11/26/17
– Eph 6:2-3, The Ten Commandments, Pt 30,
The 9th Commandments, Pt. 4, Lesson # 17-127
Grace Fellowship
Church
Pastor/Teacher,
Jim Rickard
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ, (If You have - Trusted in Him for Eternal Life), it is important to
prepare yourself to: Take-in God’s Word and/or Participate in a Communion
Service, so take a moment to name, cite, or acknowledge your sins privately,
directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with
God the Father & the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry will then be able to
teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher.
1 John 1:9
says— “If we confess [simply name, cite, or acknowledge to God the
Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins [known sins] and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness [all unknown & forgotten sins].”
For
those of you who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior,
please see: The Salvation Message @
the end of this document.
2 Pet 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness,
but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all
to come to repentance.”
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The Doctrine of the Ten Commandments Related to the Church Age,
Part XXX.
Mat 5:11; 12:34; 15:19-20;
19:16-22; 26:59; John 8:44; Jer 17:9; Rom 1:25; Col 3:9
The
9th Commandment, (continued).
Ex
20:16; Deut 5:20, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
New Testament Usage:
The Greek verb for “bearing
false witness” is PSEUDOMARTUREO,
ψευδομαρτυρέω that means, “bear
false witness, or give false evidence or testimony,” which is equivalent with
the Hebrew ED SHEQER or SHAW ANAH, as it is used in the LXX of Ex 20:16 and Deut 5:20, for this Commandment. It is a compound word from
PSEUDOMAI that means to, “lie or deceive,” and
MARTUREO that means, “bear witness, be a witness, or testify.” Our word “martyr”
comes from MARTUREO. Combined, it generally means, “to be a false witness,” or
to “bear false witness,” usually in a legal context. Thus, it could be
translated “to perjure.”
The emphasis of PSEUDOMARTUREO is on the act of deception or
distortion. It is not contested that the one testifying is a “witness,” rather
he is a “false” witness, because he is incorrect in his assertions.
Whether he testifies as a MARTUS
or a PSEUDOMARTUS, depends on
whether or not he tells the truth.
The Noun cognate is PSEUDOMATURIA, ψευδομαρτυρία that means,
“false witness or false testimony.” In classical literature, this term appears
primarily in legal contexts and is translated “perjury” or “false witness.” It
is used only in Mat 15:19 and Mat 26:59 that we will note below.
The first time this commandment is mentioned in the NT is in the
story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mat
19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-25, who wanted to know how to gain
eternal life, which we have noted in the previous Commandments as the 7th
adultery, the 6th murder, the 8th stealing, and the 5th
Commandment, honoring your father and mother, are all mentioned by Jesus along
with the 9th, “Do not bear
false witness,” in this discussion.
As we know from Scripture, salvation never was, is, or will be based
on keeping the commandments or doing good deeds, but is based on faith alone in
Jesus Christ alone, Eph 2:8-9; Acts
8:37; 16:31; 19:34. It is not even based on “loving your neighbor,” Mat 19:19, as commanded under the Mosaic
Law, Lev 19:18, that is also
applicable to all believers in the Church Age, Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14; James 2:8.
This Commandment is also used in some Greek manuscripts of Rom 13:9, (yet most do not have it and
is therefore not translated in the NASB). Here, in Paul’s discourse on civil
obedience for the Church Age, he mentions several of the Commandments
including, the 7th, “You
shall not commit adultery,” the 6th, “you shall not murder,” the 8th, “you shall not steal,” and the 10th, “you shall not covet.” The manuscripts
that include it place it after “you
shall not steal.” Paul then states that “if you love your neighbor as yourself,” cf. Lev 19:18, the whole
law is summed up in your life, as also noted in vs. 8b. He justifies this statement in vs. 10, by stating, “Love
does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the
law.”
Other Scriptures that use the verb PSUEDOMATUREO included Mark 14:56-57, and there are others
that use the Noun PSEUDOMATURIA, which includes, Mat 15:19; Mat 26:59.
In Mat 15:19, the noun
is used as one of the evil emanations of the human heart that defile an
individual.
Mat 15:19-20, “For
out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile the
man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
The “evil thoughts” Jesus referred to here are not the only ones
that can be present in the heart of individuals, as He gave only a few examples
based upon the Ten Commandments. The general nature of these examples is also
apparent in the use of the plural in this listing. Cf. Eccl 8:11; Jer 17:9; cf. Mat 12:34.
Jer 17:9, “The
heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can
understand it?”
Jesus was emphasizing two truths. One was the importance of the
thought life. Before any of these sinful deeds are committed, they are
conceived and planned in the mind. Second, in contrast to the teaching of the
Pharisees, which emphasized external religion, Jesus showed that it is the
internal condition of a man’s heart which is most important. Decent people will
not eat with hands that are soiled. Jesus was not condoning filthiness;
however, a dirty heart is far, far worse than eating with dirty hands.
Jesus implied that the heart is where the cleansing must be
applied. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse the heart as it is applied by the
Spirit when one first believes in Jesus Christ as their savior, Heb 9:22-28; 2 Peter 1:9, and after
salvation, if he confesses his sins and walks in the light, 1 John 1:7, 9, by means of the Filling
of the Holy Spirit, Eph 5:8b-9, 11, 15,
18.
In Mark 14:56-57, the
verb is used and in Mat 26:59 the
noun is used to continue the legal sense of false testimony. In both cases, we
see those who desired to have Jesus executed, so they purposefully sought out
false testimony that could be used to build a case against Him. In Mark 14:56-57, we see those that gave
false testimony against Him.
Mat 26:59, “Now
the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony
against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death.”
Mark 14:56-57, “For
many were giving false testimony against Him, and yet their testimony
was not consistent. 57And some stood up and began to give
false testimony against Him.”
Here the high priest and the Council, seeking to find sufficient
reason to execute Jesus, brought many who gave false testimony about Him. The
result was not the accumulation of overwhelming evidence but the confusion of
many lies.
The hypocrisy of these Pharisees was that they applied the Law
when convenient to meet their desired results, (e.g., trying to find two or
more witnesses, Num 35:30; Deut 17:6;
19:15), but ignored other parts that were not expeditious.
Yet, even outside the court room, “lying,” PSEUDOMAI, is forbidden
by the Word when comparing Mat 5:11;
Acts 5:3-4; Rom 9:1; Col 3:9; Heb 6:18; James 3:14; 1 John 1:6; Rev 3:9.
Col 3:9, “Do
not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil
practices.”
1 John 1:6, “If
we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we
lie and do not practice the truth.”
Rev 3:9, “Behold,
I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are
Jews, and are not, but lie-- behold, I will make them to come and bow down at
your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
Mat 5:11, “Blessed
are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all
kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.”
Having slanderous accusations or lies towards our fellow man are
also prohibited in Titus 3:1-2; James
4:11; 1 Peter 2:1, cf. Ex 23:1; Prov
10:18; 12:17; 19:9; 24:28.
Titus
3:1-2, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to
be ready for every good deed, 2to malign no one, to be
peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”
James 4:11,”Do
not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother,
speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are
not a doer of the law but a judge of it.”
1 Peter 2:1, “Therefore,
putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy
and all slander.”
Lying is not just in our words, but can also be in our actions.
Acts 5:3-4, “But
Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy
Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land’.”
Paul used PSEUDOMAI to prove he was telling the truth in his
witness and letters, and not lying, 2 Cor
11:31; Gal 1:20; 1 Tim 2:7.
Telling the truth demonstrates the God-like or Christ-like nature
we are to adorn here on earth.
Heb
6:18, “In order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible
for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for
refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.”
Titus
1:1-2, “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the
faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according
to godliness, 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot
lie, promised long ages ago.”
Yet, the one who lies is of his father the devil and practices
lying, PSEUDOS, “lie, lies, falsehood, or lying,” John 8:44; Rom 1:25; Eph 4:25; 2 Thes 2:9, 11; 1 John 2:27; Rev 14:5;
21:27; 22:15.
John 8:44, “You
are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your
father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own nature; for he is a liar (PSEUSTES), and the father of it, (lies).”
The Antichrist to come follows in Satan’s footsteps.
2 Thes 2:9-12, “That is, the one whose coming is in accord
with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10and
with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they
did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11And for
this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might
believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged
who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
For those who follow the lies of Satan
and His cosmic system, and reject salvation in Jesus Christ, they will remain
in their lies and deceptions, and not be given entrance to the eternal kingdom
of God.
Rom 1:25, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen.”
Rev 21:27, “And
nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall
ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life.”
Rev 22:15, “Outside
are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and
the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”
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A
PERSONAL NOTE FOR YOU
John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who
believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.”
Notice again what John
6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have;” it says,
“has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of
everlasting life, you have it, and it can never be lost or taken away from you [John 10:28-29]. Furthermore, the gift
of everlasting life [also called eternal life in Scripture] is available to
every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-18
says: “And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.”
Eph 2:8-9, “For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God: 9 Not of
works, lest any man should boast.”
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell
you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you.
God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son
for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place.
Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our
sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held
against us.
Right
where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in
your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly
believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day
as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and
reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:
"Yes
Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ,
died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."
If you have done that, I Welcome You to the Eternal
Family of God !!!
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Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Copyright © 2001 - 2017.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
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