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Apologia: Thou Shalt Not Fib – The Eighth Commandment

Confession is good for the soul. So, in a time of private confession before God, ponder these questions. Have I ever been stopped by an officer for driving too fast and, when asked the question, “Do you know how fast you were going?” have I ever responded by saying, “No,” even though I knew full well that I was driving like Jeff Gordon on steroids? Have I ever walked into a meeting 20 minutes late and said something like, “Sorry I’m late. Traffic out there is terrible!” even though I knew full well that traffic out there is not terrible? Indeed, the reason I was 20 minutes late is because I woke up five minutes ago after passing out on the living room sofa watching Oprah.* Have I ever stretched the truth, told half the truth, rearranged the facts, or told a tale about “the one that got away”? Because if I have, then I confess that I have broken the eighth commandment. And if I have just belligerently maintained that I have not done any of these things, ever, then I confess that I am now breaking the eighth commandment.

Download a PDF of Apologia: Thou Shalt Not Fib – The Eighth Commandment

Published March 4, 2009

About the author

Zach McIntosh is Executive Pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he oversees, among other things, the adult education program.  He is a husband to Melody, a father to Hope, and loves reading and writing about how theology intersects with current events and concerns.
View more from Zach

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