Bearing False Witness, lying about others, is a major issue on Social Media. The Bible has much to say about Bearing False Witness, but let's first define what is. To bear false witness means to tell something which is not true. In other words, to lie.

Regarding bearing false witness, it's actually more than just lying. Publicly making assumptions as facts is bearing false witness. Publicly making insinuations as facts is bearing false witness. Publicly speaking half-truths, which is slander as facts, is bearing false witness. Publicly spreading gossip is bearing false witness. Publicly claiming to know the heart and morals of a person as if they're facts is bearing false witness. So, if we combine claiming to know the heart and morals of a person, gossiping, speaking half-truths, which is slander, making insinuations, speaking assumptions, and actual lying about a person, it should be obvious that there's much bearing false witness taking place, especially in social media.

Bearing false witness can also occur by remaining silent. When we hear somebody being falsely maligned and we fail to speak up and defend that person's reputation, our silence amounts to giving consent. But of course, some people will continue to remain silent because of fear of lies being spoken about them. Bullies have a great ability to keep people silent.

Bible Verses on Bearing False Witness
The ninth commandment of the Ten Commandments is do not bear false witness against your neighbor found in Exodus 20:16. Neighbor ultimately is anyone I have contact with regardless if they're physically my neighbor or not. We are not to bear false witness, lies, about anyone.

In Exodus 23:1 it states do not spread false reports, do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. In Proverbs 24 28, it states, be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause and deceive not with thy lips. In Proverbs six, we're given a list of seven things that God hates, and one of those is named in verse 19 is a false witness that speaks lies.1 Timothy 5:13 warns against being idle and wandering about from house to house and not only idle, but paddlers also in busy bodies speaking things which they ought not to.

Proverbs 18:8 says, The words of a tail-bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. There is no telling how many people have been driven to defeat and despair by gossip and other forms of bearing false witness. Homes have been wrecked. People have been driven to suicide by slander.

Bearing false witness is ruinous. It is ruinous, of course, to the victim. When you steal a man's property, that's bad enough, but when you steal his good name by slander, that's even worse.

Solutions to the problem of Bearing False Witness
A. Get Your Heart Right with God.
B. If You Are a Christian, Repent and Make Amends.
If you are not a Christian maybe it is time to become a Christ Follower instead of a gossiper.
C. Put Off Falsehood and Speak Truthfully.
D. Love People More Than Your Cause.
E. Do Not Be a Marionette Doll Manipulated by Satan.

Bearing False Witness Podcast
Bearing False Witness Podcast Transcript

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