What other scriptures emphasize truthfulness and integrity in testimony? Standing on Deuteronomy 19:16 “If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime…” The verse sits in a passage that demands two or three corroborating witnesses and prescribes the same penalty for a proven false witness that the accused would have suffered. Scripture treats perjury as a direct assault on both neighbor and God’s justice. The Law—God’s Foundation for Honest Testimony • Exodus 20:16 — “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” • Leviticus 19:11 — “You must not steal; you must not lie or deceive one another.” • Leviticus 19:15 — “You shall do no injustice in judgment… you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” • Deuteronomy 5:20 — A restatement of the ninth commandment. Together these verses frame truth-telling as a covenant obligation, woven into Israel’s social and judicial fabric. Wisdom Books—Everyday Integrity in Speech • Psalm 15:1-2 — The one who “speaks the truth from his heart” may dwell in God’s presence. • Psalm 101:7 — “No one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.” • Proverbs 6:16-19 — A “lying tongue” and “a false witness who gives false testimony” rank among the seven things the LORD hates. • Proverbs 12:17 — “He who speaks the truth declares what is right.” • Proverbs 14:5, 25 — An honest witness does not deceive; a truthful witness saves lives. • Proverbs 19:5, 9 — A false witness will not go unpunished. • Proverbs 25:18 — False testimony is like “a club or sword or sharp arrow.” Wisdom literature shows that truthful speech preserves community and life; lies destroy both. Prophets—Calling the Nation Back to Truthfulness • Jeremiah 9:5 — “Friend deceives friend, and no one tells the truth.” The prophet exposes societal decay rooted in habitual lying. • Zechariah 8:16 — “Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates.” Prophets link national blessing to honest courts and truthful relationships, echoing Deuteronomy’s standard. Christ and the Apostles—Truth Incarnate and Commissioned • John 14:6 — Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” • John 8:44 — The devil “is a liar and the father of lies”; falsehood aligns a person with Satan, not Christ. • Matthew 5:37 — “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no.” • Ephesians 4:25 — “Put off falsehood and speak truthfully… for we are members of one another.” • Colossians 3:9 — “Do not lie to one another.” • James 5:12 — Avoid oath-manipulation; simple truthfulness keeps us from judgment. • 1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:7 — Church leaders must be free from duplicity; integrity in speech is a qualification for service. The New Testament anchors truthfulness in Christ’s own character and in the unity of His body. Final Accountability—Eternal Consequences for False Witnesses • Revelation 21:8 — “All liars… will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.” • Revelation 22:15 — Outside the eternal city are “everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” God’s courtroom is ultimate. Persistent perjury receives a verdict of eternal exclusion, while those who embrace the Truth inherit life. |
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