“You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:16 (BSB)
“Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” – Proverbs 12:22 (BSB)
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” – Ephesians 4:25 (BSB)
“With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!” – James 3:9–10 (BSB)
This commandment also defends the dignity and reputation of others. Fr. James Kellett (Anglican Union, St. Michael’s, PA) says, “We break this command not only when we speak falsely, but when we withhold truth that would protect our neighbor’s name. Silence can also bear false witness.” (Teaching on the Ten Commandments, 2022)
In our digital age, this command is especially relevant. Social media gives the power to spread falsehood widely and quickly. Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail (GAFCON, Diocese of Kadugli, Sudan) exhorts, “Christians must resist the temptation to share unverified accusations or inflammatory words. To love our neighbor is to guard their name as we would our own.” (GAFCON Pastoral Appeal, 2021)
Anglican teaching insists on the inseparable link between truth and love. Canon George Grant (ACNA, Parish Presbyterian Church, TN) reminds us, “Truth without love becomes cruelty. But love without truth becomes deception. The Ninth Commandment calls us to both.” (Recovering Anglican Piety, 2019)
Fr. Caleb Evans (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Stephen’s Mission, GA) reflects, “The Christian tongue is not ours to wield for harm. It is given for blessing, prayer, and proclamation. Falsehood defiles it; truth sanctifies it.” (Catechesis and Character, 2020)
“To bear false witness is to murder with the mouth. Let us not be accusers of our brethren but defenders of their peace.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew, c. 390 AD
“He who guards his tongue keeps his soul. Let the Christian’s word be a bond of trust, not a dagger of deceit.” – Basil the Great, Moral Exhortations, c. 375 AD
“The truth is not only to be believed, but spoken. To lie is to give Satan a foothold. To speak truth is to walk in the light.” – Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, c. 180 AD
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
