Telling only part of the truth or combining truth and falsehood in one statement. Someone has said, ‘Beware of a half-truth; you may get hold of the wrong half’, Matt. 5. 37.

A truthful tongue speaks up to defend the truth.
Sometimes a person can tell a lie merely by keeping silent, Jas. 4. 17.

A truthful tongue distinguishes between fact and opinion.
Train yourself to separate fact from implication, opinion, deduction and innuendo, Zech. 8. 16-17. .

A truthful tongue is careful about absolute statements.
These are a kind of exaggerated statement that includes such words as ‘always’ and ‘never’. For example, ‘You are always so ungrateful’, Prov.12. 17-19.

A truthful tongue speaks the truth about oneself.
Often it’s as easy to be dishonest about yourself as to be untruthful about others, Jas. 3. 5.

A truthful tongue is careful about the so-called ‘white lie.’
It is best to tell the truth at all times, Eph. 4. 15.

Selected from Grace and Truth Magazine October 2000, with permission.