How does Matthew 28:12 connect with Proverbs 19:5 on bearing false witness? Setting the Scene: Matthew 28:12 • “And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money.” • Context: the guards at Jesus’ tomb have just witnessed the resurrection. The religious leaders, desperate to suppress the truth, bribe the soldiers to fabricate a story. • Key themes: conspiracy, bribery, intentional distortion of truth. God’s Timeless Warning: Proverbs 19:5 • “A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will not escape.” • Principle: God sees every lie; none slip through His justice. • The proverb exposes both the sin (bearing false witness) and the certainty of accountability. Connecting the Two Passages • Matthew 28:12 shows false witness in action; Proverbs 19:5 describes God’s verdict on such behavior. • The chief priests and elders: – Deliberately manufacture a lie. – Incentivize others (the soldiers) to spread it. • Proverbs promises that this very pattern leads to punishment—affirmed later when Jerusalem’s leadership faces judgment (cf. Matthew 23:38; AD 70). Consequences of False Witness in Scripture • Immediate fruit: – Erodes trust (John 8:44 calls Satan “the father of lies”). – Hinders the spread of truth yet ultimately fails (Matthew 28:15 notes the rumor persisted “to this very day,” but the gospel still advanced). • Inevitable accountability: – Exodus 20:16—bearing false witness violates God’s moral law. – Acts 5:1-11—Ananias and Sapphira lied and faced swift judgment. – Revelation 21:8—“all liars” share the lake of fire. • Redemptive contrast: – Jesus is “the way and the truth” (John 14:6); the resurrection validates every word He spoke. Living Out Truth Today • Guard the tongue: speak only what is verifiable and edifying (Ephesians 4:25). • Resist incentives to distort facts—whether financial, social, or political. • Trust God’s justice: falsehood may flourish temporarily, but Proverbs 19:5 assures it will not escape His reckoning. • Witness boldly to the risen Christ, refusing to be silenced or swayed by cultural pressure, just as the apostles did (Acts 4:20). |
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