Righteous Deception, Part 4

Answering the Objection That Appeals to God’s Character

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In previous posts (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), I’ve been reflecting on the notion of “righteous deception” in Scripture and considering whether there is any legitimacy to it. While Christian theologians and ethicists don’t (and won’t) agree on how to answer that question, there are some objections that the “deception is always wrong” group have made and that the “deception can be legitimate and not sinful” group must answer.

I’m in the group of interpreters who believe that there is such a thing as “righteous deception.” I don’t feel dogmatic about this position like I do about primary doctrines, but this position is where I lean. As with my theological conclusions on any text and topic, I want to hold positions that I’m convinced are best supported by the evidence.

A moral principle some ethicists and theologians have reasoned from certain biblical accounts (like the midwives in Exod. 1:15–21 and Rahab in Josh. 2:1–7) is that there is a legitimate use of deception in wartime contexts or in contexts where innocent life is under threat of assault or destruction. In such situations, deceiving the wicked is not only not sinful, it is actually consistent with moral duties. In my judgment, this principle is sound.

But this notion is not without detractors. What objections are raised against it? In this post we will consider the objection that appeals to God’s character.