Ebinimi had been a headmistress in Yenagoa for twenty-two years before she retired, and people still called her “Headmistress” in the market. She was the kind of woman whose word was trusted. Former pupils who were now lawyers and engineers sent her greetings at Christmas. In her church she led the women’s prayer group, and in her extended family she was the one everyone phoned when they needed advice. When Ebinimi said something was so, it was usually so.
One Thursday evening a video arrived in her phone from a friend in Port Harcourt. A man in a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, sat in front of a bookshelf and spoke with great authority. He was introduced as a well-known professor of medicine. High blood pressure, he said, could be cured in twenty-one days with a mixture of bitter leaf, garlic, lime and a particular root, boiled and taken every morning. The tablets that doctors prescribed only kept people sick, because the drug companies made money from their illness. Stop poisoning yourself, he said. Go back to nature.
Ebinimi knew the man’s face. She had seen him on television, speaking about public health. And she knew several people with high blood pressure, including her cousin’s husband, a retired marine engineer who had been taking his tablets for twelve years and hated it. She forwarded the video to nine groups that evening: the women’s fellowship, the family group, two groups of retired teachers and several more. At the top she wrote, Tested and trusted. Please share with anyone who is suffering.
Her cousin’s husband stopped his tablets the following Monday. When his wife protested, he said, “Aunty Ebinimi would not send something false.”
Nineteen days later he collapsed at home and was rushed to hospital with dangerously high blood pressure and the early signs of a stroke. He spent five days on a ward before the doctors were sure he would recover. By then, Ebinimi had learned something else. The doctor in the video was real, but the video was not. Someone had taken old footage of him and used software to change his words and the movement of his lips. He had already posted a statement on his own page, weeks earlier, saying that the video was fake and pleading with people not to stop their medication.
PunchlineWhen her cousin phoned from the hospital, she did not shout. She just said quietly, “Ebinimi, it came from you.”
Your name on the message
Ebinimi did not make the video. She did not invent the false cure. Someone else, somewhere, had done that deliberately. But she gave it something it did not have before. She gave it her name. To her cousin’s husband, the message was not from an unknown man in a white coat. It was from Headmistress, who had never misled him.
That is what passing on a claim does. It gives the claim another voice. Every time a message is forwarded, it picks up the credibility of the person who sent it. A rumour that would be ignored from a stranger is believed when it comes from your pastor, your mother or your oldest friend. The trust you have built over years becomes the vehicle by which a lie travels.
The law of Moses addressed this directly:
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.
“Thou shalt not raise a false report.” The Hebrew verb translated raise is the ordinary word for lifting or carrying something. The command covers more than inventing a lie. It forbids picking one up and carrying it further. The person who receives a false report and passes it on has lifted it, carried it and set it down somewhere new.
“Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” When you share a claim, you are acting as a witness to it. You are saying, in effect, “I think this is worth believing.” If the claim is false, you have become a false witness, even if you did not know it was false. Your intention may have been good, but the effect on the person who believes you is the same.
And then verse 2: “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” That sentence has a modern ring. A message that has already been shared ten thousand times feels true simply because so many people are passing it around. But a crowd is not a source. Numbers prove only that something has spread. They prove nothing about whether it is so.
Answering before hearing
The book of Proverbs has a single verse that could serve as a rule for every believer with a phone:
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it , it is folly and shame unto him.
The setting the proverb has in mind is a matter under discussion, perhaps a dispute brought before the elders at the city gate, perhaps a conversation in which someone is asked a question. The fool answers before he has heard the whole thing. He responds to the first half of a story. He has his reply ready before the other person has finished speaking.
Notice the strong words Proverbs uses for this: “it is folly and shame unto him.” Folly is the opposite of wisdom in Proverbs, the condition of a person who lives without regard to God’s ways. Shame is what follows. The person who answers too quickly is eventually exposed, and he ends up embarrassed by what he said.
Sharing is a kind of answering. When a message arrives and we forward it, we are responding to it. We are answering a matter. And most of the time, we have not heard it. We have heard one voice, often an anonymous one. We have not asked who made the claim, where it came from, what evidence supports it, or what those who disagree would say. We have answered before we heard.
In Ebinimi’s case, the whole matter was available. The doctor had already spoken. His statement was on his own page. A few minutes of searching would have turned it up. But she answered the first voice she heard, because it sounded authoritative, because it spoke to a real need, and because she loved the people she sent it to.
That last point matters. Many believers share false information out of love. We want to protect our families. We want the sick to be healed. We want to warn our friends about danger. Those desires are good. But love does not excuse carelessness. Love that is serious about another person’s good will take the trouble to check that what it offers is true.
The first story always sounds right
A few verses later, Proverbs adds another observation that every court of law has learned the hard way:
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.
“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just.” When someone presents his side of a case, and no one else has spoken yet, he sounds right. His story has a beginning, a middle and an end. It explains everything. It is hard to imagine how it could be wrong. “But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.” Then the other party arrives and begins to examine him, to ask questions, to test the details. And suddenly the story looks quite different.
The Hebrew word translated searcheth is used for exploring a land or examining something thoroughly. It is the work of investigation. The proverb is not cynical about the first speaker. It simply recognises that one account, however persuasive, is not the whole truth. Justice requires that the other side be heard and the first story be tested.
Joseph learned this in the house of Potiphar. When Potiphar’s wife failed to seduce him, she spoke first. She told the servants, and then her husband, that the Hebrew slave had tried to assault her, and she had his garment in her hand as evidence. The story was complete and the proof seemed solid. Genesis records that “when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled” (Genesis 39:19). There is no record that anyone asked Joseph a single question. He went straight to prison. The first story seemed just, and nobody came to search it. An innocent man paid for it with years of his life.
Misinformation takes advantage of the power of the first story. The person who creates a false claim always gets to speak first. By the time anyone has examined it, it has already been shared thousands of times. Corrections almost always travel more slowly than the original claim, and they rarely reach everyone who heard it.
And the first story has become far more convincing. It used to be that a photograph or a recording was strong evidence that something had happened. That is no longer safe to assume. It is now possible to create images of events that never happened, recordings of voices saying words that were never spoken and videos of real people delivering messages they never gave. Ebinimi recognised the doctor’s face, and that recognition is exactly what made the false message so powerful.
That means a believer must hold first stories more loosely than ever. When something dramatic arrives, especially something that provokes strong emotion, the wise response is to wait for the neighbour to come and search it. Ask what the other side says. Ask whether the person shown has said anything about it himself. Ask whether a trustworthy source has confirmed it. The first story will always seem just. That is precisely why it must be examined.
NuggetPassing on a claim gives it another voice, and that voice is yours. The first story always seems right until someone searches it, so let truth have time to be heard before you lend it your name.
The altar by the Jordan
There is a remarkable story near the end of the book of Joshua that shows how close God’s people once came to disaster because of an unexamined report. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh had settled on the eastern side of the Jordan. As they returned home after helping the other tribes conquer Canaan, they built a large altar near the river. Word reached the rest of Israel:
And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it , the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
“And the children of Israel heard say.” That is how it began. Someone reported what they had seen. Israel knew that God had commanded one place of sacrifice, and an altar elsewhere looked like rebellion. They remembered what idolatry had cost them before. So the whole congregation gathered at Shiloh, ready to go to war against their own brothers. A civil war was hours away.
But then they did something wise. Before marching, they sent Phinehas the priest and ten leaders, one from each tribe, to ask what was going on (Joshua 22:13-14). The delegation spoke sharply. They assumed the worst. But they asked.
And the eastern tribes answered. The altar was not for sacrifice at all. They had built it as a witness, a copy of the true altar, so that in future generations the western tribes could never say to their children, “Ye have no part in the LORD” (Joshua 22:27). Far from rebelling, they had built it out of fear of being cut off from the worship of God. When Phinehas and the leaders heard it, “it pleased them” (Joshua 22:30). The report was carried back to the congregation. “And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle” (Joshua 22:33).
What would have happened if Israel had acted on the first report? Brothers would have killed brothers over a misunderstanding. What saved them was a delegation that was willing to travel, ask and listen. The neighbour came and searched the matter. That is a costly kind of patience. It took time. It meant delaying action that felt urgent and righteous. But it kept the nation from shedding innocent blood.
Notice too that Phinehas and the leaders went with suspicion in their hearts. Their opening speech was an accusation (Joshua 22:16). They were not neutral. Yet suspicion did not stop them from asking, and when the answer came, they were humble enough to be glad they had been wrong. Many of us will never be entirely free of first impressions. We do not need to be. We need to be willing to ask, and willing to change our minds when the facts arrive.
The same pattern applies to the reports that reach us about people. A screenshot of a church member’s message, cut off at the wrong place. A photograph of a pastor beside someone, with a caption that implies the worst. A voice note that sounds like a colleague insulting the boss. Before we gather at Shiloh, someone should cross the river and ask.
Search, and ask diligently
Moses gave Israel a procedure for dealing with serious accusations of idolatry in a town. The offence was grave, and the penalty severe. But before anything could be done, the people were told:
Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you.
Look at the three verbs: enquire, make search, ask diligently. Then the standard: “if it be truth, and the thing certain.” God did not allow His people to act on a rumour, even about something as serious as idolatry. The more serious the claim, the more careful the investigation had to be.
Luke, the doctor and historian, describes his own method at the beginning of his Gospel. He says he had “perfect understanding of all things from the very first,” having traced them carefully from eyewitnesses, so that Theophilus “mightest know the certainty of those things” (Luke 1:3-4). The Christian faith itself is built on testimony that was examined. The Bereans were commended because they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11), even when the preacher was the apostle Paul.
What does diligent searching look like today? It is usually simple. Ask where the message came from. A forward with no named source should be treated with caution. Look for the original, and for what the person or institution involved has said. Search for the main claim together with words like fake or hoax, and see what reputable news organisations or fact-checking services say. For health claims, ask a doctor or pharmacist. For claims about a person, ask whether you have heard from that person.
Those who lead carry a heavier share of this responsibility. James warns, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). A pastor who repeats an unverified claim from the pulpit, a group administrator who pins a rumour to the top of the page and a teacher who passes a false story to a class all lend it the authority of their position. People who trust a leader rarely check what he says. That is a reason for leaders to check twice.
And if you cannot verify something, there is a truthful option that is often overlooked: say nothing, or say, “I don’t know.” Humility about uncertainty is part of truthfulness. You are not obliged to have an opinion about every message that arrives. If you must mention something unconfirmed, say clearly that it is unconfirmed. Do not add “Tested and trusted” to anything you have not tested.
Why we share too quickly
It is worth asking why so many sincere Christians share false things. Part of the answer is technical: the forward button is easy, and checking takes effort. But much of the answer lies in the heart.
We share quickly because we want to be first. There is a small thrill in being the one who brings news to the group. We share quickly because we want to be useful, and passing on a warning feels like doing something. We share quickly because we are afraid, and fear makes every danger feel urgent. And we share quickly because the message confirms what we already believe. If it says the government is lying, or that a certain group of people is dangerous, or that the doctors are conspiring, and we already suspected as much, we hardly stop to ask whether it is true.
Proverbs puts it bluntly: “he that hasteth with his feet sinneth” (Proverbs 19:2). The same verse says, “that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.” Haste and ignorance are a dangerous pair.
The gospel speaks to each of these motives. You do not need to be first, because your worth is not measured by how much attention you get in the family group. You do not need to prove your usefulness, because you are already loved in Christ. You do not need to live in fear, because your Father holds the future. And you do not need every message to confirm your views, because your confidence rests on Christ and not on winning the argument. A secure believer can afford to wait.
Members one of another
Paul’s instruction to the Ephesians ties truthfulness to the life of the body:
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Paul does not merely say, “Do not lie.” He says, “speak every man truth with his neighbour.” Truthfulness is active. It includes the effort to make sure that what we say is true. And the reason he gives is that “we are members one of another.” When I deceive my neighbour, even by accident, I injure the body I belong to.
Misinformation does its greatest damage to the most vulnerable members. The elderly, who often trust what arrives on their phones. The sick, who are desperate for a cure. The poor, who cannot afford to lose money to a scam. Communities already divided, where one false rumour can set neighbours against each other. When Christians become channels for falsehood, it is often these people who pay.
Because we belong to one another, there will also be times when we need to correct someone else. A false message appears in the family group from an uncle, or in the church group from a respected elder. Many of us stay silent, because we do not want to embarrass anyone. But silence lets the falsehood keep working. Paul gives us the right spirit for correction: “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). Correct gently. Where possible, speak privately first. Share what you found, not a lecture. Remember that you have forwarded false things too. A kind correction honours the person and protects the group.
A word of balance is needed here, particularly about health. Concern about some medicines, interest in nutrition and the use of traditional remedies are not wrong in themselves. Many good things grow in our soil, and wise doctors take diet seriously. But no one should stop taking prescribed medication on the basis of a forwarded video. Speak to the doctor who knows your case. If you are worried about side effects or costs, raise it with them. Faith in God and the use of medical care are not enemies.
There is a balance in the other direction too. The answer to misinformation is not cynicism. Some warnings are real. Some urgent messages are true and need to be passed on. The goal is not to stop sharing, but to share what we have reason to believe, in a way that is honest about how certain we are.
When you got it wrong
Every one of us has passed on something that turned out to be false. What matters then is what we do next. The responsibility that should have governed the original decision now governs the correction.
Proverbs says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Covering takes many forms online. We delete the message quietly and hope nobody noticed. We say nothing and let the falsehood keep circulating. We make excuses: “I was only sharing what I received.” But none of these undoes the harm, and none of them is honest.
Real correction is specific. It names the false claim and says plainly that it was false. It goes back to the same places the original went, the same groups and the same people, with the same prominence. It does not bury the correction under a joke or an excuse. Where someone has been harmed, it goes further, as Jesus said: “first be reconciled to thy brother” (Matthew 5:24). It apologises to the person.
This will cost you some pride. People may think less of your judgement. But the truth is worth more than your reputation for always being right. And in practice, a person who corrects himself openly becomes more trustworthy, not less. People learn that when he says something is so, he has taken the trouble to find out.
Ebinimi visited her cousin’s husband in hospital on the fourth day. She sat by his bed and held his hand and told him she was sorry. He was weak, but he managed a smile. “Headmistress,” he said, “you have marked my exercise book for me.”
That evening, from the hospital car park, she wrote a message and sent it to every one of the nine groups. She did not soften it. Last week I shared a video claiming that high blood pressure can be cured in twenty-one days and that people should stop their medicine. The video was fake. The doctor in it never said those words, and he has asked people not to share it. A member of my own family stopped his blood-pressure medicine because of my message and is now in hospital. Please delete the video, and if you have stopped any medicine, speak to your doctor today. I am very sorry. I should have checked before sharing.
PunchlineSeveral people replied that they had already stopped their tablets. Two of them went back to their doctors that week.
Ebinimi still belongs to all nine groups. But the women in her prayer fellowship have noticed something. When an urgent message arrives, Headmistress is no longer the first to forward it. She is usually the first to ask, “Where did this come from?” They have started asking the same thing.
Your name carries weight with someone. Let it be attached only to what you have reason to believe, and when you get it wrong, let it be attached just as clearly to the correction.
Teaching Companion
For Reflection
- Can you remember a message you shared that turned out to be false? How did you respond when you found out?
- Which of the motives for sharing too quickly do you most recognise in yourself: wanting to be first, wanting to be useful, fear, or confirmation of what you already believed?
- How does the story of the altar by the Jordan challenge the way you respond to alarming reports about other people?
- What simple steps of checking could you make a habit before you forward anything?
- Is there a correction you still need to make?
This Week
For the next seven days, do not forward any message that makes a claim of fact, especially about health, danger or another person, until you have checked where it came from and what the people involved have said. If you cannot verify it, do not send it. If you find something false circulating in a group you belong to, gently and humbly post the correction. If you remember a false message you sent in the past, correct it now in the same place you sent it.
A Prayer
Lord, You are the God of truth, and You have made me a member of Your body. Forgive me for the times I have answered before hearing and carried false reports without checking them. Teach me patience before I share and humility about what I do not know. Let my name be attached only to what is true. Give me courage to correct my mistakes as clearly as I made them, and to care for the vulnerable people who trust what I send. Let my speech build up my neighbours and honour You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Truth received brings freedom. Truth believed establishes the heart.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. · Illustrations using first names only are composites unless stated otherwise.