And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. – 2 Peter 2:2
1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[Links open separate windows to different Hebrew & Greek roots or scripture.]
Amos 5:8 They hate him who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
Malachi 2:6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.
The Prophets speak of truth, the Apostles speak of truth, God speaks of truth time and time again. Truth must be important.
No Gospel mentions truth more than the Gospel of John. (You would do well to consider the Truth of every verse of this Good News.)
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)
The Gospel is a testimony of Truth in the Court of God with witness before all mankind.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
God values Truth so much that He sent His only Son to the Cross as witness of His love for us.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Let those of us with ears to hear, hear the words of Jesus about our spoken words and our promises (not even addressing the more serious violations of breaking the covenants of our written words).
Matthew 5
English Standard Version (ESV)
Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Do we realize the context of this teaching from Jesus?
It is from the Sermon on the Mount: after the Beatitudes (or blessings), after His call to us to become salt and light to the world, after His warning that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, after His warning against anger and call to reconciliation, after his warning again lust; and after His prohibition of divorce.
Christians and Christian marriages are being watched. We are witness to Christ Jesus and the permanence of His relationship with His faithful Bride the church – a topic which we will pursue after our next focus on hypocrisy.
To be continued…
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