False Witness

I am taking a Biblical Ethics class at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary this semester.  We are in the middle of a discussion on the 10 Commandments.  I was a part of a group that dealt with what is commonly known as the 9th Commandment: “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 5:20 HCSB).

This has commonly been brought across as the commandment that says: “Don’t lie.”  While the thought is definitely there, the original context was dealing with how one speaks about another person especially in the context of legal matters.  The issue of telling the truth can be found at the heart of this commandment.  For Christians, truth-telling is important because we are those that are followers of the Truth.

In preparing for class discussion on this commandment, I read Doing Right: Practicing Ethical Principles by David Gill.  When Gill addressed this commandment, he grouped some modern-day areas together that seem to break this commandment. These areas are advertising, politics and evangelism. While advertising and politics are easy to see where people “stretch the truth” if not outright lie about things, the area of evangelism took me by surprise.

How do we as Christians do evangelism?  Do we “stretch the truth”?  Do we share the whole story?  Are we as willing to tell people about the cost of coming to Christ (Luke 14:25-27) or just the “good parts” (forgiveness of sin, heaven, etc)?

Something to think about… What’s your thoughts?