Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Putting away all falsehood, pretense and hypocrisy and speaking truth honestly with others is required because believers belong to one another as one body, one church and one family in Christ. This belongs to having learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus, putting off the old life corrupted by deceitful desires, being renewed in mind, and putting on the new life created in righteousness and true holiness. It stands together with anger without sin, giving no place to the devil, honest work to help the needy, speech that only builds up and gives grace, not grieving the Holy Spirit, and replacing bitterness, wrath, shouting, slander and malice with kind, tenderhearted forgiveness. It is God's plain plan to keep unity in His church so members show a healthy faith to the world, by obedience to His commandments, oneness in Scripture, lives hid with Christ in God, and partaking of the divine nature having escaped corruption through lust. Because believers are joined to one another, their gifts and work are to blend in service rather than divide or follow separate ideas, and their friendships and labor together are to be open, sincere and faithful without secrecy, tale-bearing or speaking to harm.
Lying Put Away, Truth Spoken
Putting away lying and speaking truth with one's neighbor belongs to having learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus, putting off concerning the former conduct the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, and putting on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness. Those who have heard Christ and been taught the truth in Jesus must make that change from the old life corrupt through deceitful desires to the new life created by God, ending falsehood because all are joined as members one of another. Truthful speech reflects the shared bond of Christians as members of one another.
That putting on of the new stands together with being angry without sin, not giving place to the devil, laboring honestly in order to have to give to the needy, speaking only what edifies to minister grace and build others up, not grieving the Holy Spirit, and putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, slander and malice for kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness toward one another just as God forgave for Christ's sake. Truthfulness in love is the way to stop being like unstable children swept about by every false teaching and deceitful trickery and to mature fully into Christ as head, rejecting worthless talk and using only words that build up. Continuing in distrust, unrepentance, and being past feeling gives a person over to impurity and greed, leaves life separate from God with darkened understanding and blind heart, and lets the enemy work by and through church members so that God cannot work in the church.
Those who come to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth and claim to believe and teach the Word to others while working the works of unrighteousness have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God. To be clothed for that banquet is to have learned Christ in this putting off and putting on, and without it there is no wedding garment. Putting away lying includes putting away pretense and hypocrisy, for God looks on the heart and cannot be deceived. Truth-telling is not a license to injure people by hypocrisy, tale-bearing, or intent to harm.
Members One of Another
The reason given, for we are members one of another, means belonging to one body, one church, and one family embraced in Christ, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit. That membership calls for putting away falsehood and speaking truth with one another, because truthful speech serves the unity of the body rather than misleading others with personal ideas and opinions. Truthfulness in love is the way to stop being like unstable children swept about by every false teaching and deceitful trickery and to mature fully into Christ as head, rejecting bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, slander, malice and worthless talk and using only words that build others up, while being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving toward one another just as God forgave for Christ's sake. This truthfulness supports sincere, impartial friendships free of hypocrisy, in which believers love and respect one another with pure hearts and help and encourage one another. Their oneness is to be the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, loving one another as brethren as Christ has loved them.
The verse shows God's plain and simple plan to keep unity in His church in oneness and agreement so its members reveal to the unbelieving world a healthy religious experience. That unity is kept by obedience to the commandments of God and oneness in the faith of the Scriptures, being bound together as one in Christ Jesus with lives hid with Christ in God. Those who live it practice the golden rule, doing to others as they would have others do to them, and help one another recover from suffering such as the burden of debt. They cooperate with the great Master Worker as laborers together with God, appreciate God's great gift and use heaven's provision made at infinite cost to draw souls to obedience to the law of God. They become partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, and by consistent Christian lives of courtesy and unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy magnify the law of God and demonstrate that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. So they bear a living, abiding testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, which has a powerful influence on the unbelieving world.
Because believers belong to one another, their life and work should be joined rather than directed by one person acting alone. The chapter's teaching is to be practiced in life rather than replaced by personal ideas and opinions that mislead others. Different gifts and lines of service are to blend rather than divide, and believers are to work in harmony in managing God's work as a whole. Each person's received gift is to be used in service to others as a faithful steward of God's many-sided grace. Through that union of church members with Christ and with each other, the gospel's transforming power is spread.
Truthful Unity Lived Out
Putting away lying and speaking truth with one's neighbor creates friendships that are sincere, impartial, and free of hypocrisy, with love and respect from pure hearts, because those who believe belong to one another as members of one body. This is God's plain plan to keep the church in oneness and agreement so the unbelieving world sees a healthy religious experience, by obedience to the commandments of God and oneness in the faith of the Scriptures, with life hid with Christ in God and practice of the golden rule. All the children of God are embraced in Christ as members of one family, to have among themselves the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, loving one another as brethren as Christ has loved them. They are to help and encourage one another, and to help one another recover from suffering such as the burden of debt, so as to be a living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, speaking sincerely and dealing faithfully with fellow believers and with the world.
Those who labor together are to be open and truthful with one another rather than secretive or exclusive, setting aside separate interests for perfect confidence and frankness. When aggrieved, a person is to speak directly to the one concerned rather than confiding in others, since secrecy and indirect complaints weaken unity and wrong those who should be trusted. Parents and teachers likewise are to work together for the child's well-being, with the teacher's work supplementing rather than replacing the parents'. Truthfulness is a sacred trait to be kept in the heart and practiced even when tempted or afraid of punishment, trusting that the Lord will help one do right, so children are to speak the truth at all times.
God's ministers and workers must be closely united in love and confidence, pressing together heart close to heart and treating fellow workers as God's anointed chosen ones appointed to special work for the Master. They are to maintain godly watchfulness over themselves against any unsanctified influence that makes them suspicious of one another, refusing strife and alienation, whispering, slandering, evil speaking and backbiting, and being perfectly honest brother with brother. They are to cultivate love and respect for one another, manifesting courtesy and in honor preferring one another. In health institutions this same truthfulness is to be acted upon by refusing inspiration from those bitter against the truth who criticize and judge brethren, and instead respecting, loving, and esteeming brethren better than self as Christ loved, for the Lord looks on the heart and cannot be deceived. It is kept only by a minute-by-minute fight of faith in the wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, and unless it is practiced souls will be lost.
Putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors is part of doing all that enables believers to withstand in the evil day and to stand, belonging to one body, one church, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit. It is the duty of standing at the post on guard over self, lest the evil agencies warring against believers succeed in leading them to say and do what pleases the enemy, with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth. It calls for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, because many have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit, pointing to catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. Speaking truthfully to one's neighbor is part of loyalty to God's law, and obedience to that law brings life and blessing. The verse is a warning to be taken by every soul while Satan's seducing power increases to deceive if possible the very elect, calling for straight paths for the feet lest the weak be turned out of the way, for setting the churches in order and closing the door of unbelief while bearing aloft the third angel's message in faith and works.
Putting away all falsehood, pretense and hypocrisy and speaking truth honestly with others is required because believers belong to one another as one body, one church and one family in Christ. This belongs to having learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus, putting off the old life corrupted by deceitful desires, being renewed in mind, and putting on the new life created in righteousness and true holiness. It stands together with anger without sin, giving no place to the devil, honest work to help the needy, speech that only builds up and gives grace, not grieving the Holy Spirit, and replacing bitterness, wrath, shouting, slander and malice with kind, tenderhearted forgiveness. It is God's plain plan to keep unity in His church so members show a healthy faith to the world, by obedience to His commandments, oneness in Scripture, lives hid with Christ in God, and partaking of the divine nature having escaped corruption through lust. Because believers are joined to one another, their gifts and work are to blend in service rather than divide or follow separate ideas, and their friendships and labor together are to be open, sincere and faithful without secrecy, tale-bearing or speaking to harm.
Lying Put Away, Truth Spoken
Putting away lying and speaking truth with one's neighbor belongs to having learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus, putting off concerning the former conduct the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, and putting on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness. Those who have heard Christ and been taught the truth in Jesus must make that change from the old life corrupt through deceitful desires to the new life created by God, ending falsehood because all are joined as members one of another. Truthful speech reflects the shared bond of Christians as members of one another.
That putting on of the new stands together with being angry without sin, not giving place to the devil, laboring honestly in order to have to give to the needy, speaking only what edifies to minister grace and build others up, not grieving the Holy Spirit, and putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, slander and malice for kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness toward one another just as God forgave for Christ's sake. Truthfulness in love is the way to stop being like unstable children swept about by every false teaching and deceitful trickery and to mature fully into Christ as head, rejecting worthless talk and using only words that build up. Continuing in distrust, unrepentance, and being past feeling gives a person over to impurity and greed, leaves life separate from God with darkened understanding and blind heart, and lets the enemy work by and through church members so that God cannot work in the church.
Those who come to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth and claim to believe and teach the Word to others while working the works of unrighteousness have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God. To be clothed for that banquet is to have learned Christ in this putting off and putting on, and without it there is no wedding garment. Putting away lying includes putting away pretense and hypocrisy, for God looks on the heart and cannot be deceived. Truth-telling is not a license to injure people by hypocrisy, tale-bearing, or intent to harm.
Members One of Another
The reason given, for we are members one of another, means belonging to one body, one church, and one family embraced in Christ, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit. That membership calls for putting away falsehood and speaking truth with one another, because truthful speech serves the unity of the body rather than misleading others with personal ideas and opinions. Truthfulness in love is the way to stop being like unstable children swept about by every false teaching and deceitful trickery and to mature fully into Christ as head, rejecting bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, slander, malice and worthless talk and using only words that build others up, while being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving toward one another just as God forgave for Christ's sake. This truthfulness supports sincere, impartial friendships free of hypocrisy, in which believers love and respect one another with pure hearts and help and encourage one another. Their oneness is to be the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, loving one another as brethren as Christ has loved them.
The verse shows God's plain and simple plan to keep unity in His church in oneness and agreement so its members reveal to the unbelieving world a healthy religious experience. That unity is kept by obedience to the commandments of God and oneness in the faith of the Scriptures, being bound together as one in Christ Jesus with lives hid with Christ in God. Those who live it practice the golden rule, doing to others as they would have others do to them, and help one another recover from suffering such as the burden of debt. They cooperate with the great Master Worker as laborers together with God, appreciate God's great gift and use heaven's provision made at infinite cost to draw souls to obedience to the law of God. They become partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, and by consistent Christian lives of courtesy and unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy magnify the law of God and demonstrate that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. So they bear a living, abiding testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, which has a powerful influence on the unbelieving world.
Because believers belong to one another, their life and work should be joined rather than directed by one person acting alone. The chapter's teaching is to be practiced in life rather than replaced by personal ideas and opinions that mislead others. Different gifts and lines of service are to blend rather than divide, and believers are to work in harmony in managing God's work as a whole. Each person's received gift is to be used in service to others as a faithful steward of God's many-sided grace. Through that union of church members with Christ and with each other, the gospel's transforming power is spread.
Truthful Unity Lived Out
Putting away lying and speaking truth with one's neighbor creates friendships that are sincere, impartial, and free of hypocrisy, with love and respect from pure hearts, because those who believe belong to one another as members of one body. This is God's plain plan to keep the church in oneness and agreement so the unbelieving world sees a healthy religious experience, by obedience to the commandments of God and oneness in the faith of the Scriptures, with life hid with Christ in God and practice of the golden rule. All the children of God are embraced in Christ as members of one family, to have among themselves the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, loving one another as brethren as Christ has loved them. They are to help and encourage one another, and to help one another recover from suffering such as the burden of debt, so as to be a living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, speaking sincerely and dealing faithfully with fellow believers and with the world.
Those who labor together are to be open and truthful with one another rather than secretive or exclusive, setting aside separate interests for perfect confidence and frankness. When aggrieved, a person is to speak directly to the one concerned rather than confiding in others, since secrecy and indirect complaints weaken unity and wrong those who should be trusted. Parents and teachers likewise are to work together for the child's well-being, with the teacher's work supplementing rather than replacing the parents'. Truthfulness is a sacred trait to be kept in the heart and practiced even when tempted or afraid of punishment, trusting that the Lord will help one do right, so children are to speak the truth at all times.
God's ministers and workers must be closely united in love and confidence, pressing together heart close to heart and treating fellow workers as God's anointed chosen ones appointed to special work for the Master. They are to maintain godly watchfulness over themselves against any unsanctified influence that makes them suspicious of one another, refusing strife and alienation, whispering, slandering, evil speaking and backbiting, and being perfectly honest brother with brother. They are to cultivate love and respect for one another, manifesting courtesy and in honor preferring one another. In health institutions this same truthfulness is to be acted upon by refusing inspiration from those bitter against the truth who criticize and judge brethren, and instead respecting, loving, and esteeming brethren better than self as Christ loved, for the Lord looks on the heart and cannot be deceived. It is kept only by a minute-by-minute fight of faith in the wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, and unless it is practiced souls will be lost.
Putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors is part of doing all that enables believers to withstand in the evil day and to stand, belonging to one body, one church, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit. It is the duty of standing at the post on guard over self, lest the evil agencies warring against believers succeed in leading them to say and do what pleases the enemy, with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth. It calls for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, because many have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit, pointing to catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. Speaking truthfully to one's neighbor is part of loyalty to God's law, and obedience to that law brings life and blessing. The verse is a warning to be taken by every soul while Satan's seducing power increases to deceive if possible the very elect, calling for straight paths for the feet lest the weak be turned out of the way, for setting the churches in order and closing the door of unbelief while bearing aloft the third angel's message in faith and works.