Honesty. Do not falsely testify against your neighbor. November 16, 2025.

The Ninth Commandment tells us, "Do not testify falsely against your neighbor." While God is commanding us to be honest, there's more to to consider. This week, Pastor Mia explains the meaning is twofold. Don't falsely accuse others of wrongdoing and don't back up false accusations.

When God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses, the Israelites lacked the necessary structure for learning how live with one another. After being freed from slavery, they needed a court system to deal with disputes almost instantly. The Ninth Commandment is a reminder that both truth and dishonesty have power. At its worst, false witness damages lives. Anyone in prison for crimes they didn't commit knows this devastation all too well.

Despite his many healing works, Jesus was a victim of false testimony. Matthew 26 describes how Jesus was put on trial by the high priests and Roman authorities for blasphemy. After struggling to find witnesses, two came forward and recounted Jesus saying, "I can destroy God's temple and rebuild it in three days." Jesus wasn't talking about a building used for worship. Instead, he was referring to the temple of his body. Jesus's enemies twisted his words to use them as the catalyst for his conviction and crucifixion.

Context matters. It did then and it does now. Besides its place in the judicial system, false witness finds its way into our daily lives and we might not realize it. Did you fact check the that eye-catching meme in your social media feed before sharing it? If not, you might've spread misinformation. That too, is a form of false witness. When we gossip, spread rumors, and reveal information shared in confidence, we've fallen off the Ninth Commandment's guardrails. God commands us to avoid false testimony, because he wants us to to be careful with our words. After all, as James 3 says, "Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth."