The 9th commandment

Thomas Watson wrote this;


The Ten Commandments 13. The Ninth Commandment

By Thomas Watson


Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16.

THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other is clearly implied.

I. The prohibitory part of the commandment, or, what it forbids in general. It forbids anything which may tend to the disparagement or prejudice of our neighbour. More particularly, two things are forbidden in this commandment.

[1] Slandering our neighbour. This is a sin against the ninth commandment.


The scorpion carries his poison in his tail, the slanderer carries his poison in his tongue. Slandering is to report things of others unjustly.'


They laid to my charge things that I knew not.' Psa 35: 11.

It is usual to bring in a Christian beheaded of his good name. They raised for a slander of Paul, that he preached Men might do evil that good might come of it.' We be slanderously reported; and some affirm that we say, "Let us do evil, that good may come".' Rom 3: 8.

Eminence is commonly blasted by slander. Holiness itself is no shield from slander. The lamb's innocence will not preserve it from the wolf.


Christ, the most innocent upon earth, was reported to be a friend of sinners. John the Baptist was a man of a holy and austere life, and yet they said of him, He has a devil.' Matt 11: 18. The Scripture calls slandering, smiting with the tongue. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue.' Jer 18: 18. You may smite another and never touch him.

As it is a sin against this commandment to raise a false report of another, so it is to receive a false report before we have examined it. Lord, who shall dwell in thy holy hill?' Psa 15: 1.He that backbiteth not, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour;' ver.

3. We must not only not raise a false report, but not take it up. He that raises a slander, carries the devil in his tongue; and he that receives it, carries the devil in his car.

[2] The second thing forbidden in this commandment is false witness. Here three sins are condemned: (1) Speaking. (2) Witnessing. (3) Swearing that which is false, contra proximum [against your neighbour].

(1) Speaking that which is false. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord.' Prov 12: 22. To lie is to speak that which one knows to be an untruth. There is nothing more contrary to God than a lie. The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Truth.' 1 John 4: 6. Lying is a sin that does not go alone; it ushers in other sins.
Where there is a lie in the tongue, the devil is in the heart. Why has Satan filled thine heart to lie?' Acts 5: 3.

Lying is a sin that unfits men for civil society. How can you converse or bargain with a man when you cannot trust a word he says? This sin highly provokes God.


Ananias and Sapphire were struck dead for telling a lie. Acts 5: 5. The furnace of hell is heated for liars. Without are sorcerers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.' Rev 22: 15.

' The character of a man that shall go to heaven, is that He speaketh the truth in his heart.' Psa 15: 2.



(2) That which is condemned in the commandment is, witnessing that which is false. Thou shalt not bear false witness.' There is a twofold bearing false witness: 1. There is bearing false witness for another. 2. Bearing false witness against another.

Bearing false witness for another; as when we give our testimony for a person who is criminal and guilty, and we justify him as if he were innocent. Which justify the wicked for reward.' Isa 5: 23. He that seeks to make a wicked man just, makes himself unjust.

It is bearing false witness against another, when we accuse him in open court falsely. This is to imitate the devil, who is the accuser of the brethren.' Though the devil is no adulterer, yet he is a false witness.

Have you ever known such a person to exist among any church you were in?

How did you deal with this sin?

 

Members are also to take an active part in not receiving the false report. This would cut down on this sin,

 

In a sermon on this, the pastor offered that when a person comes with such claims that we should be vigilant to ask, some clarifying questions. Such as; did you hear them say it firsthand? Is this exactly what they said? or did you hear this second hand?
Sometimes a person might not start out wanting to be a liar, but they take it upon themselves to speak for the other person and say things that person would not say or believe. This turns out to be such a lie as to undermine the person's character and it becomes exceedingly wicked.

 

"Alan Gross,

Yes, good idea! If this kind of response happens on a consistent basis, the incidence of such sin will be curtailed over time.

This protects the person involved. If they are guilty the facts will become manifest.

Dealt with openly and honestly.
Proverbs 27:5
Open rebuke is better than secret love.