THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (April 28, 2018)
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” [Exodus 20:16, King James Version, The Ten Commandments].
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, the group dynamic is not always best when the nature of the group is to cultivate a false witness against their neighbor just because the tide of public opinion turned to favor those who bore the false witness. Those folks before the flood did not think they would get paid back, even the folks in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25, KJV) did not think they would get paid back, in fact, most folks when they consciously decide to cultivate a false witness against their neighbor do not expect to get paid back, for the act of bearing the false witness in a group with others is just too delicious to taste not even if the false witness is forbidden fruit, the weakness of the group dynamics must taste, but the time will come when they just might wish they had not cast their lot in with the group to bear the false witness against their neighbor. Apostle Paul did not fair so well under the group influence (conspiracy) of bearing false witness, “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.” (The Acts 23:12-13, KJV [A conspiracy against him]). And the words of the conspirators was heard by the chief captain for a young man told the chief captain, “But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.” (The Acts 23:21, KJV). The chief captain sent for Paul, “And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.” (The Acts 23:23-24, KJV).
The chief captain, the man with the power and authority to send such an entourage of centurions, soldiers, horsemen, spearmen and beasts to go get Apostle Paul and safely bring him back to him, wrote to the Governor: “Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting….And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.” (The Acts 23:26, 30, KJV). You would think that once was enough, to hear of such bearings of false
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witness against a man of God, but do not forget about our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, how the false witnesses band together for his death. The Jews did not accept the resurrection of Jesus and wanted Apostle Paul to die for the hope of the promise of eternal life (The Acts 26:6-7, KJV). However, dreadful a weight the hope of promise to the fathers pressed on Apostle Paul’s heart, his heart ached for his own behavior for he, too, beared false witness against his neighbor, for he testified in his defense before Agrippa:
“Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities…” (The Acts 26: 8-11, 12, KJV)
Most importantly, I am sure----those of a repentant heart say, I know there was a time that I, too, in a group beared false witness against my neighbor whom I knew was innocent but I strongly felt the fear of the group pressing down on me and forgot the power of my God to rescue those of a repentant heart out of a dark place. I gave in to the group and let an innocent believer---true believer of the faith of Christ Jesus, die, simply because I not only stood against my neighbor but I was standing against Jesus---the resurrection of Jesus, the spirit of Jesus, or angels, as so say the Sadducees (The Acts 23: 5-9, KJV). Apostle Paul, a Pharisee, answered his accusers, “…I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.” (The Acts 23:6, KJV). You see, it was not that Saul named after king Saul struck down on the road to Damascus, blinded by Christ Jesus, was a murderer, who beared false witness against the Jews that caused him to come under attack for his own death---it was his belief in the resurrection, his belief in the hope and promise of the fathers---of eternal life, that landed him in the gallows facing death, so say we---those in the group of forty, who conspired to kill him.
In closing, “a faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies” (Proverbs 14:5, KJV). A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful speaketh lies” (Proverbs 14:25, KJV). Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be
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an unrighteous witness (Exodus 23:1, KJV). There are times when called on the carpet (judgment seat: woman and serpent Genesis 3:15, KJV; seed of Abraham-all the nations of the earth Genesis 22:18, KJV; Genesis 26:4, KJV; scepter shall not depart from Judah Genesis 49:10, KJV; raise up a Prophet from among thy brethren, Deuteronomy 18:15, KJV;…we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, John 1:45, KJV; God made David a house and set up his seed after him, establish his kingdom, and establish the throne of his kingdom, II Samuel 7: 11-13, KJV; the Lord hath sworn in truth unto David…Of the fruit of thy body…I will set upon thy throne, Psalm 132:11, KJV; …shall call his name Immanuel, Isaiah 7:14, KJV; For unto us a child is born ,,,his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6, KJV; the Lord GOD will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before him, Isaiah 40:10, KJV; … I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. …THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jeremiah 23:5-6, KJV; I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah…will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David…he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land…Judah shall be saved…Jerusalem shall dwell safely and be called The Lord our righteousness, Jeremiah 33:14-16, KJV;… I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd, Ezekiel 34:23, KJV; and David my servant shall be king over them;…one shepherd: they shall walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Ezekiel 37:24, KJV; Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy, Daniel 9:24, KJV [ …we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, The Acts 13:32, KJV; Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, Romans 15:8, KJV; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13, KJV]) that the just and unjust wonder why they were accused of one sin and guilty of another sin, for a thief was condemned but the only sin truly in question was cheating on his wife. For Jesus said:
“But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at
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any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:36-47, KJV)
The gospel readings of Christ Jesus. So say all, Lord have mercy. In the Name of Jesus Amen.
