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#7-Silence is Complicity

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The Bible strongly teaches that silence in the face of injustice is not neutral but harmful, equating it to complicity, with key passages urging believers to speak up for the vulnerable.
 

Pro 31:8 Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak, For the rights of all the unfortunate. 

Pro 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the poor and needy. seek justice and relieve the oppressed

This truth is exemplified by figures like Esther who spoke out showing that silence enables harm and violates God's call to love and protect the marginalized.

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In this instance, during the time of Israel’s captivity when they were carried away to ancient Babylon and later to Persia, Mordecai told Esther that:

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Est 4:14 …if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 

 

This passage is addressed to the nation of Israel at that time, but the principle is born out throughout the Bible. If His people remain silent in the face of evil, God will bring His deliverance another way, but those who remain silent will suffer God’s wrath for their indifference.

 

There are many more passages that speak to the need to stand against evil. 

Prov 31:8-9: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

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Isa 1:17  Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Obtain justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow’s case.

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Recognize that knowing what's right and failing to do it is sin.

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Jas 4:17  So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

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Pro 24:11  Rescue those who are being taken away to death, And those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]! 

Pro 24:12  If you [claim ignorance and] say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives? And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul? And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works? 

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Here are some biblical examples and principles:

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The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37): The priest and Levite passing by the injured man illustrate inaction and indifference, while the Samaritan shows true compassion and intervention.

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Luk 10:30  Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he encountered robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead,

Luk 10:31 and by coincidence a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

Luk 10:32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side, 

Luk 10:33  but a Samaritan who was on a journey came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 

Luk 10:34  and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 

Luk 10:35  On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you.’ 

Luk 10:36  Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands? 

Luk 10:37  And he said, “The one who showed compassion to him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

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The conclusion of this passage is Christ’s command to “go and do the same.” This is His command to us today. 

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Another passage deals with the "Least of These" (Matthew 25:42-45): Jesus links neglecting the suffering of others to neglecting Him, showing that indifference to human need is spiritual failure.

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Mat 25:41  “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 

Mat 25:42  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 

Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 

Mat 25:44  “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 

Mat 25:45  “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ 

Mat 25:46  “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

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All of these passages speak about the necessity of being pro-active in caring for the needy and speaking out and/or standing up against evil.

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Our Lord’s command in this regard can be summarized in the book by the prophet Micah:

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Mic 6:8  He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what the LORD requires of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? 

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God would also have us stand up to expose evil for what it is.

​The Bible teaches us to expose evil by bringing it into the light and not participating in it.​

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Eph 5:11  Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 

Eph 5:12  for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 

Eph 5:13  But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

In this passage, Christ tells us to take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them because the light makes everything visible.

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This involves shining truth on hidden sins while protecting the vulnerable; and promoting righteous actions with wisdom and grace, rather than malice, aggression, and anger.

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We are to bring about transformation, not just condemnation, reflecting the light of Christ in the world. 

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God gives His people an admonition about how we are to do this in Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus.

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Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Eph 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Eph 6:13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

Eph 6:15  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Eph 6:16  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Eph 6:18  praying always with all prayer and supplication…

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…and finally:

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Rev 22:20  He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

Rev 22:21  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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May God so move us with His compassion toward all people that all of us who are capable of taking a stand find the courage and the strength to do so for those who can’t take a stand for themselves.