On rare occasions, we are forced to make a moral choice of the lesser of 2 evils between 2 options with undesirable outcomes. In these incidents, we can see God having mercy on his creation, despite his hatred of lying and sin.

We can not only see this with lying, but also, when it comes to saving a life. Jesus referencing David eating food so that he wouldn’t die, despite it breaking God’s laws.

Matthew 12:3-4:

“He answered, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.'”

There are also times that when it comes to protecting a life, concealing information is the lesser of 2 evils.

We can see this being applied to the Christian hiding the Jews from the Nazis, or even the midwives protecting the Hebrew babies.

While we can see these cases, these cases are rarely used, and when it comes to the use of deception, most of the time, SCJ has to rely on the argument of silence when it comes to most of their biblical examples.

For example, while it is true that Rahab the spy did lie to protect the spies, she was commended for her faith, not for lying. More specifically:

Hebrews 11:31 – “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”

James 2:25 – “And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

Even with midwives, we can see that at best Shincheonji has an argument of silence:

Exodus 1:17-21 –  But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had [p]commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”  The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”  So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.  And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

Shincheonji Response:

A Shincheonji person may claim that if God is willing to have mercy on someone for the use of deception to protect a life, then what about their eternal salvation?

Christian Response:

When it comes to evangelism, the Bible makes it clear that we are not allowed to use deception to recruit. In the category “Wisdom of Hiding”, we provide a counter to the verses that are used to justify the use of deception.

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus makes it plain and clear that lying is not an acceptable way for the use of evangelism, and instead even warns his followers against people who use such heavy handed tactics.

Matthew 7:15-23 says:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

A wolf in sheep’s clothing would be a false prophet who is pretending to be something that they are not. In this case, an example would be Shincheonji, who pretend to be a “non-denominational” Christian organization, and yet refer to Christians as “spiritual Babylon” and the “home of demons” citing Revealtion 18:1-4. Yet, when presenting their selves to others, they would refer to their selves as Christians to initiate a conversation.

Examples include:

https://www.studywlts.org/

https://nazirite.org/

https://www.ziontheological.com/

https://www.studywlts.org/

https://www.ziontheologicalcenter.org/about-us

https://www.nzpathways.org/

https://www.kindle-me.com/

https://zionchristianseminary.org/

https://www.one-logos.org/about/beliefs

Then, we have other verses like:

Jude 1:4

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[a] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

And we also have Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:2, who also makes it clear about the use of the wisdom of hiding.

2 Corinthians 4:2 –

2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

Often, a Shincheonji member would also conflate the use of concealment as the “wisdom of hiding”, while being hesitant to admit during the first encounter of their actual definition of what it means to lie according to their commentary on the Bible.

This is something to keep in mind when discussing these passages with an SCJ member.

There is also a difference between concealing information, and then lying about your beliefs in order to recruit. For example, when hiding Jews from the Nazis, a Christian is allowed to withhold information and not tell the Nazis where the Jews are, as the Christian is protecting a life.

Or even in our everyday lives, there are times when a Christian may not talk about their faith, but instead work on their assigned tasks, and instead show the light of Christ through their actions.

There is a difference between withholding information, and then outright lying. Examples include:

Pretending to be a “Christian” ministry, and then having doctrine that condemns Christianity to be filled with “Pastors who are drunk with maddening wine”.
Lying about being a first time student in a class, and secretly reporting on the new student who you may have befriended.

We can even see their leader, Lee Manhee, make the claim that he was never evangelized before starting Shincheonji, despite his involvement in the Olive Tree sect and Baek’s Recreation sect.

Shincheonji Perspective

It is well known that Rebekah devised a plan together with Jacob to trick Isaac to believe that Jacob is Esau (Gen. 27:11 – 18). Jacob pretended to be Esau and tricked his father to give him the blessing of the eldest son instead of Esau. He even lied and cheated his father and stole the blessing from his brother, Esau (Gen. 27:19 – 27). 

SCJ will teach that even though this seems wrong in man’s eyes, God was pleased with Jacob and granted him the blessings. Even though Jacob did these things, God’s will was fulfilled just as He had instructed Rebekah many years ago (Gen. 27:28 – 29). A similar situation to Abraham is created: Jacob had to fulfill God’s promise, he had to lie about it to achieve that, and God did not care and was pleased with Jacob.

The consequences of Jacob and Rebekah’s Lie, and God’s faithfulness

One thing to keep in mind when approaching stories like Jacob is the following: Just because we make a mistake, it does not mean that God will abandon us. Likewise, just because biblical characters make mistakes, it does not mean that we should replicate their behavior.

SCJ also claims that Jacob’s life was wonderful after he lied and that he is blessed by God (Gen. 32:9-10, Gen. 35:9-12). Sure but they forget that his life was also difficult, and despite receiving God’s blessing, due to his use of deception against his father, he still had to face the consequences. His Grandfather Abraham and father  Isaac lived to “ripe old ages”, while Jacob described the years of his life as “few and evil” (Gen. 47:9).

Another thing to keep in mind was how Rachel died of childbirth shortly after, compared to Abraham and Isaac.

Genesis 35:16-19 – Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son!”  And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

While it is true that God did not abandon Jacob, he also allowed Jacob to get a taste of his own medicine.

Genesis 29:23-25 – Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her. Laban also gave his female slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a slave. So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?”

We can see how Jacob was deceived by Laban with marrying Leah, and Laban responds:

Genesis 29:26-27 –  But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me, for another seven years.”

The above story is an example of “reaping what you have sowed”. 

During this time period, we can still see how God was still with Jacob, not abandoning Jacob because of his lie, as God blessed Jacob by causing his flocks to increase greatly, even though Laban tried to cheat him. Jacob’s flocks grew larger and stronger than Laban’s (Genesis 30:25-43), and even protected him from harm (Genesis 31:24)

They also forget about how Jacob had to live in fear of his brother Esau, and when it came time to meet Esau in Genesis 32, Jacob was mortified.

Jacob becoming Israel, and no-longer using deception

Genesis 32 is an excellent example of Jacob’s struggle with God, and the process of sanctification of Jacob’s character to become more “Christ-like”.

In Genesis 32, Jacob went to meet his brother Esau under the command of God. Jacob was scared of Esau, knowing that he deceived Esau for his birthright (Genesis 32:7), and even planned for his own escape (Genesis 32:8). 

It was during this night, that Jacob wrestled with God, and was named Israel. God was not blessing him because of his sly use of deception, God used Jacob in spite of his deception to do his will.

It was after this moment when Jacob realized that instead of relying on his own deceitful wit, but instead relying on God, that his life became significantly better, starting with his reconciliation with his brother Esau. 

It was after being renamed “Israel”, or to overcome, we can see that Jacob stops the use of deception and instead fully relies on God for his deliverance and protection.

For an SCJ member to look at the life of Jacob, and use that as an example to justify the use of deception, is not only missing the point of Jacob, but is another example of twisting scripture for their own means, and to ease their own conscience.

They also miss the point of the overcomer, since they still use deception to recruit through front groups and Christian sounding names. When an SCJ person uses such tactics, it is a testimony to their lack of faith in God’s deliverance.

Shincheonji Perspective

A Shincheonji person would point to 2 Kings 10:18-19, pointing out how Jehu lied to infiltrate the worshippers of Baal, gathered them together in one place, and killed them all.

God then said the following in 2 Kings 10:30:

“30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

An Idolator an example for how to carry out our moral lives?

We can already see that in the next verse, God was wary of Jehu’s character:

2 Kings 10:31:

Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

What are the sins of Jeroboam in reference? 

According to

1 Kings 12:28:

So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

Further, we can even see that in Hosea 1:4, the LORD said the following to the prophet Hosea pertaining the same very massacre that happened in 2 Kings 10:

Hosea 1:4:
4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 On that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Was God happy about the worship of Baal no longer happening? Yes. 

Was God happy about the way that Jehu performed the action of killing the Priests, including the sin of lying? No. Otherwise, he would not have used it as a curse, as seen in Hosea 1:4.

To further drive the point home that Jehu’s deception was not right in the eyes of the Lord, we can also see another man who also was used to punish Baal worshippers, and yet wasn’t later punished for his actions. The Prophet Elijah.

Comparing Elijah with Jehu, Elijah was open, honest, and bravely confronted the Baal worshippers; while Jehu used deception and lying in an attempt to carry out a massacre that his descendants were later punished for.

Lastly, there are times where God uses evil characters and nations to carry out his will of punishment against other entities. The best example being the Babylonians, another group also used a reference to a curse in prophetic books like Jehu, to punish the rebellious house of Israel. Using the logic of Shincheonji, does this also mean that we should follow the example of the Babylonians? 

It is questionable, at best, for a Shincheonji person to use the above passage to justify deception by using Jehu as an example, especially since in the same chapter of 2 Kings 10 the same man Jehu was used as an example to be punished. Especially when Jehu was committing idolatry. 

While an SCJ member will point to Jehu as an example to follow and justify their deceptive practices, a Christian would point to Jesus as their standard on how to live a righteous life.

Shincheonji Perspective

“Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.  And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.  Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”” 1 Kings 22:19-23

SCJ uses this passage to explain that God is gathered with his angels and they are discussing how to  . This appears to be a troubling passage at face value, and SCJ instructors take advantage of this by not understanding or applying the context. To answer this, we need to learn a little background about King Ahab, and also understand something about the sovereignty of God.

God used the Evil Spirits as Punishment

To put it frankly, Ahab was an awful king. He did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel that were before him” (1 Kings 16:33). Ahab loved to listen to false prophets as they told him what they wanted to hear (1 Kings 22:6). God has already announced the death of King Ahab many times through the prophets who were telling the truth. .  

When God asked for volunteers to “entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there” (1 Kings 22:20), a spirit (fallen angel/demon) said he would be a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets. God gave the spirit permission to proceed, and Ahab received the message he desired.

God chose to use a lying spirit because Ahab rejected God’s rebukes and warnings all through his life. Since God is sovereign over all of creation, He is not restricted in what or whom He can use to accomplish His holy purposes. All of creation is under His authority, and He chooses to use people and spirits, both good and evil, to bring His divine plans to pass and bring glory to Himself. “He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. In the case of Ahab, God chose to use a lying spirit to accomplish His perfect and righteous plan. The lying spirit will receive its punishment just as Ahab did, and those who repent of their sins will receive forgiveness just like Ahab could have. It is dangerous to compare the sovereignty of God, and use a story of one specific King in the Old Testament to condone lying and deception in evangelism.

To further this argument, we can also see God using Babylon to judge and destroy the Israelites for their rebellion (Jeremiah 51:33-35), and God allows Satan to test Job’s faith, only under God’s permission (Job 1:6-12).

This does not give us the permission to go and physically destroy our enemies, but instead shows God’s sovereignty. 

Shincheonji Perspective

An SCJ member may point to Jeremiah 20:7, claiming that God deceived Jeremiah to fulfill God’s plan.

Jeremiah 20:7

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.

Context of Jeremiah 20

Let us go ahead and take into account the context of this verse. Jeremiah is claiming that God deceived Jeremiah, and yet what we see is a raw and emotional moment from the Prophet Jeremiah, grieving over what he has had to go through while warning the Israelites about their upcoming destruction.

Throughout the book of Jeremiah, we can see Jeremiah struggling with his prophetic duty, including being accused of treason (Jeremiah 37:13-14), being imprisoned (Jeremiah 32:2), and even claiming that God has abandoned him.

This verse does not show that God deceived Jeremiah, but instead Jeremiah is grieving about his role.

Jael and the use of Deception

A Shincheonji person may point to the following story to justify the “wisdom of hiding”:

Judges 4:17-21 – 17 Now Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a [a]rug. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a leather bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and [b]a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

This passage from Judges 4:17-21 describes a dramatic sequence of events involving Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, and Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite:

1. Sisera flees on foot to Jael’s tent after his army’s defeat, seeking refuge because there was peace between his king, Jabin, and Heber’s house.
2. Jael invites Sisera into her tent, offering him sanctuary and covering him with a rug.
3. Sisera asks for water, but Jael gives him milk instead and covers him again.
4. Sisera instructs Jael to stand at the tent entrance and deny his presence if anyone comes looking for him.
5. While Sisera is sleeping deeply, exhausted from the battle, Jael takes a tent peg and a hammer.
6. Jael secretly approaches Sisera and drives the tent peg through his temple into the ground, killing him.

Jael deceived the enemy Sisera, and drove the tent peg through the enemy’s temple, accomplishing God’s will of protecting Israel. She was even praised for her actions, in Judges 5:24. This is another example of how the use of deception is justified to further God’s will.

Jael and the Importance of Context

In evaluating Jael’s act, there are several factors to be brought into focus. 

For one thing, after the defeat of Sisera’s army and the reestablishment of the Israelite government, Jael would be liable to a charge of harboring a fugitive criminal if she did receive him as a guest into her tent.

Furthermore, Jael, being apparently alone at the time, was in no position to refuse him entrance, armed and powerful warrior as he was, or to order him to go on and seek refuge somewhere else. Undoubtedly, had she attempted this, he would have forced his way into the tent anyway; and probably he would have killed her first, in order to keep her from betraying his whereabouts.

Finally, Sisera represented a brutal and tyrannous oppression of God’s people that might well be renewed at a later time, if he were permitted to escape. This meant that Jael herself would have been involved in the guilt of the slaughter of many innocent lives in Sisera’s future career of aggression against the northern tribes of Israel. 

She was not ready to involve herself in complicity with this guilt. Nor was she willing to face the almost certain prospect that she and her husband would both be disgraced and put to death as traitors to Israel after the victorious troops of Deborah and Barak had traced Sisera’s flight to her home. 

Nor would Jael’s own sense of commitment to Yahweh and His people have permitted her to side with His enemy in this fashion. She therefore had little choice but to adopt the strategy that she did. Facing an anguishing alternative between two moral principles, she had to choose the lesser of two evils.

Gleason L. Archer, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan’s Understand the Bible Reference Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), 163–164.

Shincheonji Perspective

Shincheonji may claim the following:

Abraham was instructed by the angel of the Lord to sacrifice his son Isaac. SCJ states that because he did not tell his wife Sarah (got up early in the morning to avoid her in verse 1), lied to his servants about what they were doing on the mountain (Gen. 22:5), and told Isaac that God would provide the lamb (Gen. 22:8), that God did not care about the lies he told and still blessed him.

An Argument of Silence

When a Shincheonji person refers to this story as a proof of the use of deception, it shows that they are missing the point of why Abraham was justified. There are times and moments in the Bible when God’s people are imperfect when carrying out God’s will, like how Abraham married Hagar the slave to produce offspring in Genesis 16, and yet God still stayed by Abraham’s side, and did not abandon him for his mistake. Does this mean that we can also practice polygamy? Of course not! At best, in this instance, Shincheonji has an argument of silence.

Likewise, with the above story, the purpose and intent of the story of Abraham was to see his faith in God’s promise of how through Isaac, will make Abraham the father of many nations as seen in Genesis 17:4-5.

The purpose of the story is to show an expression of faith, as with Abraham’s words “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5) can be seen as a demonstration of his faith in God’s promises. Abraham believed that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead to fulfill His covenant (Hebrews 11:17-19).

When looking at Hebrews 11 and the hall of faith, Paul commends Abraham for his faith in God being able to resurrect Isaac, not because of Abraham lying.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

Without adding and subtracting to God’s word, Abraham was explicitly commending Abraham for his faith in God’s promise, not for lying.

Also, the purpose of this story is to illustrate a future event, of how God would sacrifice his Son in the atonement of our sins. 

Shincheonji Perspective

Shincheonji may claim the following:

Even though Abram lied about Sarai being his sister to the Pharaoh and King Abilemech, God still blessed him.

Therefore, it is okay to “lie” to further God’s kingdom.

Abram’s Cowardice and Missed Opportunity to Glorify God

Shincheonji often looks at the actions and stories of the Old Testament as examples to justify their use of lying. When doing this, they often forget to mention the context of the story.

The fact of Abram lying shows a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty in God’s protection and sovereignty. While Abram was a great man of faith, he also had his own faults and doubts on occasion. We can see this with the fact that he had a child with Hagar the slave in Genesis 16, and bore a son named Ishmael due to his lack of faith in God keeping his promise. 

Even though God still blessed Abram, and still stood by Abram’s side, this furthers my argument that God was going to use Abram despite his flaws. Since God still blessed Abram, does this mean that it is okay for us to commit adultery?

Also, another key point on how this shows that Abram had doubt about God’s promise is the fact that Isaac wasn’t born until Genesis 21. If Abram truly had unwavering faith in God, he would have reasoned with himself that God would protect Sarai from harm, without any need of the use of deception.

We can contrast the actions of Abram putting his wife in danger to Genesis 22, where Abraham reasoned with himself that God would even resurrect Isaac to keep His promise.

As for Abram receiving a “blessing” for lying about his wife Sarai:

On two occasions (Gen. 12:10–20; Gen. 20:1–18), Abraham passed off his wife Sarah as his sister in order to save himself from getting killed. The first time he did so was when famine afflicted Canaan so severely that he felt he had to move to Egypt to survive (Gen 12:10). But as he approached that corrupt pagan land, he realized he would be at the mercy of a society that would not stop at murder to seize his beautiful wife for the king’s harem.

Abraham felt sure they would kill him if they knew the truth about his marital status. He therefore persuaded Sarah herself to join with him in the lie, feeling that this was the only way his life could be spared. It was understandable enough that she complied with his request under those circumstances. Yet it was a sin on the part of both of them, and it robbed them of all possibility of witnessing to the truth of God before the idolatrous society of Egypt.

Pharaoh’s agents did as Abraham had foreseen; they took Sarah to Pharaoh as a lovely addition to his harem (she was still beautiful after sixty-five!). But to Abraham’s embarrassment the king bestowed lavish gifts on him and greatly increased his wealth—in servants, livestock, silver, and gold (Gen. 12:16; 13:2). 

Even after Pharaoh was stricken with a sudden illness, as soon as Sarah entered his palace, and he was constrained to inquire of his soothsayers the reason for his affliction, he was restrained from exacting vengeance on Abraham for his deception. Perhaps Pharaoh understood the constraint that his visitor was under because of the likelihood of his being murdered for the sake of his wife. Pharaoh was also very uncomfortable about being involved in the sin of adultery—which was sternly forbidden even by the Egyptian religion (cf. Book of the Dead, chap. 125, sec. B19, in Pritchard, ANET, p. 35, where the deceased has to aver that he has never committed adultery). 

Pharaoh was awed by the power of Abraham’s God, who could smite him so quickly that he could not take Sarah to his bed before he fell deathly sick. For these reasons he allowed Abraham to leave Egypt with all the handsome dowry he had bestowed on him as Sarah’s guardian. It seems quite clear that this account of Abraham’s failure is an honest inclusion of his lack of faith as manifested by this entire episode. If he had not believed that Yahweh was able to protect him with honor and integrity if he went down to Egypt, then he should never have gone there at all. 

As it was, he brought dishonor on himself and the cause he stood for, discrediting himself before the moral standards of Egypt itself.

As for his enrichment through Pharaoh’s generosity, there was a very definite sense in which the king was under obligation to pay amends for the wicked constraint that his corrupt society put on strangers who visited his land. 

When he found out the truth, he had to admit that Abraham had acted logically when he lied himself out of peril. Therefore it hardly follows that God was responsible for Abraham’s increase in wealth; it was Pharaoh’s own doing, and he did not feel justified in demanding it back, even after he found out the truth. Abraham retained his added possessions as he returned to Canaan, the land God had promised to him. 

Genesis 20 tells us how readily Abraham fell into the same subterfuge in Gerar, when he once again feared for his safety on account of his wife. As he later explained to Abimelech of Gerar, “I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place; and they will kill me because of my wife” (Gen. 20:11, NASB). He then went on to explain that in point of fact Sarah was his half sister (v.12), even though she lived with him as his wife. But here again Abraham showed a lack of confidence in God’s power to preserve him from mortal danger and failed to uphold God’s honor before the eyes of the unbelieving world. 

Even though he was given a thousand shekels by way of atonement for Abimelech’s having taken Sarah into his palace, Abraham had to leave under a cloud of dishonor. Again we should observe that this account no more exonerates Abraham from his sin than did the similar adventure in Egypt. He came away from both failures with dishonor and shame, and his influence on the Philistines was as nullified as it had been in the case of the Egyptians.

Despite the flaws of Abraham, God still used his mistakes to bring glory to Himself, and fulfill the promise that he made with Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3).

However, just because God used Abraham as a tool and instrument, does not mean that we should also fall prey to each and every sin and mistake of Abraham. This includes polygamy with Hagar the slave, and lying.

Gleason L. Archer, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan’s Understand the Bible Reference Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), 89–90.

Shincheonji Perspective

God promised to Abraham that his descendants will be enslaved in a gentile nation for 400 years and afterwards come out to conquer and inherit the land of Canaan (Gn 15:13 – 21). Jericho was part of this promised land (Dt 34:1 – 4). The leader of the Israelites (Joshua) secretly sent two spies to investigate Jericho. These two spies stayed with a gentile prostitute called Rahab (Jos 2:1). When the king of Jericho found out about the spies, he sent word to Rahab to bring them out. Rahab hid the two spies and lied to the king and his men saying that the two spies had already left (Jos 2:2 – 7). The reason why Rahab did this is because she believed that God was with the Israelites and that God would fulfill his promise to his people (Jos 2:8 – 11). Because of this action, Rahab and her family were saved when the Israelites conquered the land of Jericho (Jos 6:17). Rahab and her family were even allowed to live among the Israelites (Jos 6:22 – 25). Even though Rahab lied, she had faith that God acknowledged by believing in the promise that God made to Abraham (Heb 11:31). Even though she lied, her action was considered righteous from the viewpoint of God since it was in accordance with her faith in God’s promise (Jas 2:25). We can see that right and wrong from the viewpoint of God and from the viewpoint of man are two very different things. From the viewpoint of God this were not considered lying, but rather as wisdom to do the will of God.

Christian Response

There are many doctrinal issues with the above claim, and it is a misinterpretation of Rahab’s actions:

The text conflates Rahab’s faith with her lie, suggesting that God approved of her deception. While the Bible commends Rahab’s faith (Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25), it does not explicitly endorse her lie. Her faith is praised, not her method.

• Hebrews 11:31 – By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
• James 2:25 – In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

When Shincheonji praises Rahab for lying, they’re adding and subtracting to God’s word.

This interpretation of lying can also lead to even more dangerous interpretations as the “ends justify the means”, and can be used to rationalize any unethical behavior.

Another thing to keep in mind is how Rahab the spy was a part of a foreign land, who came to know the LORD and had faith in a foreign God. She was willing to not only risk her own life by protecting the spies, but also risk the lives of her family.

More precisely, quoting:

Gleason L. Archer, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan’s Understand the Bible Reference Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), 155–156.

The Context of Rahab

In Rahab’s case there were special factors that operated in her favor, and they should not be overlooked, even if they do not altogether excuse her mendacity. In this particular case the lie meant for her a step of faith that put her very life in jeopardy.

The safer thing for her to do was tell the truth and let the police officials of Jericho know that she had two Hebrew spies hidden under her piles of flax stalks drying under the sun on top of her roof. But she had given her solemn word, apparently, to the two fugitives that she would not betray them to the king’s agents. At any rate, she professed a very firm conviction that the Israelite forces would capture and destroy Jericho, even though from the standpoint of military science it looked as if Jericho was virtually impregnable. 

Joshua 2:11 – 12 – “The LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD” 

For a woman of ill fame and a completely pagan upbringing to attain such a conviction concerning the one true God was a far more striking display of faith than was the case of the patriarchs and the people of Moses who had been brought up in the truth of God.

She had to turn her back on her own people and the cultural tradition in which she had been reared in order to take such a step as this and to throw in her lot with the covenant nation of Israel. 

She literally risked her life for the cause of the Lord, as she told that lie to the arresting officers. She might very easily have been discovered. A single sneeze or bodily movement on the part of the hidden spies would have sealed her doom—as well as theirs. Therefore we should recognize that there were very unusual extenuating factors involved in her deception.

Shincheonji Perspective

Shincheonji may point to the midwives of Exodus 1 who did not follow through with killing the Hebrew babies, but instead spared them, even lying to Pharaoh in order to protect the innocent lives.

The Context for the Midwives and Divine Mercy

When we examine scripture, we have to be careful not to add and subtract to God’s word. While it is true that the midwives did lie to Pharaoh, to use this story as a way to justify the use of deception to carry out God’s kingdom is an example of adding and subtracting to God’s word.

Exodus 1:17-21 –  But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had [p]commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”  The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”  So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.  And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

Explicitly, God blessed the midwives because they feared God and spared the Hebrew boys. 

For a more thorough analysis:

Exodus 1:16 contains the instructions of the Egyptian king to the Hebrew midwives concerning the murder of Hebrew male babies at the time of delivery:

“When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth … if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live” (NASB). 

This, then, was a command for them to commit infanticide. The narrative goes on to say that in order to avoid perpetuating this heinous act, they resorted to a strategy of delay. That is to say, they managed to slow up their response to the call from a woman in labor to such an extent that the baby was already born and safely tucked away in its crib by the time they finally arrived at the house.

As the midwives explained to Pharaoh,

“The Hebrew women … are vigorous, and they give birth before the midwife can get to them” (Exod. 1:19, NASB).

From the standpoint of the midwives’ arriving too late, this was probably true. They simply did not divulge the fact that their tardy arrival was deliberately planned. 

They might easily have been caught by the Egyptian police if they had been put under twenty-four-hour surveillance; so they ran a real risk of detection, trial, and execution. But when faced with the choice between penetrating systematic infanticide against their own people and misleading the king by a half-truth in order to avert this calamity, they rightly chose the lesser ill in order to avoid the greater. God did not honor and bless these two brave women for their withholding part of the truth; rather, he blessed them for their willingness to incur personal danger in order to save the lives of innocent babies.

In this connection the question is sometimes raised as to how just two midwives could have served a community of two million people during a period of high birth rate. Of course they could not have served so many Hebrew mothers without numerous assistants. But it was normal Egyptian practice to set up a bureaucratic chain of command in connection with almost every government agency or activity. Each department had its own overseer, directly responsible to the head of government, whether on the national level or on the provincial level. In this case the king appointed two seasoned professionals in this field to operate a regular obstetrical service under government supervision. We cannot tell how many assistants Shiphrah and Puah had at their disposal, but they apparently instructed them carefully about the technique of late arrival in order to preserve life. Thus Pharaoh had only the clever overseers to deal with and to interrogate, and they turned out to be more than a match for him. Hence God gave them both the blessing of raising many children of their own, as a reward for their courage in risking their lives to save the babies of others.

Gleason L. Archer, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan’s Understand the Bible Reference Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982), 109–110.

Shincheonji Perspective

A Shincheonji member may point to Samson lying to his wife, Delilah, about where his source of strength comes from.

Is Samson a Good Man for a Moral Compass?

When it comes to morality, Samson is probably one of the worst people to look at. If anything, his character shows that despite our own personal flaws, God can use evil men and women to bring himself glory.

Throughout the story of Samson, we can see that his character is questionable at best.

1. Marrying a Philistine woman against God’s law and his parents’ wishes.
   1. Judges 14:1-3
2. Breaking his Nazarite vow by touching a dead lion’s carcass and eating honey from it.
   1. Judges 14:8-9
3. Potentially violating his Nazarite vow by attending a “drinking party” for his wedding.
   1. Judges 14:10
4. Killing Philistines out of anger to pay off a bet.
   1. Judges 14:19
5. Burning the Philistines’ crops in an act of vengeance.
6. Visiting a prostitute in Gaza.
   1. Judges 16:1
7. Engaging in an intimate relationship with Delilah, who was not his wife.
   1. Judges 16:4
8. Generally being described as undisciplined, unable to control his eyes, appetite, anger, or mouth.

It is clear that Samson is someone that we ought not to emulate. He managed to put himself in a position that eventually led to him losing his strength. If anything, the story of Samson also shows the consequences of unchecked desires, which leads people to dangerous situations. Samson should not have been in that position in the first place if he were following God.

If one were to ignore this fact, and then respond with “well, he also shouldn’t have told Delilah about the source of his strength”, then sure, we can both agree with that. However; a Christian would normally have a higher moral standard and not overlook the other obvious flaws of Samson.

Shincheonji Perspective

SCJ teaches that Jesus did many things in secret, and also told many people to keep his identity secret because he knew that Satan would use people to oppose (persecute) the work of God (Matt. 9:27 – 34, Mark 1:40 – 45, 5:35 – 43, 7:32 – 37, 8:22 – 30, John 5:9 – 16, 7:1 – 12, 11:45 – 57). They believe that because Jesus did things in secret and knew Satan would get in the way, they also must conceal their activities so that Satan will not interfere with their work. 

Did Jesus Lie?

To make it clear, Jesus never lied, SCJ doesn’t claim that either, but they claim that Jesus did things in secret so that Satan would not interfere with His work. It is a stretch to go from the actions of Jesus to the actions of SCJ recruiters. We need to understand the intentions behind Jesus’s actions. There are a few reasons why so let’s look into those and also see how Jesus’s actions and intentions differ from SCJ recruiters. 

In Matthew 16:20, Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he is the messiah. He also says a similar thing in Matthew 17 after His transfiguration where he tells them not to share. This can be unsettling as one would think Jesus’s goal is to share that he is the messiah with many people. However, Jesus is not trying to prevent people from knowing who he is. He has publicly displayed all the promised signs of the Messiah and many have acknowledged His identity (Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22). He is sensitive to the weaknesses of the people and if enough became convinced that He was the Messiah—before His prophesied death and resurrection (John 12:32–34)—they would attempt to start a revolution against Rome, to make Him king of Israel (John 6:15). That would be based on a misunderstanding about what the Messiah had come to do on earth. He does not want that.

For now, Jesus seems most interested in allowing Israel’s religious leaders and the people to decide for themselves who they will say that He is, based on His displays of God’s power and His teaching and to not get in the way of his crucifixion and resurrection. The time for many to know the message of Christ will happen when the time is right (Acts 1:8).

It is important to note that Shincheonji believe there will be a time where many people will come to SCJ and they will evangelize more openly, they call this the great multitude referring to Revelation 7 verse 9 and verse 14. But for the time now they believe that they must be discreet since they are still perceived as a cult so people would not believe if they shared who they were openly.

Part of why Jesus was discreet is about humility and service, but this argument is not as strong as the one made above. The main difference between SCJ’s methods and Jesus’s is that SCJ are going beyond being discreet to not mislead. They are being deceptive and manipulative. Many of them share that they are members or leaders of various Christian churches and ministries, that they studied at various bible colleges, or that they themselves are learning this with you for the first time. They also then encourage you not to share these teachings with anyone or not even let anyone know that you are learning the bible. They coach their members how to lie with many of them being comfortable being able to look you straight in the eye while doing so.

Shincheonji Perspective

SCJ states that Paul realized that he had to use deception to bring people to the truth quoting 1 Cor 9:19-23 where he “becomes all things to all people”. They also add that the early disciples lied and hid themselves in order to not be killed and to spread their message faster.

There is no biblical example that said the early disciples and believers of Christ had to lie about who they were. It is true that they suffered immense persecution and had to hide in caves (Heb. 11:38), but that is it. Their ministry was open and public and never hid their message, nor lied to anyone about who they were. If they didn’t tell the truth, then why were so many of them killed for their faith?

The Context of 1 Corinthians 9:20-22

In response to the use of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, this should be considered in context, and since SCJ teachers love to cherry pick scriptures and not consider verses in their context, this would have been overlooked. Reading verses 17-19 says:

“If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” 1 Corinthians 9 :17-19

So here we can see it is not about lying, but about giving up his rights and freedoms for the sake of those who long to know Jesus. Where Paul states he has “become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ” he is referring to giving up his rights, and also adjusting to culture standards to not cause offense during evangelism. When in Athens, Paul established rapport with the Greeks before telling them about Jesus. He stood amidst their many idols and commented about their devotion to their gods (Acts 17:22).

Rather than rail against the idolatry of Athens, Paul used those symbols of pagan pride to gain their attention. In Romans he talks about not eating food sacrificed to idols if it might cause offense to someone, or to get circumcised if it might cause someone not to believe.  If becoming all things to all people means we can sin, then where’s the line? Can I sleep with a prostitute to evangelize to them? (Of course not!) It is a slippery slope. Paul is not lying, nor is he getting enthralled by the things of the world, rather he is removing or avoiding cultural barriers in order to share the gospel with those who might not otherwise give him a chance.

Furthermore, in Paul’s next letter to the church in Corinth we see him specifically forbid deceptive methods to share the gospel.

In 2 Corinthians 4:2  “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

If Paul endorses the use of deception in his ministry, here he would seem to be contradicting himself! Therefore we can say that Paul did not use deception in his ministry but boldly proclaimed the gospel with a sensitivity to cultural standards.  

Jesus, why so sneaky?

SCJ teaches that Jesus’ return will be secretive and involve deceptive methods, similar to how a thief operates. They use this interpretation to justify their own practices of secrecy and deception in evangelism and recruitment.

Rev. 16:15 – (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.”)

1 Thess. 5:2 – For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.

1 Thess. 5:4 – But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;

Matt. 24:43 – But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

2 Pet. 3:10 – But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered

The Importance of Reading the Context

This is just a blatant misinterpretation of the text.

When Paul and Jesus use the phrase “thief in the night,” they are referring to the need for believers to be ready. If we read further down in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5, Paul is saying that the Thessalonians will be ready and will not be surprised. Therefore, we can see clearly that this metaphor is only appealing to the inattentiveness of believers, not the deceptive methods that a thief and SCJ use. It can be dangerous to take a biblical metaphor too far and apply it to situations where God did not intend.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-5 – For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” Then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

We can clearly see that Paul is making a dichotomy between those who are in the light with Christ, and those who aren’t. This also further disproves needing to return in a way such that cunningness and thievery would be used.

Then for 2 Peter 3:10, we can also see that this idea of Jesus returning like a thief in the night justifying the use of deception is also taken out of context, considering that in 2 Peter 2, Peter was warning his congregation about false teachers and prophets sneaking into the congregation spreading their false heresy. 

2 Peter 2:1-3 – But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Why would Jesus use the same deceptive tactics for his second coming as his enemy, who is also referred to as the “Father of lies” in John 8:44?

As for Matthew 24:43, and Revelation 16:5, the intent is how when Jesus returns, it will be an obvious event, and those who are “ready” and “waiting” for Christ, will not be surprised, just like what Paul mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5.

Shincheonji Perspective

Jesus used “wisdom” against His brothers when it came to the festival.

Context is King

Several explanations clarify that Jesus did not lie:

Divine Timing: Jesus’ response to His brothers highlights His adherence to divine timing. When He says, “My time has not yet fully come,” He is emphasizing that His actions are guided by God’s plan, not human expectations. He chose to attend the feast later and privately, aligning with His mission and avoiding premature public attention. His statement was not a denial of attending the feast but a rejection of His brothers’ suggestion to go publicly.

Manuscript Variations: Some ancient Greek manuscripts include the word “yet” in Jesus’ statement: “I am not yet going up to this feast.” This variation suggests that Jesus was indicating a temporary delay rather than an outright refusal to attend. This reading aligns with His subsequent decision to go later.

Context and Purpose: Jesus’ brothers were urging Him to attend the feast for public recognition, yet they did not believe in Him. Jesus’ initial statement was a response to their specific suggestion of a public display, not a declaration that He would avoid the feast entirely. By going later in private, He maintained His focus on God’s purpose rather than yielding to human expectations.

Jesus and His Public Ministry

Shincheonji response

Even if Jesus didn’t lie, he still did not go publicly, and used the wisdom of hiding for his own ministry.

Christian response

The context of John 7:8 is crucial. Some manuscripts include the word “yet,” indicating Jesus said, “I am not yet going up to this festival” (John 7:8). This aligns with Jesus’ consistent truthfulness and strategic timing according to God’s will, not human expectations.

You also have to recall, Jesus publicly displayed signs and miracles. Whenever he was asked a question, he did not deny himself before others to save his own skin. There are times when Jesus did withhold information from people who weren’t genuinely interested; however, he never lied about who he was.

We can see that the entire lead up to chapter 7, how Jesus never denied who he was, and never used deception.

John the Baptist sees Jesus coming towards him and publicly declares “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) 

John testifies publicly that he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, identifying him as the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:32-33)

John publicly declares that Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:34)

Jesus meets Andrew and Simon Peter for the first time (not in secret) (John 1:35-42)

Jesus calls Philip to follow him (not in secret) (John 1:43)

Jesus meets Nathanael and demonstrates his divine knowledge (not in secret), leading Nathanael to declare Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel (John 1:45-49)

Jesus promises Nathanael that he will see greater things, including “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:50-51)

Jesus performs his first miracle by turning water into wine (John 2: 6-10). This is described as the “beginning of signs” that Jesus performed (publicly)

At the temple, Jesus drives out the money changers and those selling animals, accusing them of turning his Father’s house into a marketplace (John 2:14-16). (publicly)

While in Jerusalem, many people believe in Jesus because of the signs he performs (John 2:23-25). (publicly)

Jesus has a nighttime conversation with Nicodemus,, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin), and doesn’t deny who he is. (John 3) (Jesus did not use the “wisdom of hiding” by denying who he was)

Jesus has a significant conversation with the Samaritan woman about “living water” and reveals knowledge about her personal life (John 4:7-26). (publicly)

Many Samaritans from the town come to believe in Jesus based on the woman’s testimony and Jesus’ teaching. He stays with them for two days (John 4:39-42) (publicly)

In Cana, Jesus performs his second recorded miracle by healing a royal official’s son who was sick in Capernaum (John 4:46-54). (publicly)

At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus encounters a man who had been an invalid for 38 years (John 5:2-5). 

The Jewish leaders begin to persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath (John 5:16).

Jesus responds by saying he is working just as his Father is always working, which further angers the Jewish leaders because they see it as Jesus claiming equality with God (John 5:17-18). (did not deny who he was)

Jesus then gives a discourse about his relationship with the Father, his authority, and the witnesses that testify about him (John 5:19-47). (did not deny who he was)

Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish John 6:5-13, particularly verses 9-11

Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse John 6:35 – “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'”

John 6:51 – “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus asking the Twelve if they want to leave and Peter’s affirmation:

John 6:67-69 

Showing the previous 6 chapters of John 7, we can clearly see that Jesus never used any form of deception up to this point.

When someone attempts to use John 7 as a way to justify the use of deception, it is an example of adding and subtracting to God’s word.