SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:25
Por lo cual, dejando la mentira, hablad verdad cada uno con su prójimo; porque somos miembros los unos de los otros.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:25
Verse 25. Wherefore putting away lying] All falsity, all prevarication, because this is opposite to the truth as it is in Jesus, ver. 21, and to the holiness of truth, ver. 24. Speak every man truth with his neighbour] Truth was but of small account among many of even the best heathens, for they taught that on many occasions a lie was to be preferred to the truth itself. Dr. Whitby collects some of their maxims on this head.
kreitton de elesqai yeudov, h alhqev kakon? "A lie is better than a hurtful truth."-Menander.
to gar agaqon kreitton esti thv alhqeiav? "Good is better than truth."-Proclus.
enqa gar ti dei kai yeugdov legesqai, legesqw. "When telling a lie will be profitable, let it be told."-Darius in Herodotus, lib. iii. p. 101.
"He may lie who knows how to do it ev deonti kairw, in a suitable time."-Plato apud Stob., ser. 12.
"There is nothing decorous in truth but when it is profitable; yea, sometimes kai yeudov wnhsen anqrwrouv, kai tÆ alhqev eblayen, truth is hurtful, and lying is profitable to men."-Maximus Tyrius, Diss. 3, p. 29.
Having been brought up in such a loose system of morality, these converted Gentiles had need of these apostolic directions; Put away lying; speak the truth: Let lying never come near you; let truth be ever present with you.
We are members one of another.] Consider yourselves as one body, of which Jesus Christ is the head; and as a man's right hand would not deceive or wrong his left hand, so deal honestly with each other; for ye are members one of another.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. Wherefore putting away lying , &c.] Which is one of the deeds of the old man, and a branch of the former conversation agreeable to him: a lie is a voluntary disagreement of the mind and speech, with a design to deceive; it is to speak that which is false, contrary to truth shining in the mind; and it is spoken knowingly and willingly, and with a design to impose upon others; hence a man may speak what is false, and not be a liar, if he does not know it to be so; and hence parables, fables, tropes, figures, hyperboles, &c. are not lies, because they are not used to deceive, but to illustrate and enforce truth: there are several sorts of lies; there is an officious lie, which is told for the service of others, but this is not lawful; for evil is not to be done, that good may come of it; and a man may as well tell a lie to serve himself, as another; and any other sin by the same rule may be allowed of, and tolerated; besides, it is not lawful to lie for God, and therefore not for a creature: and there is a jocose lie; this ought not to be encouraged; all appearance of evil should be abstained from; every idle word must be accounted for; and hereby also an evil habit of lying may be acquired: and there is a lie which is in itself directly hurtful, and injurious; as is every false thing, said with a design to deceive: and there are religious lies, and liars; some practical ones, as those who do not sincerely worship God, and who are dissolute in their lives, and their practice is not according to their profession; and there are others who are guilty of doctrinal lies, as antichrist and his followers, who are given up to believe a lie; and such who deny the deity, incarnation, Messiahship, work, office, grace, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ; and who profess themselves to be Christians, and are not: the springs and causes of lying are a corrupt heart and the lusts of it, which prompt unto it; such as covetousness, malice, and the fear of men; and also a tempting devil, the father of lies; and who is a lying spirit, in the hearts and mouths of men; this is a vice which ought to be put away, especially by professors of religion; the effects of it are sad; it brings infamy, disgrace, and discredit, upon particular persons; and has brought judgments upon nations, where it has in general obtained; and has been the cause of corporeal diseases and death; and even makes men liable to the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death: it is a sin exceeding sinful; it is a breach of God's law; an aping of the devil; it is against the light of nature, and is destructive of civil society, and very abominable in the sight of God: wherefore speak every man truth with his neighbour ; both with respect to civil and religious affairs, in common conversation, in trade and business, and in all things relating to God and men: for we are members one of another ; as men, are all of one blood, descended from one man, and so are related one to another; and as in civil society, belong to one body politic; and in a religious sense, members of the same mystical body, the church; of which Christ, who is the truth itself, is the head; and therefore should not attempt to deceive one another by lying, since there is such a near relation and close union of one to another.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 25-28 - Notice the particulars wherewith we should adorn our Christia profession. Take heed of every thing contrary to truth. No longe flatter or deceive others. God's people are children who will not lie who dare not lie, who hate and abhor lying. Take heed of anger an ungoverned passions. If there is just occasion to express displeasur at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it be without sin. We giv place to the devil, when the first motions of sin are not grievous to our souls; when we consent to them; and when we repeat an evil deed This teaches that as sin, if yielded unto, lets in the devil upon us we are to resist it, keeping from all appearance of evil. Idlenes makes thieves. Those who will not work, expose themselves to temptations to steal. Men ought to be industrious, that they may d some good, and that they may be kept from temptation. They must labour not only that they may live honestly, but that they may have to give to the wants of others. What then must we think of those calle Christians, who grow rich by fraud, oppression, and deceitfu practices! Alms, to be accepted of God, must not be gained by unrighteousness and robbery, but by honesty and industry. God hate robbery for burnt-offerings.
Greek Textus Receptus
διο 1352 αποθεμενοι 659 5642 το 3588 ψευδος 5579 λαλειτε 2980 5720 αληθειαν 225 εκαστος 1538 μετα 3326 του 3588 πλησιον 4139 αυτου 846 οτι 3754 εσμεν 2070 5748 αλληλων 240 μελη 3196
Vincent's NT Word Studies
25. Falsehood (to yeudov). Lit., the lie; used abstractly. See on John viii. 44.
Members one of another. Compare Rom. xii. 5; 1 Corinthians xii. 12-27. Chrysostom says: "Let not the eye lie to the foot, nor the foot to the eye. If there be a deep pit, and its mouth covered with reeds shall present to the eye the appearance of solid ground, will not the eye use the foot to ascertain whether it is hollow underneath, or whether it is firm and resists? Will the foot tell a lie, and not the truth as it is? And what, again, if the eye were to spy a serpent or a wild beast, will it lie to the foot?"
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:25 {Wherefore} (dio). Because of putting off the old man, and putting on the new man. {Putting away} (apoqemenoi). Second aorist middle participle of apotiqemi (verse #22). {Lying} (yeudos), {truth} (aleqeian) in direct contrast. {Each one} (hekastos). Partitive apposition with laleite. See #Col 3:8 me yeudesqe.
