Malachi 1:14
"And cursed [is the man] who had the power, and possessed a male in his flock, and whose vow is upon him, and who sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord: for I am a great King, says the Lord Almighty, and my name is glorious among the nations."
Is deception an absolute sin?
Contrasting Link: 1SA 16:2 →
A claim of contradiction is made between Malachi 1:14 and 1 Samuel 16:2, as well as a verse in Jeremiah and Ezekiel 14:9 regarding deception. However, quoting only the first quarter of Malachi 1:14 and ignoring the rest of it makes a big difference. Within Christianity, certain instances of withholding truth or misdirection are not viewed as absolute sin; thus, even if there is deception in any of these verses (and we do not necessarily agree that there is malicious deceit), if it served a greater good or a righteous end, there is no theological problem.