Against Lies and Slander
January 30
(The Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom on Lies and Slander)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
January 30
(The Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom on Lies and Slander)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
We all know that lying and slander are evil; but, unfortunately, we know little of the fact that the worst thing about this evil is that we pay little or no attention to lying and slander. “What is so serious about it,” we say, “if I lied? Nowadays almost everyone lies; what harm is there in it?” Thus we speak, but we should not speak so; for to lie and to slander truly is a calamity, and a great calamity.
“I beseech you, brethren,” says the universal teacher, “cease lying and slandering. Lying is the first sin and the craft of the devil, for he was the first to lie to Adam and led the whole human race into destruction. Let others make nothing of lying, neither repent of it nor abandon it. They will not escape punishment, for the Prophet says: 'You shall destroy all them that speak lies' (Ps. 5:7). And it will be even worse for those who join lying with slander. Slander destroys great households; one person slandered, and because of him others also weep and wail — his children, his neighbors, his friends. But slanderers themselves also come to a bad end for this. The Lord neither accepts their prayers, nor receives their offerings; their lamps are extinguished, and the wrath of God rests upon them, as David also says: 'The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks proud things.' Slanderers,” concludes Saint John Chrysostom, “are worse than thieves and robbers.”
Thus, truly, to lie and to slander is a great calamity. You see how terrible are the sins of lying and slander, to which we pay no attention. Lying, as you have heard, is the first sin and the craft of the devil; and slander uproots houses to their very foundations, causes many to weep and lament, makes slanderers hateful to God, and, by comparison, places them worse than heretics and robbers. Awake, therefore, liars and slanderers, from your folly, and strive — strive with all your strength — to restrain your tongue. And in order to restrain it forever, more often bring to mind these words of Scripture: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 12:22). "The Lord shall destroy all those who speak lies; the man of bloodshed and deceit the Lord abhors" (Ps. 5:7).
And finally, remember also what the ninth commandment says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." If you keep this in mind, we hope that you will fear lying and slander as sins hateful to God, and that, "having put away falsehood, you will speak the truth, each to his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
“I beseech you, brethren,” says the universal teacher, “cease lying and slandering. Lying is the first sin and the craft of the devil, for he was the first to lie to Adam and led the whole human race into destruction. Let others make nothing of lying, neither repent of it nor abandon it. They will not escape punishment, for the Prophet says: 'You shall destroy all them that speak lies' (Ps. 5:7). And it will be even worse for those who join lying with slander. Slander destroys great households; one person slandered, and because of him others also weep and wail — his children, his neighbors, his friends. But slanderers themselves also come to a bad end for this. The Lord neither accepts their prayers, nor receives their offerings; their lamps are extinguished, and the wrath of God rests upon them, as David also says: 'The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks proud things.' Slanderers,” concludes Saint John Chrysostom, “are worse than thieves and robbers.”
Thus, truly, to lie and to slander is a great calamity. You see how terrible are the sins of lying and slander, to which we pay no attention. Lying, as you have heard, is the first sin and the craft of the devil; and slander uproots houses to their very foundations, causes many to weep and lament, makes slanderers hateful to God, and, by comparison, places them worse than heretics and robbers. Awake, therefore, liars and slanderers, from your folly, and strive — strive with all your strength — to restrain your tongue. And in order to restrain it forever, more often bring to mind these words of Scripture: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 12:22). "The Lord shall destroy all those who speak lies; the man of bloodshed and deceit the Lord abhors" (Ps. 5:7).
And finally, remember also what the ninth commandment says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." If you keep this in mind, we hope that you will fear lying and slander as sins hateful to God, and that, "having put away falsehood, you will speak the truth, each to his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25). Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
