is an attack on one’s reputation. It is a form of verbal violence meant to harm the well-being of another by showing partiality either because they are poor, or rich, or one’s enemy.
The law contains prohibitions against lying, deceiving, misleading, fabricating, or any other synonym we might seek to attach to it against our neighbor in an effort to destroy their reputation—i.e., their name. (There is a correlation between the 9th and the 3rd commandment against blaspheming—taking in vain—the Name(sake) of the Lord; Exodus 20:7).
Take for example John 86. Jesus has some scathing words for those who stood against Him, saying,
“They answered and said to him, ‘Abraham is our father!’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father!’ They said to him, ‘We were not born of sexual immorality! We have one father, God!’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. Why do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God’” (John 8:39-47; LEB).
The Jews (contextually John is referring to the religious leaders) have denied who Christ is publicly. They are bearing false witness against Him, trying to get the public to doubt Him, trying to call into question the truthfulness of His message, in particular His heritage as the Son of God come down from heaven, going so far as to call him the son of a whore—a bastardized child (cf. John 8:41). This is an attack on the name of Jesus. Information meant to tarnish and mislead the public view of him. (A good example of a violation of the 9th commandment, in the scope of the court of public opinion). Jesus’ rebuke is spot on in terms of refuting the false—i.e., malicious—witnesses of His day.
Let me ask you, “What is the positive sanction of the 9th commandment?” It is extorting and/or lifting up one’s neighbor. Standing for them rather than against them. Being a witness in their favor, not as one opposed. In this sense, one who stands in/on the truth of God. By being truthful about one’s neighbor one is demonstrating love by not seeking to harm their public image.
Does all forms of Deception fall under this category of thought?…
I would argue that since the law does not argue for a simplistic “thou shall not lie,” but is specifically tied to verbal assault of one’s neighbor’s namesake, then we need to pay special attention to the categories of thought (i.e., specific circumstances) surrounding any supposed violation.
Every commandment of God is intrinsically tied to love for Him and love for one’s neighbor. The Law is about upholding God’s holiness code not violating it, or, violating the one’s supposed to be protected under it. Keep in mind that the demonstration of love towards one’s neighbors is in treating that individual with the same sort of respect, mercy, compassion, charity, and kindness that you would want. A recognition that they share in the image of God as you do.
The 6th commandment deals with protecting life, the 7th commandment is about protecting the sanctity of marriage, the 8th is about protecting the property rights of others, the 9th is about protecting the namesake of our neighbor, and the 10th is about being content with what the Lord has given you and respecting the inheritance/wealth He has given to your neighbor.
What I began to argue for last time is what do we do when we are faced with an ethical dilemma like that of the Hebrew midwives? They were commanded by the king of Egypt to kill the offspring of their neighbor’s (their fellow Hebrew’s). They refused. When asked as to why his command was not being carried out, they fabricated a story. This presents a dilemma to the Christian who wants to honor God, but fears that lying in this circumstance is a dishonorable course of action.
Let us take a moment to look at the larger picture. They were tasked with loving God and neighbor, and the command of the king told them to violate that law. What was at stake for violating the kings command. It is likely they would loose their lives. That is one outcome, are there others? What would happen to the other ladies under their charge? If found out, they too would have their lives endangered. What about the other baby boys being born? If midwives told the king the truth, who would remain to stand in the gap to protect the rest of the Hebrew offspring? My only point is that more was at stake here than just the lives of the two Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah. They had other women under their charge they would have been exposing to danger had they told the king the truth. They would have removed themselves from the battlefield in protecting the other Hebrew boys about to be born by Hebrew women.
It was love of God and neighbor that caused the women to act in the manner they did. Some might want to separate their act of defiance from their act of deceit, but on what biblical grounds do you find justification for that conclusion? The Bible does not make such a distinction, so where do you draw it from?
The same could be said of Jael, who lied to the king of Canaan’s general Sisera in order to make him feel comfortable enough in her home so that she could drive a tent peg through his temple into the ground while he slept (cf. Jdg. 4:17-21). She was praised for that act by the Holy Spirit (cf. Jdg. 5:24-31). Ehud also used deceit to get into the inner chamber so that he could plunge an 18” dagger through the belly of the tyrant king that had enslaved Israel (Jdg. 3:12-22). Rahab is praised for using deception in protecting the spies of Israel from the king of Jericho, by leading them out another way (Josh. 2:1-7). In fact, the apostle James highlights her action here as true faith:
“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction” (James 2:25; NIV; emphasis added).
Two things she did and the conjunction (and; kai) demonstrates their unification as one complete act of faith. She welcomed spies and sent them off in a different direction. That last phrase “different direction” highlights what precisely? That she told the king and the soldiers of Jericho one thing, and in the next breath told the spies of Israel to go another way. It is the act of deception, misleading, and fabricating a false narrative that is highlighted as a good thing.
Now some will wonder how can God applaud such activity? Surely, He would not accept such action as faithfulness!
Have you not read 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11?
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (KJV; emphasis added).
Have you not read 1 Kings 22:23?
“So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced diaster against you” (ESV; emphasis added).
Have you not read Ezekiel 14:9?
“And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel” (KJV; emphasis added ).
Why did the Lord bring about this deception? What was the reason? What was the goal? It was to bring about the judgment that He deemed fit against the reprobate that willfully opposed Him. In short, God had declared war on those that had turned to idols, that listened to false prophets, the had broken covenant with Him. And in a state of war, no quarter is to be given to the enemy.
Love of Enemies…
It is true that we are commanded to love our enemies. We are to respect their life, their property, their marriages, their reputations (namesakes’), and even that which God has given them in time as their lot in life (i.e., inheritance; not to covet). But how far does the love of an enemy go? Are there ever times when love even for the enemy is forfeited?
We are commanded to love our neighbors. This is our charge that envelopes the command to love our enemies. However, are all men our neighbors? Think carefully before you answer that question. All men are image bearers of God, this is true. And therefore, they are all our neighbor’s in the most general of senses, thus, we are to demonstrate a godly love towards them in all matters, but not necessarily at all times. There are times when our neighbors forfeit the right to be treated in a loving manner. Primarily this is demonstrated in a period of war. A time when they have sought to harm life and limb, and as a result we are required to defend ourselves, our loved ones, and even our property. Biblical wisdom and knowledge and its exercise thereof is all about counting the cost. Be careful when you think it a noble thing to enter into the fray in terms of persecution, when it may in fact be better that you either flee or fight. Who will be there to protect what you have been charged with protecting if you charge blindly into danger?
I will grant that this is a difficult teaching to work through, but if you are diligent in studying God’s Word and examining your own presuppositions on the matter, then in time you will see that the issue is not as cut and dry as you might suspect. Just as people don’t like hardships in life, neither do they enjoy hardships in terms of thinking through a difficult matter. And yet, we are called to do such things. For the time may soon be upon us when we are faced with the same sort of questions that the Hebrew midwives were faced with, and how you answer them will have a bearing not just on you, but on your neighbors that you have been charged with keeping.
ENDNOTES:
1Gary North, Sovereignty and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Genesis, Vol 1 (Dallas, GA: Point Five Press, [1982], 2020), 250, PDF E-book.
2All Scripture references will have the translation cited with them as they will differ from time-to-time. The only time a reference will not be given to identify a translation is if a quoted verse that immediately follows is of the same translation cited above. ASV = American Standard Version; LEB = Lexham English Bible; ESV = English Standard Version; KJV = King James Version; AMP = Amplified Bible; NASB = New American Standard Bible (95’); NIV = New International Version.
3Greg L. Bahnsen writes, “We should presume that Old Testament standing laws continue to be morally binding in the New Testament, unless they are rescinded or modified by further revelation.” Greg L. Bahnsen, By This Standard: The Authority of God’s Law Today (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1984), 346, PDF E-book.
4James B. Jordan, The Law of the Covenant: An Exposition of Exodus 21-23 (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1984), 11, PDF E-book.
5We are likewise taught ethical standards by the society in which we live through various governing institutions.
6They called Jesus a self-promoter, a bragger, a false witness (John 8:13). They questioned the legitimacy of his claims in public (John 8:19, 25). They mocked Him and His testimony (John 8:22). The denied the truth He spoke (John 8:33). This activity is a direct violation of the 9th commandment in the court of public opinion, since Jesus spoke openly to the people. Their verbal assault is no different than the demon who jumped up in the synagogue in Luke 4:33-34 while He was preaching/teaching the people.
Kristafal's Musings 