Why It Is Wrong To Tell A Lie Even In Jest

Rev 21:8 (“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”) and many other Bible passages condemn lying. The definition of telling a “lie” is “a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth …” (dictionary.com)

It is wrong to tell a lie even in jest because we are making a “deliberate intent to deceive” – even if only for a moment to be funny. Sometimes people say something that is not true in order to be humorous, but they are not trying to deceive anybody. Instead they expect their hearer to understand what they are saying is false; that is what makes the joke funny. That is not a lie as there is no intent to deceive.  But if one tells a falsehood with intent to deceive, even if it is just for a prank, that is a lie and falls under the condemnation of texts like I Tim 1:10.

Prov 26:19 reads “So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?” (NASB)  So even a deception we think is for our listeners own good, or we think is harmless, or “all in good fun” (like telling small children there is a Santa Claus) is a lie. We must eliminate all corrupt communication (Eph 4:29) from our conversations.