God’s Image Study • Commandment 6: You Shall Not Murder
Stephen’s account brought false witnesses into our examination of persecution and killing. This leads us back to a requirement already present in the passages concerning murder: an accusation must be established, and the testimony itself must be examined.
One accusation cannot establish a death sentence
Numbers 35:30 forbids putting someone to death on the testimony of a single witness. The requirement belongs within the same chapter that distinguishes deliberate killing from an unintentional death. Read Numbers 35:30.
Deuteronomy states:
“at the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established.”
— Deuteronomy 19:15, LSB, excerpt
The Hebrew noun עֵד — ʿēd (H5707) means witness. The passage requires more than one person’s accusation before a matter is established. Examine Deuteronomy 19:15 in Hebrew.
But we must continue reading.
The witnesses must also be examined
Verses 16–19 address a malicious witness. The judges must investigate thoroughly. If the testimony proves false, the intended harm against the accused becomes the measure of the false witness’s penalty. Read Deuteronomy 19:16–19.
In verse 18, דָּרַשׁ — dārash (H1875) supplies the verb for inquiry, with הֵיטֵב — hêṭēb expressing thoroughness. The expression עֵד־שֶׁקֶר — ʿēd-sheqer identifies a false witness; שֶׁקֶר — sheqer (H8267) concerns falsehood. Examine Deuteronomy 19:18 in Hebrew.
Counting witnesses does not replace examining whether their testimony is true.
Stephen’s account makes this especially clear. Acts 6:13 describes witnesses in the plural, yet identifies them as false. Several voices repeating an accusation do not make that accusation truthful. Read Acts 6:11–14.
This connection belongs within our examination of murder because testimony can be used to bring judgment against another person’s life.
The Spirit, the water, and the blood
First John brings us to another passage concerning witnesses. Jesus Christ is identified as the one who came by water and blood. The Spirit bears witness, and John names three witnesses: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. He expressly states their agreement. Read 1 John 5:6–8.
Verse 9 then distinguishes human testimony from God’s greater testimony concerning His Son. Verses 11–12 connect that testimony with eternal life given by God and found in His Son. Read 1 John 5:9–12.
As we connect these passages, we must follow who bears witness, what is being established, and whether the testimony is true. The number matters within the passage, and so does the source.
Two or three people agreeing cannot turn falsehood into truth or authorize persecution in God’s name. Deuteronomy requires the testimony to be examined; Stephen’s account shows that multiple witnesses can testify falsely. First John directs our attention to the Spirit who bears witness and to God’s testimony concerning His Son. Human agreement must never be treated as though it automatically carries God’s authority. Read Deuteronomy 19:15–19, Acts 6:11–14, and 1 John 5:6–9.
Before accepting or repeating an accusation, have we examined it with the care these passages require?
Threads to Follow
Heaven and earth as witnesses: Examine their place beside the warnings and the choice between life and death. Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 30:19.
False witness: Retain this connection for the commandment addressing testimony against our neighbor. Exodus 20:16.
Anger and reconciliation: Follow Jesus’ teaching as he brings the command against murder into our treatment of a brother. Matthew 5:21–24.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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