Tongue Tamers, Pt. 3
Thesis: Believers must guard their speech against gossip, boasting, and vulgarity, which indicate hearts which are bent on harm, consumed with self, and at least desiring the unclean.
Objective: Call believers to reject gossip, boasting, and vulgarity in their own lives, and stand against it in the lives of others.
Intro: The average adult comfortably speaks/listens 150-160 wpm; auctioneer 250 wpm; max adult comprehension ~300 wpm; fastest policy makers (politicians?) 350-500 wpm; world record Steve Woodmore at 595 wpm
- We must not gossip (Proverbs 11:13; 26:20; 20:19).
- DEFINITION: gossip: “casual or unrestained conversation... about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true” which is often “chiefly derogatory.”
- It is a breach of confidence (11:13; Because gossip generally involves the sharing of confidential or unconfirmed details, it is directly contrary to Christian integrity in general and a violation of personal trust in particular.).
- It encourages conflict (26:20; Because gossip generally includes information which is less than glowing, it naturally fuels conflict and quarrels.).
- It must be avoided (20:19; Because gossips can't be trusted, they should be avoided if at all possible.).
- We must not boast (Proverbs 27:1-2)
- We can't take tomorrow for granted (1; Since we have no idea what tomorrow will bring, it's probably not a good idea to talk about what we're going to do then.).
- We should let others praise us (“Let another praise you... someone else” (2); We should act in such a manner that others will praise us, and then accept the praise graciously, humbly.).
- We must avoid pride (“and not your own mouth... and not your own lips” (2); No one likes someone who is in love with themselves. And no one likes someone who does nothing but sings their own praises. Why? Because pride is putting ourselves above God and everyone else.).
- We must not be vulgar (Ephesians 5:4-5)
- We must not be obscene (“Nor should there be obscenity” (4); We must avoid doing or saying that which is “offensive or disgusting.”).
- We must not be unclean (“foolish talk or coarse joking” (4); We must not engage in conversation which includes innuendo or double meaning, implying things which are inappropriate.).
- Such things compromise our eternal inheritance (5; Vulgarity, whether in deed or just word, are a reflection on the state of our soul. Since God is completely pure, He cannot tolerate such things in His presence now or in eternity.).
(Prov 11:13) A gossip is “a malicious slanderer, not merely one who is indiscreet.”
(Prov 20:19) A gossip is “a foolish babbler.”
(Eph 5:4) “foolish talk or coarse joking” can be explained as “unclean speech, often veiled in innuendo or double meaning.”
Henry
(Prov 11:13) King James renders “gossip” as a “talebearer.”
(Prov 11:13) “A tale-bearer, that carries all the stories he can pick up, true or false, from house to house, to make mischief and sow discord, reveals secrets which he has been entrusted with, and so breaks the laws, and forfeits all the privileges, of friendship and conversation.”
(Prov 26:20) “We must not give ear to talebearers, for they feed the fire of contention with fuel; nay, they spread it with combustible matter; the tales they carry are fireballs.”
(Prov 26:20) “Those who by insinuating base characters, revealing secrets, and misrepresenting words and actions, do what they can to make relations, friends, and neighbours, jealous one of another, to alienate them one from another, and sow discord among them, are to be banished out of families and all societies, and then strife will as surely cease as the fire will go out when it has no fuel; the contenders will better understand one another and come to a better temper; old stories will soon be forgotten when there are no new ones told to keep up the remembrance of them, and both sides will see how they have been imposed upon by a common enemy.”
(Prov 20:19) “Those are unprincipled people that go about carrying stories, that make mischief among neighbours and relations, that sow in the minds of people jealousies of their governors, of their ministers, and of one another, that reveal secrets which they are entrusted with or which by unfair means they come to the knowledge of, under pretence of guessing at men's thoughts and intentions, tell that of them which is really false.”
(Prov 27:1-2) The warning here is not against preparing for tomorrow, but against presuming that it will come.
(Prov 27:1-2) Note that the thing about letting others praise you is that you have to do things that are worthy of praise.
(Eph5:4-5) “Neither filthiness (v. 4), by which may be understood all wanton and unseemly gestures and behaviour; nor foolish talking, obscene and lewd discourse, or, more generally, such vain discourse as betrays much folly and indiscretion, and is far from edifying the hearers; nor jesting.”
(Eph 5:4-5) “so far let the Christian's way of mirth be from that of obscene and profane wit, that he may delight his mind, and make himself cheerful, by a grateful remembrance of God's goodness and mercy to him, and by blessing and praising him on account of these.”
(Eph 5:4-5) “We should take all occasions to render thanksgivings and praises to God for his kindness and favours to us.”
(Eph 5:4-5) “A reflection on the grace and goodness of God to us, with a design to excite our thankfulness to him, is proper to refresh and delight the Christian's mind, and to make him cheerful.”
Dictionary definition of gossip: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true : he became the subject of much local gossip.
chiefly derogatory a person who likes talking about other people's private lives.
- Ryrie, Charles C. Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
- Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.Jam.iv.html