Catechesis: 8th Commandment

To be a judge requires above all things a godly man, and not only a godly man, but also a wise, modest, indeed, a brave and bold man.—LC I:259

Next this commandment extends very much further, if we apply it to the spiritual jurisdiction or administration. Here is a common occurrence that everyone bears false witness against his neighbor. For wherever there are godly preachers and Christians, they must bear the sentence before the world that calls them heretics, apostates, and indeed, instigators and desperately wicked unbelievers. Besides, God’s Word must suffer in the most shameful and hateful manner, being persecuted, blasphemed, contradicted, perverted, and falsely quoted and interpreted.—LC I: 262

Here belongs the particularly detestable device, shameful vice of speaking behind a person’s back and slandering, to which the devil spurs us on, and of which much could be said. For it is a common plague that everyone prefers hearing evil more than hearing good about his neighbor.—LC I:264

You may indeed know about a sin, but you are not to judge it.—LC I:266

Therefore, if you meet an idle tongue that betrays and slanders someone, contradict such a person promptly to his face, so he may blush.—LC I 273

Let this, then, be your rule, that you do not too quickly spread evil about your neighbor and slander him to others. Instead, admonish him privately that he may amen his life.—LC I 276

All this has been said about secret sins. But where the sin is quite public, so that the judge and everybody knows about it, you can without any sin shun and the offender and let him go his own way, because he has brought himself into disgrace. You can also publicly testify about him.—LC I 284