So That It Gives Grace
January 1, 2012 4:30 AM -0600
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How do the things you say, the way you say them, and the language you use reflect on Jesus? If you want to deepen your faith, carefully controlling what comes out of your mouth is an essential step.
Thesis: Believers are called to replace unwholesome talk such as foul language, dirty jokes, and gossip with speech which builds up and shares the grace of God with the people around them.
Objective: Challenge believers to stop using foul language, dirty jokes, and gossip, replacing all unwholesome talk with godly speech.
Ephesians 4:29
Objective: Challenge believers to stop using foul language, dirty jokes, and gossip, replacing all unwholesome talk with godly speech.
Ephesians 4:29
- No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
- We must abstain from unwholesome talk.
- Definition of “foul” (HCSB) / “unwholesome” (NIV, NASB) / “corrupt” (KJV)
- rotten, i.e. worthless (literal or moral) :- bad, corrupt. Compare <G4190> (poneros).
- The bacteria that causes rotting is already in the food that we eat. It’s the same bacteria that causes ripening. This is why we refrigerate, vacuum pack, etc. So just about everything we say has the capacity to become unwholesome in the right context.
- NOTE: The structure of the sentence is actually: “Every word corrupt out of the mouth of you not depart.” It was a classic Hebraic structure emphasizing every at the beginning and not at the end, tied with the verb: Every corrupt word must not ever leave our mouth.
- Matthew Henry: “Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse.”
- We must abstain from obscenity (Ephesians 5:4 (AMP): “Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency);” As believers, we must avoid language which is vulgar or profane. There is, in general, no need to lace our speech with references to fecal matter and/or mating practices. Even words like “damn,” used as an interjection or exclamation, are generally inconsistent with God’s revealed will that all of creation, in and of itself, is good and He would have none of us be condemned but have eternal life.).
- We must abstain from dirty jokes (Ephesians 5:4 (NIrV): “There must not be any unclean speech or foolish talk or dirty jokes;” As believers, we must avoid the same jokes that the rest of the world tells. The dirtiest joke we should tell - or want to hear - should be, “The pig rolled in the mud.”).
- We must abstain from gossip
- “foolish talking” (Eph 5:4 HCSB)
- “A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence” (Prov 11:13 HCSB)
- “A contrary man spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends” (Prov 16:28 HCSB)
- “Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down” (Prov 26:20 HCSB)
- “The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.” (Prov 20:19 HCSB)
- Leviticus 19:16 (MSG): “Don’t spread gossip and rumors.”
- DEFINITION: gossip: “Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true” (Google).
- Throughout the Bible, it is associated with the sinful nature.
- 2 Cor 12:20 (HCSB): “For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.”
- 2 Tim 5:13 (HCSB), speaking of young widows who have been drawn away from Christ: “they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.”
- In the Bible, the words used for gossip are closely related - and often translated as slander, which is something untrue we say to defame someone else.
- Leviticus 19:16 (NLT): “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.”
- Leviticus 19:16 (KJV): Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people.”
- We mustn’t go about bearing tales - telling stories - which are none of our business to bear.
- Stories where our voice naturally lowers...
- Accounts which generally begin with, “Did you hear about so-and-so?”
- Unnecessary details in “prayer requests.”
- What is your motivation? To make someone else look bad? To make yourself look good? To share the “choice food” you heard?
- We must engage in constructive speech.
- Our speech must be good (“but only what is good;” Our language should be governed by the same rule as our actions: do what’s good. Not “good,” relatively speaking. Not “good for me.” Not “it feels good.” But truly, ultimately, absolutely good.).
- Our speech must be constructive (“for building up someone;” Even a lot of good things don’t need to be said. Our speech should further be governed by whether or not it will encourage the person we’re talking to and about. EXAMPLE: Matthew 11, where Jesus is approached by some of John the Baptist’s disciples. They ask Him to confirm His identity as the Messiah, and after doing so, He goes on to speak of John in most encouraging ways.).
- Our speech must be appropriate (“only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion” (ESV); Even a lot of seemingly constructive things don’t need to be said. Our speech should be ultimately governed by whether or not it needs to be said. Remember James 1:19: "Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”).
- Our speech must give grace.
- ESV Study Bible: “Repentance involves both stopping (negative) and starting (positive).”
- DEFINITION: grace: “charis, the NT word for God’s grace in salvation. Here it refers to the spiritual blessings and benefits that will accrue to the hearers from the gracious words of the speaker” (Kenneth Wuest, Wuest Word Studies in the Greek New Testament)
- What we say should bless (Our speech should design to bestow God’s favor on everyone involved, from the person we’re talking to, to the person we’re talking about.).
- What we say should benefit (Our speech should aim to improve the situation of everyone involved.).
- What we say should witness (Our speech should always, always, always reflect well on the gospel such that, even when we’re not talking specifically about Jesus, He is well represented by what we say. ILLUSTRATION: Ron Paul supporter who was using exceptional amounts of profanity in Wal Mart.).
Ryrie
Reflecting God
ESV Study Bible
HCSB Study Bible
Henry
- corrupt = “unwholesome or rotten.”
Reflecting God
- “An exhortation parallel to the previous one. The Christian not only stops saying unwholesome things; he also begins to say things that will help build others up.”
ESV Study Bible
- “Repentance involves both stopping (negative) and starting (positive).”
- “Christians are to stop evil speech, substituting talk that is good for building up and giving grace.”
- “‘Corrupting’ [foul HCSB] (Gk. sapros) also applies to “bad” (rotten) fruit (Luke 6:43) or “bad” (putrid) fish (Matt. 13:48).”
- “To “give grace” in speaking means to benefit others rather than corrupt them through what is said.”
HCSB Study Bible
- (25-32) “Paul offered five examples of what living the new life means in the context of relationship with others. All of the examples include a negative command, a positive command, and a spiritual principle on which the commands are based. At the base of all of Paul's commands is a God-centered spiritual foundation.”
Henry
- (29-32) “Filthy words proceed from corruption in the speaker, and they corrupt the minds and manners of those who hear them: Christians should beware of all such discourse.”
- “It is the duty of Christians to seek, by the blessing of God, to bring persons to think seriously, and to encourge and warn believers by their conversation.”
- “only what is helpful” is “an exhortation parallel to the previous one. Christians not only stop saying unwholesome things; they also begin to say things that will help build others up.”
- “The Greek order is, ‘every word that is corrupt, out of your mouth let it not proceed.”
- pas (every) … me (no) is a common Hebraistic form in which the negative attaches itself to the verb to say that every such word should remain unspoken.
- “corrupt” is, in the Greek, sapros, meaning “rotten, worn out, unfit for use, worthless, bad.”
- “‘grace’ is charis, the NT word fr God’s grace in salvation. Here it refers to the spiritual blessings and benefits that will accrue to the hearers from the gracious words of the speaker.”
- People’s New Testament: “Let no corrupt communication. What is rotten. Anything that will demoralize others. Obscene, licentious, or immoral language is forbidden. All that the Christian speaks should be that which is good to the use of edifying, building the hearers up in Christ.”
- MSG: “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”
- Weymouth: “Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers.”
- AMP: “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and gives grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.”
- KJV: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”