How to Tell the Truth, Avoid Lies, and
Practice Righteous Concealment
I. The Importance of the Truth
Even among Evangelical ethicists, truth-telling is not a highly regarded obligation.
It seems that whenever telling the truth could hurt you (or someone else) we find
a way to justify lying.
Try out your own proclivities.
You are a nun in a convent in Germany during WWII. For some time you have
been hiding Jews, though you know that you could go to a concentration camp
yourself if anyone found out. One night there is a knock at the door. You open it
to find yourself facing an Waffen SS officer. He asks you if there are any Jews
within. What do you do?
Before you try to answer that, let us look at what the Bible says about truthtelling and lying.
A. What the Bible Says About Lying
The Ninth Commandment
Ex. 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Deut. 5:20 You must not offer false testimony against another.
Verses relating to Lies
Ex: 20:16; 23:1
Lev. 19:11b-12
John 8:44
Acts 5:3-4
Num. 23:19
Deut. 24:8-25:3
Ps. 58:3; 59:12; 63:11; 101:11
Prov. 6:16-19; 14:25; 19:5, 9;
24:28; 30:8.
Rom. 1:25
Col. 3:9
Titus 1:2
Heb. 6:18
Jas. 3:14
1 John 1:6; 2:21, 27
Jer. 9:3; 27:10
Hosea 12:1
Zeph. 3:13
Rev. 3:9; 14:5
Perjury
Lying in the Mosaic Law
Satan called God a liar while fooling Eve with a lie. (Gen. 3)
Ex. 20: 16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Ex. 23:1 You must not give a false report. Do not make common cause with the wicked
to be a malicious witness.
Lev. 19:11 … you must not tell lies, and you must not deal falsely with your fellow
citizen. [Lies are verbal falsehoods. Dealing falsely can include non-verbal falsehood.]
19:12 You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of
your God. I am the Lord. [This involves God in the lie.]
Num. 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie…
Lying leads to injustice
Deut. 24:8-25:3 [legal section which comments on the 9th Commandment.]
24:14 You must not oppress a lowly and poor servant, whether one from among your fellow Israelites or from
the resident foreigners who are living in your land and villages. 24:15 You must pay his wage that very day
before the sun sets, for he is poor and his life depends on it. Otherwise he will cry out to the Lord against you,
and you will be guilty of sin. 24:16 Fathers must not be put to death for what their children do, nor children
for what their fathers do; each must be put to death for his own sin. [Oppression deals falsely with the poor,
who will testify truthfully against the oppressor. Judging by association is also to speak falsely.]
25:1 If controversy arises between people, they should go to court for judgment. When the judges hear the
case, they shall exonerate the innocent but condemn the guilty. 25:2 Then, if the guilty person is sentenced
to a beating, the judge shall force him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of blows
his wicked behavior deserves. 25:3 The judge may sentence him to forty blows, but no more. [If he is struck
with more than these, you might view your fellow Israelite with contempt. The extra blows say he is guilty
of something he wasn’t.]
Lying in the Prophets
Jer. 9:3 The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.
Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.”
Jer. 27:10 Do not listen to [false prophets], because their prophecies are lies.
Hosea 12:1 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind; he chases the east wind all day;
he multiplies lies and violence.
Zeph. 3:13 The Israelites who remain will not act deceitfully. They will not lie,
and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.
In the Prophets, lying is symptomatic of evil people. Righteous people do not
lie or act deceitfully.
Lying in the Writings
Ps. 58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; liars go astray as soon as they are born.
59:12 They speak sinful words. So let them be trapped by their own pride and by the
curses and lies they speak!
63:11 But the king will rejoice in God; everyone who takes oaths in his name will boast,
for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up.
Ps. 101:11 Deceitful people will not live in my palace. Liars will not be welcome in my
presence.
Prov. 6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates,
even seven things that are an abomination to him: 6:17 1) haughty eyes, 2) a lying
tongue, and 3) hands that shed innocent blood, 6:18 4) a heart that devises wicked
plans, 5) feet that are swift to run to evil, 6:19 6) a false witness who pours out lies, and
7) a person who spreads discord among family members.[2 of the 7 involve lying, while
violence, per se, is only 1.]
14:25 A truthful witness rescues lives, but the one who breathes lies brings deception.
19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who spouts out lies will not
escape punishment. (see also 19:9)
30:8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me.
God hates lying
Lying in the New Testament
John 8:44 You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks
according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself
part of the proceeds from the sale of the land? Before it was sold, did it not belong to you? And when it was sold, was
the money not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people but to
God!”
Rom. 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever!
Col. 3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices
Titus 1:1-2 From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the
knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie,
promised before the ages began.
Heb. 6:18 … so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before
us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.
Jas. 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.
1 John 1:6; If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not
practicing the truth… 2:21, I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that
no lie is of the truth. … 2:27. … his anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie.
Rev. 14:4-5 … These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as
firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, 14:5 and no lie was found on their lips; they are blameless.
What are some of the falsehoods that are being told today in our country and even
among believers?
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That there is no God. (Ps. 53:1)
That there are many ways to God. (John 14:6)
That repentance is not a part of the Gospel message. (Acts 11:18; 20:21; 26:20)
That God doesn’t care so much about our behavior , He just cares about faith and
“resting in His spirit.” There is no need to “strive” for righteousness. That’s all “works.”
(Matt. 28:10; Luke 13:24; Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:17)
That God wants us to let the fruit of the Spirit develop naturally, not looking back at
the Law of Moses for instruction in the Christian Life. (Matt. 5:17-20; 28:19-20; 2 Tim.
3:14-17; cf. 1 Cor. 9:9-10; 1 Tim. 5:18; Eph. 4:25-26; 6:2; Gal. 5:14; Rom. 13:8-10. The
whole book of 1 Cor. is structured on the basis of the Ten Commandments and
chapters 5-6 strongly evidence Lev. 18)
That God wants us to change social policy through such means as public statements,
boycotts, and voting. (1 Cor. 5:12-13)
That abortion is a woman’s choice. (Lev. 20:2 vis-à-vis Ps. 139 and 51)
That divorce (except as a disciplinary action) is the right of each partner (Matt. 5:32;
19; Luke 16; Mark 10) OR that the right to remarry is denied. (1 Cor. 7:15)
That pornography is a victimless crime. (Matt. 15:19/Mark 7:21; 1 Cor. 6; Eph. 5:3)
That gambling is not offensive to God. (Prov. 29:3; Luke 15:11ff; 1 Tim. 6:10; 5:8)
Patriarchal families are not for the Church and polygyny is the sin of adultery.
B. What the Bible Says About the Truth
Verses relating to Truth
Exodus 18:21 But you choose from the people capable men, God-fearing, men of truth…
Psalm 15:1-2 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill? Whoever lives a
blameless life, does what is right, and speaks honestly.
Prov. 12:17 The faithful witness tells what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.
16:6 Through loyal love and truth iniquity is appeased
22:21 Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,
to show you true and reliable words, so that you may give accurate answers to those who sent you?
Is 59:14-15 Justice is driven back; godliness stands far off. Indeed, honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter. 59:15 Honesty has disappeared; the one who tries to avoid evil is
robbed. The Lord watches and is displeased, for there is no justice.
Jer. 4:2 You must be truthful, honest and upright;
5:1, See if any of you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful.
Zach. 8:3 The Lord says, ‘I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be
called “truthful city,”
8:8 And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in
truth and righteousness.’
Mal. 2:6 He taught what was true; sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace
and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin.
Truth is associated with righteousness.
New Testament on Truth
John 1:14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory –
the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father
14:6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
17:17 Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. 19; 18:37
1 Cor. 13:6 love] is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.
Eph. 4:25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Eph. 5:9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Eph. 6:14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist,
1 John 2:21 I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do
know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Truth is associated with righteousness and with God Himself.
Have you ever taken the time to praise God that He
is a God of truth who works truthfully with us?
C. What the Bible Says About Concealing the Truth
If telling the truth is always required,
then gossip would be a virtue.
God Often Conceals the Truth
The Biblical concept of “Mystery” is: something concealed for a time which
will be revealed (Eph. 5:32—the mystery of Christ and the Church). This is the
dynamic of “progressive revelation.” God has reasons for concealing the truth
until its time. We see this especially in prophetic literature, and parables.
Matt. 13:10 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to
them in parables?” 13:11 He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to
know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For
whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever
does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13:13 For this reason
I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although
they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.
An Important Distinction:
There is a difference between telling a lie and not telling the truth.
Deut. 5:20 You must not offer false testimony against another. [Don’t lie.]
Prov. 24:28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, [Don’t tell the truth]
and do not deceive with your words.
[Don’t lie]
24:29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will pay him back according to what he has done.”
What is proper cause?
Prov. 29:24 Whoever shares with a thief is his own enemy;
he hears the oath to testify, but does not talk.
Lev. 5:1 “‘When a person sins in that he hears a public curse against one who fails to testify
and he is a witness [he either saw or knew what had happened and he does not make it
known, then he will bear his punishment for iniquity.
It is wrong not to tell what you know
if the person asking for it has a right to the information.
When You Should not Tell the Truth
Prov. 20:19 The one who goes about gossiping reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with someone who is always opening his mouth.
Prov. 11:12 The one who denounces his neighbor lacks wisdom,
but the one who has discernment keeps silent.
11:13 The one who goes about slandering others reveals secrets,
but the one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
Rom. 1:29 They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness,
covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They
are gossips, 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of
all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, 1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless,
ruthless. 1:32 Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who
practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those
who practice them.
(See also 2 Cor. 12:20; 1 Tim. 3:11; 5:13; 2 Tim. 3:3; Titus 2:3)
In other words, when someone who does not deserve to be hurt
by the sharing of the information could be.
When Should You Tell The Truth?
When the person you would tell it to has a “right to know.”
When it is in line with some Divinely established system of Authority.
What are those?
Spheres of Authority Implied by the Fifth Commandment
The actual spheres of authority are set forth in Scripture as:
Husband
Wife
Parent
Child
Eph. 5:22-24
1 Pet. 3:1-6
Government
Citizen
Pastor/Elder
Parishioner
Eph. 6:1-3
Rom. 13:1-7
1 Pet. 2:13-14
Heb. 13:17
Officer
Soldier
Employer
Employee
Matt. 8:9
1 Pet. 2:18-19
Each sphere has its “limits” of authority…
the “job description” of the authority figure
What Does the Scripture Say About Obedience to Human Rules?
1 Peter 2:13 Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake,
whether to a king as supreme 2:14 or to governors as those he commissions
to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. 2:15 For God wants you
to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 2:16 Live as free
people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.
2:17 Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Rom. 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For
there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that
exist have been instituted by God. 13:2 So the person who resists such
authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur
judgment 13:3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do
you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its
commendation, 13:4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do
wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant
to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. 13:5 Therefore it is necessary to
be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also
because of your conscience. 13:6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for the
authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. 13:7 Pay everyone what
is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due,
respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Does God Ever Justify Lying?
Some people (even scholars) sometimes argue that God does justify lying. They
cite as examples the lies of the Jewish midwives (Ex. 1) and Rahab (Joshua 1).
Ex. 1:15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named
Shiphrah and the other Puah, 1:16 “When you assist the Hebrew women in
childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she
may live.” 1:17 But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt
had told them; they let the boys live.
1:18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have
you done this and let the boys live?” 1:19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because
the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women are
vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!” 1:20 So God treated the
midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 1:21 And because
the midwives feared God, he made households for them.
It is argued that God blessed them for their lie.
Who was saved by this lie?
Not the infants,
but the midwives themselves.
Did God say that He was justifying them for
their lie?
No. But because they feared God.
The Story of Rahab
Joshua 2:1 Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:
“Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.” They stopped at the house of a
prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there. 2:2 The king of Jericho received this report:
“Note well! Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on the land.” 2:3 So the king of Jericho
sent this order to Rahab: “Turn over the men who came to you – the ones who came to your
house – for they have come to spy on the whole land!” 2:4 But the woman hid the two men
and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine, but I didn’t know where they came from.
2:5 When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. I don’t know where they
were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!” 2:6 (Now she had
taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out on the
roof.) 2:7 Meanwhile the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River near the
fords. The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. 2:8 Now before the
spies went to sleep, Rahab went up to the roof. 2:9 She said to the men, “I know the Lord is
handing this land over to you. 2:11 …For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on
earth below! 2:12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name. Because I
have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. Give me a solemn pledge 2:13 that
you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and
rescue us from death.” 2:14 The men said to her, “If you die, may we die too! If you do not
report what we’ve been up to, then, when the Lord hands the land over to us, we will show
unswerving allegiance to you.” 2:15 Then Rahablet them down by a rope through the window.
… 2:16 She told them, “Head to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you. Hide
from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you to return. Then you can be
on your way.”
Israel’s and God’s Regard for Rahab
Joshua 6:17 The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord, except for
Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the
spies we sent.
James 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works
when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way?
Hebrews 11:31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the
disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.
Was she blessed for lying?
No, she was blessed for:
hiding the spies,
welcoming them,
sending them out by another way,
and for her faith in God.
But not for her lies.
The Obligation to “Tell the Truth” or Conceal it is a matter of the Fifth Commandment
Deut. 5:16 Honor your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has
commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well
with you in the land that he is about to give you.
The 5th Commandment relates to authority. The obligation to tell the truth arises
from a consideration of who has the right to hear it. A study of the Deuteronomic
section (16:18-18:22) which explains and applies the 5th Commandment shows that it
deals with more than parents.
Deut. 16:18 You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your
villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.
There it also deals with kings and priests.
Is There Ever a Time to Disobey Your Government?
The Jewish Sanhedrin ordered the Disciples not to preach the Gospel, but they
did. They were arrested for their effort.
Acts 5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, and
the high priest questioned them, 5:28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to
teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you
intend to bring this man’s blood on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied,
“We must obey God rather than people.”
John 19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all,
unless it was given to you from above.”
So if an “authority” requires you to do something in opposition to what God
has said, you have no obligation to obey it.
If God has not prohibited a certain action, as long as it falls within the “job
description” of the authority’s office, it should be obeyed.
The Strange Case of God “Inspiring” a Lie
1 Kings 22:1 There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years. 22:2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came
down to visit the king of Israel. 22:3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to
us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.” 22:4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack
Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.” 22:5
Then Jehoshaphat added, “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets
and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” They said, “Attack! The sovereign one will hand it over to the king.”
22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel
answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not
prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such
things.” 22:9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
22:10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their robes, at
the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 22:11 Zedekiah son
of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’”
22:12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it
over to the king.” 22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete
agreement that the king will succeed. Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As
certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”
22:15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him,
“Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 22:16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you
solemnly promise in the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 22:17 Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the
mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 22:18
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 22:19 Micaiah
said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly
standing on his right and on his left. 22:20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die
there?’ One said this and another that. 22:21 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive
him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The
Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22:23 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying
spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
Wait…did we get that right?
God Put’s a Deceiving Spirit in the Mouths of False Prophets
2 Chron. 18:5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack
Ramoth Gilead or not?” They said, “Attack! God will hand it over to the king.”
18:18 Micaiah said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his
throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 18:19 The Lord said,
‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said
this and another that. 18:20 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I
will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 18:21 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit
in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as
you have proposed.’ 18:22 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all
these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
Perhaps this is an instance much like that of Satan in Job 1:6-12 & 2:1-6, where
God used Satan to test humans.
OR, it could be more complex than that.
The word for lying can mean deceiving, and some deception can be by
ambiguity…concealing information and allowing the evil people to infer a
falsehood...even to his own destruction.
The key is the word for “prosper” tsalach (‫) ְו ַה ְצ לַ ח‬. This imperative verb has the
hiphil stem which gives a causative force with an active voice. Thus it literally says,
“You go up…and you cause (someone) to prosper.” Who would Ahab cause to
prosper? Himself?
Or the king of Syria?
Amphibole: A Grammatical Ambiguity
The [Delphic Oracle] was knowledgeable in many areas: history, religion,
geography, politics, mathematics, philosophy, etc. She uttered advice on where and
how to build cities, which laws to incorporate, and which prayers to utter. Her
predictions were often very shrewdly phrased, which caused many supplicants to
misinterpret the advice. The most famous instance of this comes down to us
through a Delphic prediction given to Croesus, king of Lydia. In 550 BCE, Croesus
was preparing to invade the Persian Empire when he consulted the Oracle about
his chances for victory. After sacrificing 300 head of cattle to Apollo, he had gold
and silver melted down into 117 bricks, which were sent to Delphi, along with
jewels, statues, and a gold bowl weighing a quarter of a ton. With these gifts,
Croesus sent his question of whether he should attack Persia.
The Pythia answered that, if he crossed a river, "Croesus will destroy a great
empire." Encouraged by this response, he invaded Persia, only to suffer a decisive
defeat. The Persians invaded and then conquered Lydia and captured Croesus, who
thereafter bitterly denounced the Oracle. He sent his iron chains to Delphi with the
question, "Why did you lie to me?" The Pythia correctly answered that her
prophecy had been fulfilled. Croesus had destroyed a great empire -- his own.
http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/desdemon.htm
God’s Prophet Uses Ambiguity to Fool the Enemy
2 Kings 6:8 Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade at such
and such a place.” 6:9 But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you don’t pass
through this place because Syria is invading there.” 6:10 So the king of Israel sent a message to the place the
prophet had pointed out, warning it to be on its guard. This happened on several occasions. 6:11 This made the
king of Syria upset. So he summoned his advisers and said to them, “One of us must be helping the king of
Israel.” 6:12 One of his advisers said, “No, my master, O king. The prophet Elisha who lives in Israel keeps telling
the king of Israel the things you say in your bedroom.” 6:13 The king ordered, “Go, find out where he is, so I can
send some men to capture him.” The king was told, “He is in Dothan.” 6:14 So he sent horses and chariots
there, along with a good-sized army. They arrived during the night and surrounded the city.
6:15 The prophet’s attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army
surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha, “Oh no, my master! What will we do?”
6:16 He replied, “Don’t be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.” 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his
eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots
of fire all around Elisha. 6:18 As they approached him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with
blindness.” The Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha requested. 6:19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not
the right road or city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you’re looking for.” He led them to Samaria.
6:20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open their eyes, so they can see.” The Lord opened
their eyes and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.
Notice that Elisha does not “lie,” but uses an ambiguity to deceive the enemy. He
does not imply that he isn’t Elisha and that it wasn’t Dothan or the road to Dothan.
He could have meant the king of Israel, Samaria, and the road to Samaria. Elisha
was under not authority to tell the truth to the men intending to do evil to him and
his country.
II. Application
Given what you know,
how would you respond to the Waffen SS officer
if you had Jews within your convent?
The nuns said, “Do you think we would keep people like that in here?
The Nazi’s inferred the answer meant “No,” and left.
But the nun implied “Yes.”
What Difference Does All This Mean to the Pro-Poly Community?
1. Toward the Civil Authorities
A. The Civil Authorities have laws against bigamy in every state of the Union.
According to those, polygyny is a crime (either a misdemeanor or a felony,
depending on the state). Many also have laws against “cohabs.”
B. However, States have many laws on the books which they no long intend to
prosecute. Such laws are commonly called “blue” or “obsolete” laws. When it
comes to consensual bigamy, where no fraud exists, those regulations are seldom
enforced.
Fraud involves
1) An ”intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with
something of value or to surrender a legal right.” Merriam-Webster
2) Instances of fraud involving bigamy center around: attempting to get
around immigration laws; defrauding a woman into thinking that she has a
monogamous marriage; establishing marriages with underage girls; or
arranged-forced marriages.
3) Other recent bases for “prosecuting” bigamy involve embarrassment to a
state (e.g., “Sister Wives” in view of the past “tarnished” history of polygyny
among the Utah Latter Day Saints); or an easy way to keep a person of
interest incarcerated in conjunction with other more serious offenses (e.g.,
the mother suspected of killing her son in NC.)
C. Lawrence V. Texas
Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, 123 S. Ct. 2472, 156 L. Ed. 2d 508 (2003).
US Supreme Court
“Facts:
Houston police were dispatched to Lawrence’s (D) apartment in response to a
reported weapons disturbance. The officers found Lawrence and Garner (D) engaged in
a sexual act. Lawrence and Garner were charged and convicted under Texas law of
“deviate sexual intercourse, namely anal sex, with a member of the same sex (man).”
Lawrence and Garner challenged the statute as a violation of the Equal Protection
Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Lawrence and Garner were each fined $200 and
order to pay $141.25 in costs. The Court of Appeals considered defendants’ federal
constitutional arguments under both the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of
the Fourteenth Amendment. After hearing the case en banc the court rejected the
constitutional arguments and affirmed the convictions. The court held that Bowers v.
Hardwick was controlling regarding the due process issue. The Supreme Court granted
certiorari. [A writ of certiorari orders a lower court to deliver its record in a case so that
the higher court may review it.]
“Issue:
Does a statute making it a crime for two persons of the same sex to engage in certain
intimate sexual conduct violate the Due Process Clause?
“Holding and Rule (Kennedy):
Yes. A statute making it a crime for two persons of the same sex to engage in certain
intimate sexual conduct violates the Due Process clause.
Liberty protects the person from unwarranted government intrusions. Freedom
extends beyond spatial bounds. Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes
freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct. The defendants are
adults and their conduct was in private and consensual.
The right to privacy is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from
unwarranted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person
as the decision whether to bear or beget a child.
Roe v. Wade recognized the right of a woman to make certain fundamental decisions
affecting her destiny and confirmed that the protection of liberty under the Due Process
clause has a substantive dimension of fundamental significance in defining the rights of
the person. It is clear that in Bowers v. Hardwick this Court failed to appreciate the extent
of the liberty at stake. To declare the issue as one related to the right to engage in
certain sexual conduct demeans the claim the individual put forward, just as it would
demean a married couple were it to be said marriage is simply about the right to have
sexual intercourse.
“Disposition:
Reversed and remanded.
“Concurring (O’Connor):
I do not join the Court in overruling Bowers but I agree that the Texas statute is an
unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
“Dissent (Scalia):
Nowhere does the Court’s opinion declare that homosexual sodomy is a
“fundamental right” under the Due Process Clause; nor does it subject the Texas law to
the standard of review that would be appropriate (strict scrutiny) if homosexual sodomy
were a “fundamental right.” Thus, while overruling the outcome of Bowers, the Court
leaves strangely untouched its central legal conclusion: “The [petitioner] would have us
announce . . . a fundamental right to engage in homosexual sodomy. This we are quite
unwilling to do.” Instead the Court simply describes petitioners’ conduct as an exercise
of their liberty and proceeds to apply an unheard-of form of rational-basis review that
will have far-reaching implications beyond this case.
“Dissent (Thomas):
If I were a member of the Texas Legislature I would vote to repeal this law. Punishing
someone for expressing his sexual preference through noncommercial consensual
conduct with another adult does not appear to be a worthy way to expend valuable law
enforcement resources. But I am not empowered to help petitioners and others
similarly situated. My duty is to decide cases agreeably to the Constitution and laws of
the United States. I can find neither in the Bill of Rights nor any other part of the
Constitution a general right of privacy, or as the Court terms it today, the liberty of the
person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions.
http://www.lawnix.com/cases/lawrence-texas.html
Evaluation of Lawrence:
“Individual decisions concerning the intimacies of their relationship are a form
of liberty, whether engaged by married or unmarried people.”
http://www.4lawschool.com/conlaw/lt.shtml
Contemporary “Polygyny in the United States”
The practice of informal polygamy among fundamentalist groups presents interesting legal issues. It has been considered difficult to
prosecute polygamists for bigamy, in large part because they are rarely formally married under state laws. Without evidence that
suspected offenders have multiple formal or common-law marriages, these groups are merely subject to the laws against adultery or
unlawful cohabitation — laws which are not commonly enforced because they also criminalize other behavior that is otherwise
socially sanctioned. However, some "Fundamentalist" polygamists marry women prior to the age of consent, or commit fraud to
obtain welfare and other public assistance.
In 1953, the state of Arizona investigated and raided a group of 385 people in the polygamist-practicing colony of Hildale and Colorado
City, straddling the Utah-Arizona border. All the men were arrested and the children were placed with foster families. A judge eventually
ruled this action illegal, and everyone returned to their community, which now numbers about 10,000.[1]
In 2001, in the state of Utah in the United States, Juab County Attorney David O. Leavitt successfully prosecuted Thomas Green who was
convicted of criminal non-support and four counts of bigamy for having five serially monogamous marriages, while living with previous
legally divorced wives. His cohabitation was considered evidence of a common-law marriage to the wives he had divorced while still living
with them. That premise was subsequently affirmed by the Utah Supreme Court in State v. Green, as applicable only in the State of Utah.
Green was also convicted of child rape and criminal non-support.[2]
In 2005, the state attorneys-general of Utah and Arizona issued a primer on helping victims of domestic violence and child abuse in
polygamous communities.[3] Enforcement of crimes such as child abuse, domestic violence, and fraud were emphasized over the
enforcement of anti-polygamy and bigamy laws. The priorities of local prosecutors are not covered by this statement.
Edith Barlow, a mother of five in the polygamous community of Bountiful, B.C., was denied permanent residence and has been asked to
leave the country after ten years in Canada.[4] In Canada, polygamy is a criminal offense[5] but prosecutions are rare. The Attorney General
in British Columbia has expressed concerns over whether this prohibition is constitutional; an independent prosecutor in British Columbia
recommended that Canadian courts be asked to rule on the constitutionality of the law against polygamy.[6] A 2005 report by the Alberta
Civil Liberties Research Centre recommended that Canada decriminalize polygamy, stating: "Criminalization is not the most effective way
of dealing with gender inequality in polygamous and plural union relationships. Furthermore, it may violate the constitutional rights of
the parties involved."[7]
In 2008, starting on April 4, Texas State officials took 436 children into temporary legal custody after Rozita Swinton claiming to be a 16year-old girl made a series of phone calls to authorities in late March, claiming she had been beaten and forced to become a "spiritual"
wife to an adult man. Acting on her calls, authorities raided the ranch in Eldorado, about 40 miles south of San Angelo. The YFZ Ranch is
owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a Mormon offshoot that practices polygamy. Two men
were arrested for obstructing the raid. The children ranged in age from infants to teenagers, including teenage mothers and pregnant
teens.[8][9][10]
1 Nicholas Riccardi. "The Nation; Jeffs may be put away for life, but polygamy's at large in Utah :[HOME EDITION]. " Los
Angeles Times [Los Angeles, Calif.] 27 September 2007, A.13. Los Angeles Times. ProQuest. Brigham Young University,
Provo, Utah. 11 Dec. 2007
2 State v. Green
3 Utah Attorney General Office Polygamy page, which describes The Primer: Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and
Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities
4 Salt Lake Tribune article about Edith Barlow
5 Section 293 of the Criminal Code.
6 Reuters: Canada urged to review legality of polygamy ban
7 Polygamy in Canada: Legal and Social Implications for Women and Children – A Collection of Policy Research Reports.
8 "Affidavit: FLDS raid spurred by girl's reports of physical, sexual abuse". Deseret Morning News. 8 April 2008. Retrieved
2008-04-09.
9 "Number of children in Texas custody rises — some young mothers are actually under 18". Deseret Morning News. 24
April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
10"Rozita Swinton's Bad Call". Newsweek. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy_in_the_United_States
D. Additionally, to the extent that God does not prohibit polygyny, the prohibition of it by the
government does not constitute a “promoting of good and prohibition of evil” such as Paul
states (Rom. 13) is the government’s task.
E. However, polygyny might be considered a crime insofar as it challenges traditional marriage
by offering a different concept of the marriage union. For that reason it is best NOT to seek
a second or subsequent “marriage” between yourself and another “wife.” Think of it as if
those terms were copyrighted by the State. As long as your relationship is personal and
private, the State will not get involved. Though States also have laws against co-habitation,
those laws are prosecuted even less than the bigamy laws and Lawrence v Texas would
seem to disallow prosecution of such relationships.
F. But technically, the law may prosecute you because it is difficult NOT to make it public. This
places the government in the sad condition of condemning those who seek to make their
relationship to be the sort that the State would recognize and thereby enforce in instances
where one party seeks to defraud the other subsequent to their “marriage” (e.g., abuse).
G. It seems best then that plural “marriages” not be called that, but be referred to as
covenants or unions. This will satisfy the state. In line with this presentation, they do not
even wish to know about such unions.
H. This sad situation gives rise to a number of other complicated issues: Who enforces the
vows of such unions? How are the children of such unions to be considered before the law?
Etc. Further discussion of such things will and should be a focus of wise minds within
Biblical Families.
I. This makes concealment of information simply a matter of wisdom, not of illegal
concealment.
2. How to respond to Churches
A. The Church is the judiciary of the Kingdom of God
B. Individual Churches have the responsibility to enforce God’s righteous standard
(Matt. 16 & 18).
C. But what they bind on earth should therefore have been bound in heaven (Greek
in those passages). In other words, they do not make the right to make the rules.
D. If there is no Biblical basis for prohibiting polygyny, therefore no basis for
condemnation and ostracism of those who practice it.
E. Yet clearly such ostracism exists. Those who practice polygyny are nearly
uniformly asked to leave churches or are kicked out of them. There are few
options for Poly-Christians.
F. There is no reason with regard to the Fifth Commandment that the poly-condition
needs to be divulged to the Church.
G. However, it is difficult to find proper discipleship and support if the Church does
not know you well enough to know that a poly situation exists.
H. Separation from the Church per se is rebuked by Scripture (i.e., Hebrews 10:25).
I. Since a valid Church exists where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s
Name (Matt. 18:20), it may be wise to form your own church.
2. How to respond to other Christians
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sound out their attitude toward polygyny.
Reveal what is the occasion seems to permit or call for.
They have no “right to know.”
If the issue of Law comes up. You might suggest they consider the “Dumb Laws”
of your state. (There is an actual website devoted to identifying such). For
example, in the State of North Caroline consider the following 4 laws:
1) Oral sex is against nature.
2) Sexual intercourse is only permitted in the “missionary position with the
shades drawn.
3) If a couple go to a hotel and register as husband and wife, then the are
considered legally married.
4) In the City of Charlotte, a woman must have at least 16 yards of cloth on at all
times.
These laws have the same binding force as that against bigamy.
E. In Mississippi it is against the law to teach anyone about polygyny, so please be
available if I call you for assistance with bail money for speaking at this
conference.
Feel free to use any of the resources found on Biblical Families website.