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Speaking Sound
Doctrine |
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V. Bad Language
What should be the characteristics of our speech?
Colossians 4:6
· Grace, meaning favorable, pleasant, dignified
· Seasoned with salt
Seasoned [ARTUO] means to arrange, make ready. Hence, think before you speak.
Salt makes food more palatable, and is used as a preservative for meats. Thus, speech free of corruption.
Titus 2:8
1 Timothy 6:3
· Sound [HUGIES] (from whence, "hygiene") means healthy.
· Controlled, mastery of our bodies
James 3:2-4
1 Corinthians 6:12, 13
The purpose of this study is to examine various speech forms unbefitting Christians. A word of clarification is made at the outset. This study deals candidly with words that are commonly used in an ugly way. As the lesson progresses, the discussion of these words and examples cited are not intended to offend but instruct. As much discretion as possible is used, but if the matter is not clearly stated, the student will end up wondering exactly what kind of language is wrong.
Exodus 20:7 …not take God's name in vain…
Psalm 111:9 …holy and reverend is Thy name…
Out of respect, one of the Hebrew's words for God, YHWH, was never pronounced.
Matthew 6:9 …hallowed be Thy name…
The rich who slander the holy name:
James 2:7
Many people today throw the name of God around like a by-word or an idle exclamation. We should speak God's name only when we are talking about Him in reverence or to Him in prayer.
Note Peter's language in his denial. This was apparently something he was not accustomed to doing.
Mark 14:71
Curse means devoted to destruction [ANATHEMA].
Galatians 1:8,9
James 3:2-12
Consider the irony of blessing God and cursing men with the same lips (verses 8 - 10). God compels us to love our enemies. A faithful Christian would never wish damnation in hell upon his worst enemies; he would not even say it in jest.
Matthew 5:44
Some have no fear of hell or what it means to go there for eternity. Hell is real, and it is sobering and horrifying to think of such a terrible place. We need to take it seriously. It is therefore not a word for us to throw around mindlessly for emphasis or an interjection. See the New Testament description of hell:
Mark 9:42-50
Perhaps it's best to use the word "hell" only when we're actually talking to someone about the place of eternal punishment and the need to avoid going there (or when we're talking about not saying it).
Swear not by moon and stars, swear to God solemnly, as in marriage vows, not frivolously or void of substance.
Matthew 5:33-37
James 5:12
An oath is essentially the same thing as a vow, as at a wedding; it's effectively the noun form of "to swear." Some have suggested these passages teach that a Christian should never make any oath for any reason. However, God himself made oaths:
Hebrews 6:16-18
The point is that we need to think seriously about the words we say and be true to our words, whether we seal them with an oath or not. Nevertheless, if someone believes they should not "solemnly swear to tell the whole truth so help them God," then it would be sin for them to so speak, violating their conscience. There are other ways of saying, "God as my witness, I am telling the truth." On the other hand, if we are constantly swearing to God or anyone or anything else for the truthfulness of what we're saying, it becomes trivial. This was the point Jesus was making.
Matthew 15:11, 17-20
Mark 7:15-23
· Unwholesome words:
Ephesians 4:29
Positively stated, this means not just non-healthy, but rotten and putrid, as dead bodies were "unclean" under Moses' Law.
· Filthiness, foolish talking, and dirty jokes:
Ephesians 5:3,4
"Let it not even be named among you" suggests not so much as even making mention. There should not be even a hint of making sex and the body a dirty thing; such is unfitting of Christians.
· Shameful speech:
Ephesians 5:11, 12
These things are not a source of humor. Abstaining from sexual immorality (2 Thessalonians 4:3) means we also don't talk about sexuality in a perverted way.
Curse words and the name of God are words acceptably uttered in the proper context, for example, when appropriately discussing the judgment of the Lord. Vulgar language, however, has a certain vocabulary all its own; there is never a proper situation for these words to ever come out of our mouth.
· Obscenities:
Colossians 3:8
Put aside abusive speech, which includes all things repulsive and disgusting to the senses. Unseemly body parts, bodily functions, and waste material should not be spoken of out of proper context.
· Profanities:
1 Timothy 1:9
The verb form of profane means to take that which is special and make it common, to make the holy debased, and to make the beautiful ugly.
Some words formerly not considered offensive are considered unfitting today by reason of common understanding. To illustrate, the King James Bible was translated in 1611. Since then, some words have changed from inoffensive to offensive by reason of their abuse. Several instances are found in the King James rendering of the following verses. For discretion, the modern, inoffensive word is shown below:
Hebrews 12:8 KJV ("illegitimate")
1 Kings 14:10 KJV ("urinate")
We must watch how we use our liberties. We should not think we can use these words freely in our speech today just because they appear in the King James Bible. Besides, those words at that time were used in proper context, not in a perverted way. Consider these points:
· Give no offense.
1 Corinthians 8:7, 9-13; 10:32
Our words should not mislead and encourage others to sin.
· Be an example.
Titus 2:7
If you use words that are marginally acceptable, others will be influenced by you to cross the line.
· Use good judgment.
Proverbs 25:11
A euphemism is a word of lesser offense, typically accepted by society, substituted for a word of greater offense.
What matters most is that which we are actually saying. The primary concern is not what words in particular we are using but the message we are conveying. If the meaning is the same as if we had used the word of greater offense, we might as well have used the bad word.
Euphemisms appear in various forms and cover virtually all types of bad language as outlined above. Some examples follow:
· God's name: gee, geez, gosh, golly
· Curses: heck, dang, darn, dog-gone-it
Webster's English dictionary defines these words to be such substitutes.
· Vulgar: shoot, freaking
Sometimes the substitute word sounds so much like the overtly offensive one that a person is misunderstood to actually use it. Think about what this does to your influence.
God knows what is being said.
· Offensive: S.O.B.
· Irreverence: O.M.G.
A common innocent example expression is to say, "What in the world is going on?" An offensive expression occurs when "hell" is substituted for "world," and we have already discussed the problem with a flippant use of the word "hell." A common variation is to substitute a vulgarity. We will hear these expressions often in our workplaces or in school. However, to create a euphemism, the speaker simply omits the offensive word, saying, "What the …?" or by utilizing an acronym, thereby thinking he has said nothing foul or shameful. If others hear us speak like this, they will unavoidably insert the missing offensive word in their mind, and we have put it there.
A gesture can be considered a euphemism where a symbol is substituted for an ugly word. (Foreign gestures follow the same rule). If the word is unfit for a Christian to use, so is the gesture that means the same thing.
A founding principle to be first learned about morals is avoidance:
1 Thessalonians 5:22
The word here translated "abstain" means to hold off from, to have had enough of. The word for "appearance" means that which meets the eye, the shape, form, and fashion of a thing. Foul language is another evil to be avoided. Euphemisms are a way of getting as close as possible to using foul language without actually uttering the offensive word. The faithful Christian will avoid it.
Merriam-Webster defines innuendo as "an oblique allusion: hint, insinuation; especially: a veiled or equivocal reflection on character or reputation." In other words, an indirect, obscure, devious, or underhanded statement often utilizing the ambiguity of multiple word definitions to suggest a hidden meaning different from what is obviously stated. An example of this occurs very early in the history of human language when Adam insinuates that his sin is partly God's fault because of the woman He gave him (Genesis 3:12).
A "pun" involves a usually humorous play on sound-alike words or phrases, but innuendo based on multiple word meanings is called "double entendre." An example occurs in John 3:3 where Jesus says, "You must be born again." The word "again" translates ANOTHEN {an'-o-then} which has a double meaning: "from above" (James 3:17) or "over again" (Galatians 4:9). Nicodemus, being carnally minded, does not take the heavenly meaning.
This is all quite innocent, until in conversation this
figure of speech suggests something lewd or inappropriate, as in sexual
innuendo. For example, years ago the
phrase "coming out of the closet" indicated someone who has openly
declared that they are practicing homosexuality. In an incidental conversation, someone might
use this phrase in its literal sense, but then someone makes a joke about the
suggested allusion to practicing homosexuality.
The practice of homosexuality is sin (covered in a different section in
this study series) and will subject a person to the judgment and condemnation
of the Lord. This is not something to
make jokes about.
When it indeed happens unintentionally, a wholesome response would be to add clarification to avoid a misunderstanding. However, a faithful Christian professing godliness will not engage in such talk when the immoral or vulgar insinuation is intended.
James 1:26
How do we make correction? Speech is easily a thing we do out of habit and without thought. Given this, it is easy to develop improper speech patterns, especially when the world sees nothing wrong with filthy talk or euphemisms. God, however, expects certain behavior from His followers.
You may have improper speech and not be aware of it because it's a thoughtless habit. Make the effort to listen to yourself objectively and compare your language with the biblical principles shown here. Develop new habits where necessary. It may be a struggle at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Allow yourself no excuses. We often hear people say, "excuse my French" after using foul language. This is nothing more than a lame apology for a lack of self-control. We all need a verbal "vent" sometimes, an exclamation, or an expletive. Find wholesome substitutes suitable for a Christian's tongue.
Increasing knowledge increases awareness. Apply what is learned from this study to your speech. Take the matter seriously.
What comes out of the mouth is an expression of what is inside the heart. If the heart is full of only that which is pure, nothing evil even has a chance of coming out.
Matthew 12:33-37
The word translated "idle" [ARGOS] means useless, inactive, barren, fruitless, words that do nothing (hence the inert gas, argon). Remember that as we may use idle words, we will have to give an account of whether they are harmless or condemning.
Laughing shows approval; approval is consent; consent is guilt. We all want to be liked by others and "fit in." Do not deceive yourself into thinking you can just go along passively participating in such a thing. Though the joke may not come out of your mouth, you share the guilt.
Better yet, try to avoid even hearing dirty jokes in the first place. The bad speech habits of others are easily adopted by us if we hear them constantly. When you can, modify your environment to lessen your exposure to foul language; separate yourselves.
Why is using the word "God" for mere emphasis in our speech wrong?
When is it wrong for a Christian to swear or make an oath?
Should a man's speech when he is around only men be any different from when he is around women and children?
Does a crisis or disaster ever justify using bad language?
Do certain occupations or situations justify using foul speech?
What is the real difference between using the word "God" and "gosh" as an expletive in a sentence?
What is the real difference between using the word "hell" and "heck" as a curse in a sentence?
How can you know if your language is acceptable to God?
Copyright 2019, Speaking Sound Doctrine