Honest 1 . The word ‘honest’ in the AV [Note: V Authorized Version.] bears the Latin (honestus, fr. [Note: r. fragment, from.] honos = ‘honour’) and the older English senses of (a) ‘regarded with honour,’ ‘honourable,’ and (b) ‘bringing honour,’ ‘becoming’ (art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Honest, Honesty’ in HDB [Note: DB Hastings’ Dict. of the Bible (5 vols.).]). It is used in translating (1) μαρτυρουμένος (Acts 6:3); the ‘deacons’ must he men of ‘honest report’ (AV [Note: V Authorized Version.]), i.e. of honourable repute (cf. Hebrews 11:2, Hebrews 11:39, etc.). (2) καλός; it is a Christian duty ‘to take thought for things honourable (AV [Note: V Authorized Version.], ‘honest’) in the sight of all men’ (Romans 12:17), i.e. to live morally above suspicion in the eyes of the world. The same phrase (taken from the LXX [Note: XX Septuagint.] translation of Proverbs 3:4) occurs in 2 Corinthians 8:21 . St. Paul’s precautions to avoid slander in the administration of Church funds provide an illustration of the principle. καλός is translated in the RV [Note: V Revised Version.] ‘honourable’ (‘honest,’ AV [Note: V Authorized Version.]) in 2 Corinthians 13:7, and ‘seemly’ (‘honest,’ AV [Note: V Authorized Version.]) in 1 P 2:12. Since integrity wins men’s moral respect, ‘honestly’ is retained as the RV [Note: V Revised Version.] translation of καλ ῶ ς in Hebrews 13:18, and the RVm [Note: Vm Revised Version margin.] rendering of καλ ῶ ν ἔ ργων in Titus 3:14 is ‘honest occupations.’ (3) ε ὐ σχημόνως (Romans 13:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:12); both the AV [Note: V Authorized Version.] and the RV [Note: V Revised Version.] translate ‘honestly,’ but ‘becomingly’ or ‘worthily’ seems preferable (the same adverb is translated ‘decently’ in 1 Corinthians 14:40). (4) σεμνά; ‘whatsoever things are honest (AV [Note: V Authorized Version.]; ‘honourable,’ RV [Note: V Revised Version.]) … think on these things’ (Philippians 4:8). Various renderings have been suggested-‘reverend’ (AVm [Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.]), ‘seemly’ (Ellicott), ‘venerable’ (Vincent), ‘whatever wins respect’ (Weymouth), ‘the things which produce a noble seriousness’ (M. Arnold). The corresponding noun in 1 Timothy 2:2 is translated in the RV [Note: V Revised Version.] ‘gravity.’
2. The idea of honesty in our modern sense is fairly conspicuous in the writings of the Apostolic Church (ct. [Note: t. contrast.] the Gospels, where there is practically no direct reference to this virtue; See art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Honesty’ in DCG [Note: CG Dict. of Christ and the Gospels.]). Thieves and avaricious men shall not enter the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:8-10). Liars cannot enter the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:15): their part is in the fiery lake (21:8). Deceit (δο ῦ λος) finds its place in the black list of pagan vices (Romans 1:29): it is one of the signs of an unregenerate world (3:13; cf. 2:21); the Christians, becoming new men, must put away falsehood, and speak truth, each man with his neighbour (Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:25, Colossians 3:9). He that stole must steal no more, but must work with his hands ‘in honest industry’ (Ephesians 4:28). None must suffer disgracefully for thieving (1 P 4:15). The dishonesty of Ananias and Sapphira meets with terrible punishment (Acts 5). Fair dealing in sexual relations is recognized (1 Corinthians 7:5). A contemptible form of dishonesty is that of a religious teacher whose motive is self-interest, and who is so degraded as to trick his hearers (2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 11:20, Romans 16:18, Ephesians 4:14). St. Paul, in contrast, asserts his own purity of motive (1 Thessalonians 2:3 f., 2 Corinthians 7:2; 2 Corinthians 12:16 f., Acts 20:33) and honesty of message (2 Corinthians 4:2). The burden of the social-reform prophets of the OT is repeated in the denunciations of the unscrupulously rich-‘Behold, the hire of the labourers, who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out’ (James 5:4). See further art. [Note: rt. article.] ‘Honest, Honesty’ in HDB [Note: DB Hastings’ Dict. of the Bible (5 vols.).] for literary illustrations of the use of the word ‘honest.’
H. Bulcock.