Briefly stated, this means that we should fear and
love God that we may not deceitfully misrepresent, betray, slander, or hurt the
reputation of our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best
construction on everything.
Besides our body, our spouse, and our
temporal possessions, we have yet another treasure, our good name and
reputation. A respected name and good reputation are of great value, for most
men cannot bear to live among others in sin, open shame, and contempt.
Therefore, by this commandment, God protects our good name and reputation. We
are not to undermine the good name of our neighbor, harm his reputation, or
cast doubt on his character or integrity. The primary application of this
commandment is, as the words imply, in the courts of justice. We are not to
falsely accuse or bear witness against anyone.
To most people the possibility of being
called upon to testify in court seems remote and of little concern. However,
our sinful nature being what it is, whenever men see a chance to gain by lies
and deception some will try to do so. To such men, lying under oath is just
another way of convincing people that they are telling the truth. When such
lies are told the poor often cannot afford to defend themselves, and the
innocent, both rich and poor, suffer. This situation would not be so tragic if
godly men presided in the halls of justice, however, that is rarely the case.
Above all else, the Bible requires a judge to be a godly man. He must
also be wise, modest, brave and bold. A witness must likewise be a fearless and
godly person. For a person who is to speak the truth, judge all matters
rightly, and carry them through with his decision will often offend good
friends, relatives, neighbors, and the rich and powerful, who may greatly
injure him. Therefore he must be quite blind, have his eyes and ears closed,
neither see nor hear, but go straight forward in everything that comes before
him, and decide accordingly.
Therefore, this commandment is given to protect our rights. It calls upon
us to help our neighbor to secure and protect what is rightfully his. We should
not allow justice to be twisted and perverted by technicalities. All who are
involved, judge, jury, and witnesses have a responsibility to deal honestly and
uprightly with every case. We are to allow right to remain right, and should
never portray wrong as right. Woe unto those who call black white and white black!
We are not to gloss over the truth, keep silent about certain facts, or pervert
justice because of a person's status, race, or wealth. Thus, this commandment
applies to all that takes place in court.
However, this commandment has a spiritual application that extends far
beyond its use in court. In some way, everyone bears false witness against his
neighbor. One common occurrence of such false witness is seen whenever godly
preachers and believers are ill spoken of, slandered, and falsely called hypocrites,
heretics, or apostates. It is also seen whenever falsehood is presented as
truth, whenever men call their own ideas and private interpretations the Word
of God, and whenever the Word of God condemned, contradicted, and denounced.
Such hostility to the truth is to be expected, for the way of this world is to
condemn and persecute the truth and the children of God.
This commandment also forbids all sins of the tongue that might injure
our neighbor. False witness is, after all, a work of the tongue. God prohibits
every use of the tongue against a fellow man, whether it is false preachers
with their false doctrine and deceit in God's name, or false judges and
witnesses with their unrighteous verdicts, or just plain everyday evil talk and
lying. Included here is the vice of slander, cutting someone down behind his
back. The devil spurs people on in such behavior, and it is an evil plague.
People much prefer to hear bad things about their neighbor than good, but they
would be outraged if they caught someone speaking in the same way about them.
We want the world to speak of us in glowing terms, but would resent it if they
spoke of our neighbor in such terms.
In order to avoid this vice, we should make it clear that no one who is
not in a position of authority is allowed to publicly accuse and reprove his
neighbor. If you think that you see your neighbor sin, do not assume that you
have all the facts relating to the situation, it is easy to misinterpret
someone's actions. If you are convinced that wrong has been done, either go to
the authorities or discuss it with your neighbor privately. Even if your
neighbor has done wrong, you have no business proclaiming it to all the world or stirring up trouble behind his back. You
are not the judge and jury, therefore, until you are appointed judge, either
keep what you know to yourself or go through the proper channels.
Back biters are not content with knowing of an offence, but assume an air
of authority, proceed to publish the fact, and denounce the guilty party as if
they were judge, jury, and executioner. They are delighted and tickled that
they can drag their neighbor down and stir up trouble for him. They enjoy
digging up dirt the way a pig enjoys rolling in the mud or rooting through it
with his snout. Such people are attempting to usurp the role of God by
pronouncing the sentence and prescribing a most severe punishment. Although
they do not have the right or authority to carry out that verdict, they employ
their poisonous tongue to shame and hurt their neighbor.
This is my question to those who think that they have the right to
publish every fault of their neighbor. If you are so sure of yourself, why
don't you contact the authorities? Why don't you go through the proper
channels? Is it because you are not certain that you are right? Is it because
you are afraid that you will be rebuked and embarrassed? Is it because you
cannot prove your accusations? Well then, as long as you cannot prove it, and
are unwilling to go through the proper channels, you ought to keep your mouth
shut. If you cannot prove it, how do we know that you are not a liar? A man
should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty. We do not have the right to
deprive anyone of their honor and good name until they are properly convicted.
Therefore, this commandment forbids a witness that does not rest upon
sufficient evidence. We should never jump to conclusions about our neighbor, or
declare our own assumptions about his behavior as the truth. Do not accuse
anyone until you honestly know what you are talking about. Even then, go
through proper channels and let the authorities decide the matter. Until this
has been done, either keep the matter to yourself or discuss it privately with
the party in question. If you encounter a person who speaks ill of another,
rebuke him to his face so that he will hold his tongue. He has no business
slandering someone, or speaking before all the facts are known. Once a good
name has been destroyed, it is not easily restored.
While this commandment forbids us to speak evil of our neighbor, it
should never be interpreted in a way that would allow evil to go unpunished.
Those in authority, rulers, preachers, and parents, are allowed to publicly
expose and condemn evildoers when it is done in the line of duty. We are
forbidden to kill, yet the executioner, who by virtue of his office does his
neighbor only evil and harm, does not thereby sin against God's commandment. He
is blameless because God has instituted the office of executioner as an instrument
of His wrath. While the Bible condemns immodesty, a doctor must sometimes be
allowed to examine the private parts of the patient whom he is to cure.
Likewise, while we, as individuals, do not have the right to judge and condemn
anyone, if they whose office it is to judge and condemn fail to do so, they
sin. In that situation, necessity requires one to speak of the evil, to prefer
charges, to investigate and testify. In the same manner, father and mother,
brother and sister, and other good friends are under obligation to each other
to reprove evil wherever it is needful and profitable.
In dealing with actual offences, the best procedure to follow is that
given in Matthew 18:15, where Christ says, "If thy brother shall trespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone."
This is excellent instruction for governing the tongue and preventing its
misuse. Therefore, let this be your rule, do not too readily spread evil
concerning your neighbor, or slander him to others, but admonish him privately
that he may amend his life. Likewise, if some one tells you what someone else
has done, teach him to go to that person and discuss it privately or else hold
his tongue.
This approach to dealing with people is only common sense. When a supervisor
at a place of business sees an employee who is loafing and not doing what he
should, he admonishes that employee personally. Could you imagine what would
happen if that same supervisor allowed that employee to continue loafing while
he went out and complained about him to people on the street? He would no doubt
be told, "You fool, what does that concern us? Why do you not tell it to
him?" They would be fully justified in rebuking such a supervisor in that
way. That is the only way the wicked behavior could be stopped. In Matthew 18
Christ also said, "If he hear thee, you have
gained thy brother." What a great and excellent work! It is no little
matter to gain a brother. Let all monks and holy orders step forth with all
their works melted together into one mass, and see if they can boast that they
have gained a brother.
Further, Christ teaches, "But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established." So we are always to deal with the
offending party personally instead of talking about them behind their back.
However, if you still cannot get anywhere, bring it publicly before the
community. Depending upon circumstances, this could be either the civil or the
congregational authorities. Once this is done you no longer stand alone, but
have with you the witnesses needed to convict the guilty party. On the
testimony of those witnesses, the judge can pronounce sentence and prescribe
punishment. This is the right course to follow in dealing with, and reforming,
a wicked person. But if we gossip about him and dig up dirt, no good will come
of it. Worse yet, if you gossip and slander, then afterwards, when called upon
to bear witness, admit that you did not know what you were talking about, you
would deserve to be severely punished as a warning to others. If you were
acting for your neighbor's reformation or from love of the truth, you would not
sneak about secretly, but would instead deal with the problem in a godly way.
All this has been said regarding secret sins. However, when the sin is
already public knowledge, so that the judge and everyone else knows of it, there is no need for you to deal with the
offending party privately. He has brought himself into disgrace, and you may
publicly testify concerning him. When a matter is public, there can be no
slandering, or judging and testifying falsely. That is why we are now free to
reprove the Pope. His false doctrine is public knowledge,
it is publicly set forth in books and proclaimed throughout the world. Where
the sin is public, the reproof also must be public, so everyone may learn to
guard against it.
In summary, this commandment forbids us to harm our neighbor with our
tongue. If what is spoken is not in accord with the instruction of God's Word,
(for his reformation) it does not matter if he is friend or foe, or if what is
said is true or false. We are not to undermine our neighbor's reputation or air
all of his faults. Instead, we are to speak of our neighbor in the same way we
would have him speak of us, for Christ has said, (Matthew 7:12),
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to
them."
Our own nature illustrates this truth, for as the Apostle Paul says,
"Much more, those members of the body which seem to be more
feeble are necessary; and those members of the body which we think to be
less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely
parts have more abundant comeliness." (1 Corinthians 12:22) We have no
need to cover our face; eyes, nose, and mouth; for as our most honorable
members, they do not require it. However, we cover those members of which we
are ashamed. Likewise, we cover the blemishes and infirmities we find in our
neighbor. In this way we serve him and help him. Unless what our neighbor has
done is notoriously evil, it is a virtue for us to put the best construction on
all we hear. There are enough poison tongues busy trying to put the worst
construction on things. This is especially true of any fault found with a
preacher, or anything by which the gospel might be put in a bad light or
discredited.
Therefore, this commandment comprehends a multitude of good works, all of
which are acceptable to God. Yet the blind world, with all of its false saints,
fails to recognize them. For in temporal matters, the tongue is feeble, yet
capable of both great good and great evil.
[The above is based upon, and
closely follows, Martin Luther's explanation of the Eighth Commandment]