Jesus and the ten commandments: do not bear false witness.

Do not bear false witness…what does this word actually mean? Who among us never stretches the truth; never avoids upsetting someone unnecessarily with a casual truth-omission, or holds back our honest thoughts and feelings for all the right reasons?

In its original context, the ninth commandment was a prohibition against a false word that could cost someone their life, but (just like the rest of the them!) it speaks a truer word about being a people who bear true witness. It's about community, justice, allegiance to the God of truth, and building relational fabric of trust and honesty. To gospel-writer John, truth was never presented as a principle or standard—it is a person. Jesus is Truth. He has given us the Spirit of Truth. And those who follow Him are called to speak, live, and embody truth in love. This truth-telling is not about perfection, but participation: in the unity of Christ’s body, in the slow, patient work of sanctification, and in resisting the all the language of the deceiver.

By Hannah Flint