The Pathway Machine

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According to the Bible a lie is not only a verbal expression but also may be action designed to deceive a person who is entitled to know the truth. Living a lie, for example, pretending to be faithful when intentionally carrying out that which is gross sin is, though unspoken, nevertheless a lie.

Each of the verses which are used by the SAB in order to establish that the Bible says it is wrong to lie are acceptable interpretations, and so will not be addressed, but the verses used to convey the idea of a contradiction by seeming to say it is alright to lie are misunderstood as the aforementioned rule of entitlement. According to the Bible one is not obligated to tell the truth if the person receiving the information is not entitled to it. (Matthew 7:6 / Matthew 21:23-27) The difference being deceiving for personal gain or to avoid due punishment as opposed to misleading in order to avoid unjust harm or allowing someone who wishes to believe a lie to continue doing so. (Genesis 12:10-19; Chapter 20; 26:1-10 / 2 Kings 6:11-23)

It is also important to note that those who tell a lie and repent are forgiven. The case of Peter, for example, having denied Christ 3 times, repented and was forgiven. But those who carry on a lie without repentance are, of course, not forgiven. (Matthew 26:69-75)

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Joshua 2:4-6 - And the woman [Rahab] took the two men and hid them and said thus: There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were; and it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark that the men went out; whither the men went I wot not; pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax.

James 2:25 - Was not Rahab, the harlot, justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Response: Rehab was not under any moral obligation to tell the officers of the king of Jericho the truth which would have resulted in the destruction of her and her family by the Israelites, or if found out then by the king of Jericho. She knew of the recent exploits of the Israelites in battle and she put faith in Jehovah, their God and so was declared righteous.

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Exodus 1:18-20 - And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives.

Response: Here it isn't just a case of the midwives misdirecting the Pharaoh, who meant to do harm, but it also may have been true. The Ancient Hebrew Social Life and Custom and The New Bible Dictionary both convey the idea of Hebrew women giving birth by crouching on a stool or pile of bricks or stone. It seems that they called upon the services of a midwife only in serious cases when assistance was needed.

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1 Kings 22:21-22 - And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him . . . I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him and prevail also; go forth and do so.

Response: This is what the apostle Paul called "operation of error." It is a case of allowing those who prefer to believe in a falsehood to continue to do so. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) Micaiah had foretold disaster but the prophets of king Ahab didn't want to hear the truth, he wanted victory. It should be recognized that Micaiah did foretell the truth, but Ahab chose not to listen.

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2 Kings 8:10 - And Elisha said unto him, go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die.

Response: This is a really interesting case. The margin of the Masoretic text, the Greek Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, Syriac Peshitta and 18 other Hebrew manuscripts read: "Say to him, 'You will.'" but the actual text of the Masoretic reads: "Say, 'You will not.'"

It would seem likely that Hazael was given a riddle by Elisha which stated that Ben-hadad would recover if it were not for the fact that Hazael was going to kill him. Hazael only told the first part of the prophecy.