A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
God hates both testifying falsely and stirring up division between fellow believers. Testifying falsely means leveling unjust charges, voicing baseless suggestions, and acting secretively to set brethren against one another instead of dealing openly. Sowing division means gossiping, backbiting, faultfinding, belittling others, and letting complaints and suspicion spread without faithful correction. Such talk grows from careless words into false reports that divide friends, breed envy and jealousy, injure souls, and serve Satan so that heaven cannot work with the speaker. All will answer to God for this in the judgment, and the wrong must be made right by humble confession before God and the church, truthful correction, prayer, and tender love that refuses to create division.
What the Verse Forbids
The verse condemns bearing false witness and sowing discord among fellow believers as evils that God hates. Gossip and false accusations divide friends and stir up strife, and those who spread them become effective servants of Satan. Belittling another person's reputation or standing is condemned in the same connection as egotism. Unkind words, repeated suspicions, and false reports grow into serious injustice and division in the church.
Those who practice such wrongs share a condemnatory spirit and will face the same kind of trial as those they condemn. Bearing false witness includes making unjust accusations against fellow workers. Such falsehood causes dissension in the church, creates false sympathy, harms the influence of those accused, and can lead others into error and endanger their souls. The one who has borne false witness has done a great wrong and should recognize it, with the facts presented truthfully.
Bearing false witness also includes suggesting things without a foundation in truth. Such suggestions spread suspicion and strife, harm brethren, and displease God, and words used in this way can bring spiritual ruin. The verse applies to secretive, deceptive actions that create misunderstanding, alienation, and division between brethren. Such conduct is the work of Satan and is contrary to frank, open Christian dealing.
Sowing discord includes gossip, backbiting and spreading reproach, faultfinding and criticism, and making accusations that stir up feuds, bitterness, and strife. Backbiting and spreading reproach damage a brother's reputation, separate friends, and stir envy, jealousy, and evil suspicion. Faultfinding and criticism that create strife are not God's work, and these evils that serve Satan's purposes may be carried out under an appearance of godliness. Sowing discord also includes allowing suspicion or blame against a fellow worker to continue without correcting those who complain or bringing the matter faithfully to the person accused. To leave suspicion or blame unaddressed in this way waters seeds of discord and strife.
Harm Judgment and Remedy
Unkind and careless words and repeated unrighteous suspicions grow into false reports that bring serious injustice and division in the church. Such speech divides friends and separates brethren, stirs up envy, jealousy, evil suspicion and strife, and by gossip and false accusation makes its spreaders effective workers against God. Allowing suspicion or blame against a fellow worker to continue without correcting those who complain or bringing the matter faithfully to the person accused waters seeds of discord and strife, while belittling another's reputation or standing is egotism. Sowing seeds of dissension and strife in this way opposes the missionary work God requires.
Spreading dissension and strife brings deadly harm to the speaker's own soul and spiritual experience, for evil-speaking curses both speaker and hearer. Tale-bearing and assuming evil of others leave a person miserable and without true happiness. Those who practice false witness and discord serve Satan's purposes and share a condemnatory spirit, sometimes carrying on accusations, feuds, bitterness and dissension under an appearance of godliness. Angels of heaven cannot work with such a person while evil angels attend him, and he will face the same kind of trial as those he condemns.
Those who do this are accountable to God and will answer for their thoughts, words and actions in judgment on the day of God. The remedy is to humble oneself, recognize the great wrong done, and present the facts truthfully. Evil speaking, alienation and dissension that divide church members should be confessed before God and the church before prayer is offered for the sick, and those at fault should seek God in prayer for their own unfaithfulness and neglected duties. Love and forbearance must be cultivated by approaching a brother at fault tenderly rather than turning away or speaking against him, setting aside selfishness and personal dignity so as not to create division.
God hates both testifying falsely and stirring up division between fellow believers. Testifying falsely means leveling unjust charges, voicing baseless suggestions, and acting secretively to set brethren against one another instead of dealing openly. Sowing division means gossiping, backbiting, faultfinding, belittling others, and letting complaints and suspicion spread without faithful correction. Such talk grows from careless words into false reports that divide friends, breed envy and jealousy, injure souls, and serve Satan so that heaven cannot work with the speaker. All will answer to God for this in the judgment, and the wrong must be made right by humble confession before God and the church, truthful correction, prayer, and tender love that refuses to create division.
What the Verse Forbids
The verse condemns bearing false witness and sowing discord among fellow believers as evils that God hates. Gossip and false accusations divide friends and stir up strife, and those who spread them become effective servants of Satan. Belittling another person's reputation or standing is condemned in the same connection as egotism. Unkind words, repeated suspicions, and false reports grow into serious injustice and division in the church.
Those who practice such wrongs share a condemnatory spirit and will face the same kind of trial as those they condemn. Bearing false witness includes making unjust accusations against fellow workers. Such falsehood causes dissension in the church, creates false sympathy, harms the influence of those accused, and can lead others into error and endanger their souls. The one who has borne false witness has done a great wrong and should recognize it, with the facts presented truthfully.
Bearing false witness also includes suggesting things without a foundation in truth. Such suggestions spread suspicion and strife, harm brethren, and displease God, and words used in this way can bring spiritual ruin. The verse applies to secretive, deceptive actions that create misunderstanding, alienation, and division between brethren. Such conduct is the work of Satan and is contrary to frank, open Christian dealing.
Sowing discord includes gossip, backbiting and spreading reproach, faultfinding and criticism, and making accusations that stir up feuds, bitterness, and strife. Backbiting and spreading reproach damage a brother's reputation, separate friends, and stir envy, jealousy, and evil suspicion. Faultfinding and criticism that create strife are not God's work, and these evils that serve Satan's purposes may be carried out under an appearance of godliness. Sowing discord also includes allowing suspicion or blame against a fellow worker to continue without correcting those who complain or bringing the matter faithfully to the person accused. To leave suspicion or blame unaddressed in this way waters seeds of discord and strife.
Harm Judgment and Remedy
Unkind and careless words and repeated unrighteous suspicions grow into false reports that bring serious injustice and division in the church. Such speech divides friends and separates brethren, stirs up envy, jealousy, evil suspicion and strife, and by gossip and false accusation makes its spreaders effective workers against God. Allowing suspicion or blame against a fellow worker to continue without correcting those who complain or bringing the matter faithfully to the person accused waters seeds of discord and strife, while belittling another's reputation or standing is egotism. Sowing seeds of dissension and strife in this way opposes the missionary work God requires.
Spreading dissension and strife brings deadly harm to the speaker's own soul and spiritual experience, for evil-speaking curses both speaker and hearer. Tale-bearing and assuming evil of others leave a person miserable and without true happiness. Those who practice false witness and discord serve Satan's purposes and share a condemnatory spirit, sometimes carrying on accusations, feuds, bitterness and dissension under an appearance of godliness. Angels of heaven cannot work with such a person while evil angels attend him, and he will face the same kind of trial as those he condemns.
Those who do this are accountable to God and will answer for their thoughts, words and actions in judgment on the day of God. The remedy is to humble oneself, recognize the great wrong done, and present the facts truthfully. Evil speaking, alienation and dissension that divide church members should be confessed before God and the church before prayer is offered for the sick, and those at fault should seek God in prayer for their own unfaithfulness and neglected duties. Love and forbearance must be cultivated by approaching a brother at fault tenderly rather than turning away or speaking against him, setting aside selfishness and personal dignity so as not to create division.