Falsehood (5579) (pseudos from pseudomai = to lie) describes an untrue statement, an intentional violation of the truth, a lie or a deception. Falsehood is that which is in the state of being untrue. Pseudos is the content of a false utterance. Pseudos is conscious and intentional falsehood. In a broad sense, pseudos is whatever is not what it seems to be or professes to be (the antithesis of truth). Ellicott - falsehood in every form is a chief characteristic of the old man. (Ephesians 4 Commentary Online) Webster says a lie is an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive. It is an intentionally false statement. Biblically since God is truth unchanged and unchanging, a lie is the very antithesis of Who He is and who we are to now be in Christ. The old adage says "Like father, like son." When we speak truth, we are like our Father, but when we speak falsehoods, we are more like our old father, Satan (Jn 8:44)! A lie is any statement or act designed to deceive another person. The motivation for most lying is a desire either to hurt the one against whom the lie is directed or to protect oneself, usually out of fear or pride. The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology says that... The sanctity of truth is fundamental in biblical teaching since it is based on the nature and character of God. Therefore, to despise truth is to despise God, and the Scriptures treat this topic with profound seriousness. In the garden of Eden the serpent denied the truth of God’s pronouncement and encouraged the woman to act in defiance of divine truth (Ge 3:4)... Lying undermines moral standards and is, therefore, often associated with even more glaring sins (Elwell, W. A., & Elwell, W. A. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House) As an aside someone has well said that he most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth. A half truth is a whole lie. There are 10 uses of pseudos in the NT... John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. Romans 1:25 (note) For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Comment: Literally "the lie" and here stands by metonymy for an idol. See Isaiah 44:20 below.) Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 2Thessalonians 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (Comment: Literally "signs and wonders of a lie". Both bear the stamp of fraud. Here pseudos refers to false, fictitious, pretended miracles calculated to deceive - in this case to deceive people into the acknowledgement of the false claim that the Antichrist is deity.) 2Thessalonians 2:11 And for this reason (because of their willful rejection) God will send upon them a deluding influence (literally a working -- energeia -- of error) so that they might believe what is false, (literally "the lie" in this case deluding men to believe Satan and not God) 1John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. Revelation 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. Revelation 21:27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Comment: How serious is lying? Look at the company God places it with and the reward it secures!) There are 34 uses of pseudos in the Septuagint (LXX) (Job 16:8; Ps. 4:2; 5:6; 58:3; 59:12; 62:4; Prov. 9:12; 14:5, 25; 24:2, 22; Isa. 28:15, 17; 30:12; 44:20; Jer. 3:10, 23; 5:2; 9:3; 13:25; 23:14, 32; 37:14; 43:2; Ezek. 33:31; Dan. 8:25; 11:23; Hos. 4:2; 7:3, 13; 11:12; Mic. 2:11; Zech. 5:4; Mal. 3:5) Here is an interesting use of pseudos in the OT... Isaiah 44:20 He (referring to overt idol worshipers) feeds on ashes (what a picture! Practicing idolatry is like feeding on ashes! It will never satisfy, is ever disgusting and in the end results in death!); a deceived heart has turned him aside (idolatry promises but does not follow through). And he cannot deliver himself (from bondage to idolatry. He is like a drug addict trapped by the drug, in this case a godless idol!), nor say, "Is there not a lie (Lxx = pseudos) (an idol) in my right hand" (Comment: Pseudos in this use refers to an idol or idolatry) Psalm 5:6 Thou dost destroy those who speak (habitually, as their lifestyle) falsehood (Lxx = pseudos). The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. F B Meyer contrasts the Old Man and the New Man... THE OLD MAN. (Eph 4:22-note) - The old man is the aggregate of habits and methods of life, which marked us before conversion. The phrase describes the impression which we produced as men and women upon our fellows. What we were wont to be, and say, and do. That form of character and life which was ours before the great change operated through faith in Jesus. It is called the old man, as if there were but one, because the habits and tastes, the thoughts and acts of men, before conversion, have much in common. There is not much to choose between them. It is one evil nature; one likeness to fallen Adam; one type of evil, though its forms are slightly modified in different temperaments and by special circumstances. It is under the control of deceitful lusts (Eph 4:22-note). In other words, it is shaped (present tense = continually; passive voice = emphasizes that these lusts continually exerted power on us in our prior state - old man) by the passionate desires which have their origin in the strong natural tendencies of our being (Ed: flesh). These were given us by God to be the motive-forces of our nature, but not to rule. For when once they are permitted to usurp this position, corruption ensues, and the nature rots piecemeal before their insidious action (2Pe 1:4-note)--as the body of the leper beneath the living death that eats away his flesh. Ah, deceitful lusts! promising liberty (2Pe 2:19-note), and happiness, and joy, but resembling the Syren sisters, whose upper form was fair, but whose lower extremities were foul; whilst whose sweet songs allured the unwary mariner only to ruin. We must not defer this "putting off." The tense (aorist tense) indicates the sudden resolve of the will, inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be no longer under the dominion of these terrible passions. Once and for ever let us divest ourselves of them; as the beggar his rags, or as Lazarus the cerements of death. THE NEW MAN. (Eph 4:24-note) - This is the aggregate of blessed habits that mark the life of the converted the white robe of purity, the girdle of self-restraint, the silver of humility, the jewels of holy character. All through the Epistles we are bidden to don it. "Put on the armor of light." (Ro 13:12-note) "Put on, as God's elect, a heart of compassion.'' (Col 3:12-note) "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Ro 13:14-note) It is the new man, because the habits and character of the children of God are very similar. There is a family likeness common to all. It is after God, because it is created in His likeness. It is the fashion of God in human nature, perfectly exemplified once in Jesus Christ, and now waiting to be imparted by the Holy Ghost. It is righteous toward man. It is holy toward God. It is true, perfectly transparent and sincere. Put on this holy thing! Created in Jesus, and therefore not to be woven by human effort or spun by outward obedience to rites (Ed: Many of us need to read that last statement again! Legalism is subtle.), but to be simply assumed. Put it on by faith. Do not try to build up Christ-likeness by your repeated endeavors (Ed: Do it by dying to your self-efforts). Just assume it by faith (Ed: But remember that faith is an "action verb" that manifest itself in obedience). Believe it is yours. Reckon that it is so (cf Ro 6:11-note). Go out believing that Christ's likeness is on you, and His beauty clothing you as a beautiful robe; and men shall increasingly realize that it is not you but Christ. The beauty of the Lord will be upon you; and the life of Jesus will be manifest in your mortal body (2Co 4:10, 11, cf 2Co 2:14), both in life and death. (Ephesians - A Devotional Commentary) ><>><>><> No Lying - A father was looking at bicycles with one of his children when a deliveryman came into the store. He didn’t see a TV set perched on a stand, and with his cart stacked high with boxes he hit the television and sent it crashing to the floor. As father and son watched, the store manager said, “Don’t worry. We won’t make you pay for it. We’ll just tell the manufacturer it was damaged in shipping, and he’ll give us a new one.” A lie! The father, a believer in Christ, left the store without making a purchase. He did not want to give his business to a man who would lie without giving it a thought. It’s pretty tough not to fall into a pattern of lying. But if we give in to the temptation to lie, soon we are doing it so often that we’re not even aware of it anymore. It becomes a way of life. What we don’t realize is that for the few bucks we may save, we’ve sold out on a basic principle of the Bible (Ep 4:25) and compromised our witness for Christ. The standards of God’s Word are high. We must not lower them for the sake of financial gain or because we fear that it’s the only way our business can survive. Our rule in business and in all of life should be: “No Lying.” -- David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Tell the truth and tell it right, A lie will never do; The Bible says that God is truth— And He wants truth from you. —JDB The ability to lie is a liability. SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR: laleite (2PPAM) aletheian hekastos meta tou plesion autou: (Ep 4:15; Proverbs 8:7; 12:17; Zechariah 8:16,19; 2Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 3:9) Paul is quoting from... Zechariah 8:16 These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates.