Because Christians should be united in fellowship and a common cause, Paul admonishes them, saying: putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour. (Eph 4:25) While this does not mean confessing sins to others, it does mean opening our heart in personal testimony. Paul says: being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. (1 Thess 2:8)
This fellowship of the apostle was built upon a foundation of truth. He says: our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. (1 Thess 2:3,4)
This truth of Paul’s is in contrast to that of false prophets, by whom those in the early church were: carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. (Eph 4:14) Paul sought to give them the knowledge that would protect those young in the faith from such, and thereby give them stability. While we should, in general, open our hearts to our fellow believers, we should avoid opening our hearts to such, lest we cast our pearls before swine and they turn and rend us.
We also need not tell all information to busy bodies. When Saul was told by Samuel that he would be king, Saul, before he lost his wisdom through disobedience, withheld this information. When asked what Samuel said to him, Saul only said: He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not. (1 Sam 10:16)
Some information needs to be withheld for the good of the kingdom. When Nehemiah purposed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and surveyed them by night, he said: the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rest that did the work. (Neh 2:16) The enemy can work to hinder if he knows all our plans.
In an example which may have application to keeping secret the logistics of the ministry, Jeremiah the prophet also withheld information. When the king, Zedekiah, asked him counsel of God, the king did not want this disclosed. He said to Jeremiah: Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die . . . Thou shalt say . . . I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathon’s house, to die there. Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded . . . for the matter was not perceived. (Jer 38:24-27)
There are examples of God’s blessing upon those who lie to protect God’s people from danger, such as the Hebrew midwives: the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives . . . When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing , and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives . . . and it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. (Exod 1:15-21) Telling the truth to a man intent on using the information to kill or harm, is futile and wrong. The midwives were correct to deceive Pharaoh.
Those Germans who told lies to protect Jews hiding from Hitler were doing righteousness in God’s sight, as we learn from the example of Rahab. When the Israelite spies searched the city of Jericho, Rahab hid them from the king. It is written: the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were. And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out . . . But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax. (Josh 2:3-6) If she had not lied, they would have searched the house and found the men.
The bible praises Rahab’s deed as a work of faith, from which we can learn today, when it says: By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. (Heb 11:31)
Although we can deceive the enemy regarding logistics, we cannot, in general, deny the Lord by saying that we are not Christians to save our lives. This does not mean that all must preach the gospel in the streets in lands where this is forbidden. But there may be some who are so called, and who will speak as did the apostles when they were commanded: not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus . . . Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:18-20)