|
Post by rockergirl on Apr 8, 2008 19:04:05 GMT -5
For those of you who have heard of "the way of the master" ministry carried out by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort it is a very good and effective ministry.
Those of you who are familiar with this ministry will know they ask people in the street certain questions pertaining to the "Ten Commandments" to show them they are a sinner and in need of Gods forgiveness.
One of the commandments used in this street evangelism is the ninth commandment which is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Exodus 20 v 16.However Ray and Kirk say have you ever lied using the updated translation which is "Thou shall not lie".
Thou shall not lie and Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor are in fact two completely different things.They are both to do with lies yes however the original "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor is a specific sin not just about telling lies.
Before you say hang on bearing false witness against your neighbor is the same as just telling a plain lie. The key here is that to bear false witness against a neighbor is a whole different ball park than just telling your mom you have not seen the missing chocolate bar from the fridge when you were the one that took it.What God is talking about here is something far more serious than a little fib and more to do with something that can condemn another person.
To lie indeed is still a sin but not exactly what God was referring to when he wrote the ninth commandment so therefore should not be used in this context in bible translations and or ministries such as the way of the master because it takes away from it's proper meaning and context .
|
|
|
Post by ironguardian on Apr 8, 2008 22:22:50 GMT -5
I agree that they are totally different in meaning, although connected. To bear false witness, you have to be either motivated by malice or greed, while a 'simple' lie can be nothing more than self-preservation.
While I hold the view that all sins are of equal magnitude in God's eyes, that doesn't mean that the earlthy consequences are the same. Most of the Laws in the OT were layed down as protection of somesort, to keep us out of trouble and misfortune. Telling a lie may get you a beating, but lying in court will end you up in jail, or even executed (depending what time you lived in).
As for how useful it is in ministry though, I'm not too sure, although my initial thoughts are that "thous shalt not lie" sounds VERY restrictive, and could easily spill over into things like acting and playing games, if taken to the extreme. While the more specific form of lying has more consequences, and reveals God's justice.
|
|