The 8th Commandment:

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Chain the Catechism: A topical study through the Lutheran confessions

Eph 4:25 Each of you…Prov 11:13 A gossip…Mt 18:15 If your brother…

Prov 31:8-9 Speak up… 1 Cor 13:7 Love always…

Memorization Verses:

BS

I haven’t been honest….

The truth is…

True Lies

ELH 420/LSB#376 (Once in Royal David’s City Tune)CE|F.ffefg|GFFA|C.aagfe|F-1 We are called by one vocation,Members of one family,Heirs through Christ of one

salvation,Let us live in harmony;Nor by strife embitter life,Journ’ing to eternity.2 In a land where all are strangers,And our sojourning so short,In the midst of common dangersConcord is our best support;Heart with heart divides the smart,Lightens grief of ev'ry sort.3 Let us shun all vain contentionTouching words and outward things,

Whence, alas! so much dissensionAnd such bitter rancor springs;Troubles cease, where Christ brings

peaceAnd sweet healing on His wings.4 Judge not hastily of others,But thine own salvation mind;Nor be mindful of thy brother's, To thine own offenses blind;God alone discerns thine own,And the hearts of all mankind.5 Let it be our chief endeavorThat we may the Lord obey,Then shall envy cease foreverAnd all hate be done away;Free from strife shall be his lifeWho serves God both night and

day!

8th Commandment

Discussion Quote

Notice how relatively flexible this commandment is. Its fulcrum is the word “against.” If you are quite sure of somebody’s innocence and you shade the truth a little in the witness-box, you are no doubt technically guilty of perjury and may be privately troubled. But if you consciously lie in order to indict someone who is not guilty, you have done something irretrievably foul.

Discussion QuoteOver and above our own body, spouse, and temporal possessions, we

have yet another treasure, namely, honor and good report [the illustrious testimony of an upright and unsullied name and reputation], with which we cannot dispense. For it is intolerable to live among men in open shame and general contempt. Therefore God wishes the reputation, good name, and upright character of our neighbor to be taken away or diminished as little as his money and possessions, that every one may stand in his integrity before wife, children, servants, and neighbors. And in the first place, we take the plainest meaning of this commandment according to the words (Thou shalt not bear false witness), as pertaining to the public courts of justice, where a poor innocent man is accused and oppressed by false witnesses in order to be punished in his body, property, or honor.

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The text itself speaks only of perjury, and the versions all follow this interpretation: LXX: yeudomarturh&seij; Vulgate: loqueres falsum testimonium; Luther: falsches Zeugnis. Other passages of 12

Scripture, however, justify the broadening of the application of the commandment from those who speak false words to include those who speak with a false spirit (gossip etc).

“Neighbor” is not necessarily limited to Israelites (TDOT, XII, p 526).

There is no essential difference between the two words for falseness.

8th Commandment: ContextWithin the Decalogue

Continued the context of stealing, making a connection between theft of possessions with theft of truth, good character, and honor.

Precedes the nature of the mind behind theft and lies: that of envy and unnatural desires

Within Israelite Culture Fair trials, including the use of eye-witness

testimony and cross-examination. Used to protect women against hateful and

lying husbands (Mostly economic)Within the NT

How am I to treat my neighbor with my speech?

Idle words are account

8th Commandment: ContextWithin the OT Church:

Protection against false prophets, who were disenfranchised, exiled, or even killed for their deceits

Offering right sacrifices before the Lord in the form of freewill offerings.

Within the NT Church:Protection against false teachers, who

claim false christs in the form of heretical doctrine

Protection against the burden of the Law on the Christian community

8th Commandment: ApplicationLaw

Love as a languageGospel

Christ as the TruthChrist as the victim of the 8th

commandment Christ as the victor over false

witnessThe Spirit as the enabler of right

speech and conductThe Trinity in preserving truth until

Heaven

Questions:What is for bidden?What is required?

Teams:SS: Forbidden LiesM: Forbidden Betrayal T: Forbidden SlanderW: Required Defense and

PraiseTh: Required Best

Construction

The Eighth CommandmentYou shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.What does this mean?We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

SS

M-T

W-Th

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Next Week…