Honest
Honest
1. The word honest in the Authorized Version bears the Latin (honestus, fr. [Note: fragment, from.] honos = honour) and the older English senses of (a) regarded with honour, honourable, and (b) bringing honour, becoming (article Honest, Honesty in Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) ). It is used in translating (1) (Act 6:3); the deacons must he men of honest report (Authorized Version ), i.e. of honourable repute (cf. Heb 11:2; Heb 11:39, etc.). (2) ; it is a Christian duty to take thought for things honourable (Authorized Version , honest) in the sight of all men (Rom 12:17), i.e. to live morally above suspicion in the eyes of the world. The same phrase (taken from the Septuagint translation of Pro 3:4) occurs in 2Co 8:21. St. Pauls precautions to avoid slander in the administration of Church funds provide an illustration of the principle. is translated in the Revised Version honourable (honest, Authorized Version ) in 2Co 13:7, and seemly (honest, Authorized Version ) in 1Pe 2:12. Since integrity wins mens moral respect, honestly is retained as the Revised Version translation of in Heb 13:18, and the Revised Version margin rendering of in Tit 3:14 is honest occupations. (3) (Rom 13:13, 1Th 4:12); both the Authorized Version and the Revised Version translate honestly, but becomingly or worthily seems preferable (the same adverb is translated decently in 1Co 14:40). (4) ; whatsoever things are honest (Authorized Version ; honourable, Revised Version ) think on these things (Php 4:8). Various renderings have been suggested-reverend (AVm [Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.] ), seemly (Ellicott), venerable (Vincent), whatever wins respect (Weymouth), the things which produce a noble seriousness (M. Arnold). The corresponding noun in 1Ti 2:2 is translated in the Revised Version gravity.
2. The idea of honesty in our modern sense is fairly conspicuous in the writings of the Apostolic Church (contrast the Gospels, where there is practically no direct reference to this virtue; see article Honesty in Dict. of Christ and the Gospels ). Thieves and avaricious men shall not enter the Kingdom of God (1Co 6:8-10). Liars cannot enter the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27; Rev 22:15): their part is in the fiery lake (Rev 21:8). Deceit () finds its place in the black list of pagan vices (Rom 1:29): it is one of the signs of an unregenerate world (Rom 3:13; cf. Rom 2:21); the Christians, becoming new men, must put away falsehood, and speak truth, each man with his neighbour (Eph 4:22; Eph 4:25, Col 3:9). He that stole must steal no more, but must work with his hands in honest industry (Eph 4:28). None must suffer disgracefully for thieving (1Pe 4:15). The dishonesty of Ananias and Sapphira meets with terrible punishment (Acts 5). Fair dealing in sexual relations is recognized (1Co 7:5). A contemptible form of dishonesty is that of a religious teacher whose motive is self-interest, and who is so degraded as to trick his hearers (2Co 2:17; 2Co 11:20, Rom 16:18, Eph 4:14). St. Paul, in contrast, asserts his own purity of motive (1Th 2:3 f., 2Co 7:2; 2Co 12:16 f., Act 20:33) and honesty of message (2Co 4:2). The burden of the social-reform prophets of the OT is repeated in the denunciations of the unscrupulously rich-Behold, the hire of the labourers, who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out (Jam 5:4). See further article Honest, Honesty in Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) for literary illustrations of the use of the word honest.
H. Bulcock.