The Precepts of the Lord and Divine Command Theory

Psalm 19:8 tells us that the precepts of the Lord are "right" (the word in Hebrew is more literally "upright"). Now one might interpret this in two ways. Either one understands this verse to say that the content of the precepts of the Lord is true, or one understands this verse to say that the precepts themselves are morally right (i.e. the Lord acted in a morally upright way to give these precepts). But either interpretation gives rise to problems for Divine command theory. Divine command theory would make the first interpretation an analytic truth, which is simply implausible. And the second interpretation would lead to a regress, for it could only be by conformity to a precept that God's providence of the precepts He actually provides could be morally upright.

An Argument for the Intrinsic Evil of Lying

Here's a theological argument for the intrinsic evil of lying:

1. God can do anything which it is not intrinsically evil for a human person to do.
2. God cannot lie. (Titus 1:2)
3. Therefore, it is intrinsically evil for a human person to lie.

(1) is true because the omnipotence of God extends to every metaphysically possible thing which is not contrary to His nature. And anything it is permissible for a creature to do is something that is not contrary to the nature of God (if it were, it wouldn't be permissible for that creature). So if lying weren't intrinsically evil for human persons to do, then God could lie.

Of course, the converse of (1) is false: God can do some things it is intrinsically evil for a human person to do, such as to kill those who are innocent of violating human law.

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

The maxim, “Love the sinner and hate the sin,” is often portrayed as a rhetorical refuge for those who really hate the sinner as well as the sin, and is therefore rejected by many liberal Christians. But the maxim is a conjunction of two clear Divine commands in Scripture. “Love the sinner” is entailed by the more general Divine command to love all men (S. John xv:12). Likewise, the command to hate sin follows from the more general Divine command to hate evil (Ps. xcvi:10). The conjuncts in turn entail the conjunction. Thus, every Christian is obliged to accept the maxim.