A Time to be Silent - 123RF Photo - Ecclesiastes 3:7
"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7)
"Speak little, because for one sin which we may commit by keeping silence where it would be well to speak, we commit a hundred by speaking upon all occasions" (Pinart, Ref. 1).
This lesson is the fourth and final lesson in the series on Biblical Principles of Sound Speech.
Consider. What times or examples can you think of where the Bible says we should be silent instead of speaking?
When Circumstances Demand
"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7). In Ecclesiastes 3:7, the Hebrew word for silent is chashah, which means to hush, keep quiet, hold peace, keep silence, be silent, be still (Ref. 2).
English Theologian John Gill (1697 - 1771) (Ref. 3, Ref. 4) described three circumstances when we should be silent:
1. During an evil time or a time of national calamity (Amos 5:10-13) 2. To express sympathy - "When a particular friend or relation is in distress, as in the case of Job and his friends" (Ref. 4, Job 2:13). Note that Job's friends showed support for Job by visiting Job and sitting with him silently for seven days. Sitting on the ground "marked mourning" (Ref. 5, Lamentations 2:10). "Seven days was the usual length of it" (Ref. 5, Genesis 50:10, 1 Samuel 31:13). 3. "When in the presence of wicked men, who make a jest of everything serious and religious" (Ref. 4, Psalm 39:1) To Listen to God
"Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2).
To Respect God and To Be In Awe of God
The prophet Habakkuk said, "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20). Habakkuk was comparing the profit-less act of speaking to false idols with the reverential awe we should have for the living, true God (Habakkuk 2:18-19).
To Guard Our Soul from Troubles
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23).
To Avoid Transgression
"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19). "Loquacity leads to exaggeration and untruthfulness, slander, and uncharitableness" (Ref. 1).
When We're Feeling Angry
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31). "Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20).
To Be Counted As Wise
"He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent" (Proverbs 17:27-28, italics added). When I was a youth, my father quoted this saying to me - "It is better to keep silent and have people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." Researchers disagree whether to attribute this quote to American author Mark Twain or to President Abraham Lincoln, or to someone else. However, the concept is clear.
Apply. Think about this topic. In what personal situations or circumstances would it be better for you to remain silent instead of speaking?
Related Lessons
"Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Be a Good Example" (Titus 2:7-8) "Biblical Characteristics of Sound Speech" (Ephesians 4:29) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Our Heart and Our Mouth" (Matthew 15:18)
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What’s in the well comes up in the bucket – 123RF Photo – Used under license
"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man" (Matthew 15:18).
Today's lesson is the third in a series on Biblical Principles of Sound Speech.
Consider. Think for a moment. Do you agree with Jesus' statement in Matthew 15:18 that what we say comes from what is in our heart? Read - Matthew 15:1-20. This passage will provide the context for today's lesson. What We Say Defiles Us in God's Sight
When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus was speaking to people who did not (yet) believe in him or accept his authority. The concept of the relationship between our heart and our mouth still applies to us today as believers in Christ and also applies to non-believers. What we take into our hearts, or allow into our hearts, determines the quality of our speech.
Jesus turned the discussion from handwashing (Matthew 15:2) to the more important subject of being clean in our hearts, speech, and thinking. "After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, 'Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man' " (Matthew 15:10-11). The Greek word for defile is koinoó, which means unclean, pollute, or desecrate (Ref. 1). "Jesus replaced the normal Jewish understandings of defilement with the truth that defilement comes from an impure heart, not the violation of external rules" (Ref. 2 below). In Matthew 15:11 and Matthew 15:18, the Greek word for man is anthrópos, which is the generic term for mankind; the human race; people, including women and men (Ref. 3). Our Heart is the Source of the Evil and the Good We Speak
When Jesus spoke about the heart of man in Matthew 15:15-20, he spoke a concept that was familiar to his Jewish listeners. The Hebrew word for heart is leb, which means inner man, mind, will, heart (Ref. 4). The Hebrew word, leb (heart), occurs over 500 times in the Old Testament (Ref. 4). The prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).
In the New Testament, the Greek word for heart in Matthew 15:18 and in almost all New Testament occurrences is kardia (Ref. 5). Kardia occurs over 150 times in the New Testament (Ref. 5). Kardia means the heart; mind, character, inner self, will, intention (Ref. 5). In Matthew 15:18, Jesus is saying that the evil that comes out of our mouth comes from what is in our heart. Jesus also said, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Luke 6:45).
Below I have included a "HIPO" (Hierarchical Input Process Output) chart that I prepared many years ago when I first taught this lesson on Sound Speech to my Adult Sunday School class at church. The chart illustrates examples of healthy and unhealthy inputs we take into our hearts. Our senses also can influence our heart. Our mouths are our primary output device (Matthew 15:11, 18). In today's culture, with texting, tweeting, instant messaging, and email, we should include our "fingers" as output devices as well. The concept still applies.
Figure 1 - What We Say Comes From Our Heart - by Whitney V. Myers
It is Important to Guard What We Take into Our Heart
The purity of what we take into or allow into our heart affects the quality of what we say. As per the examples in Figure 1 above, we need to be careful about our entertainment choices and being around unwholesome speech because these can contaminate our thinking.
The apostle Paul was quite clear when he described what we should think about. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8, italics added). David said, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word" (Psalm 119:9). Solomon wrote, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23).
Apply. Pray and ask God to bring to your mind the steps you should take to guard your heart and to improve the purity of your thinking (Philippians 4:8). As part of your action plan, read and meditate upon God's word daily (Psalm 119:9).
Related Lessons
"Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Be a Good Example" (Titus 2:7-8) "Biblical Characteristics of Sound Speech" (Ephesians 4:29) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - A Time to Be Silent" (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
References
1. https://biblehub.com/greek/2840.htm 2. The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, note on Mark 7:20 3. https://biblehub.com/greek/444.htm 4. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3820.htm 5. https://biblehub.com/greek/2588.htm
A Word Spoken in Right Circumstances (Proverbs 25:11) - 123RF Photo
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
This article is the second in the series, "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech." Today's lesson focuses on the attributes of sound speech, that is, the essential characteristics that our speech should have.
Consider. Think for a moment. What do you think the positive qualities of speech should be? If someone asked you to describe what the Bible says our speech should be like, what would you say in reply?
Today's lesson describes the biblical characteristics of sound speech in Ephesians 4:29. Today's verse is part of the Apostle Paul's letter to Christian believers at the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:1).
Let No Unwholesome Word
The first characteristic of sound speech in Ephesians 4:29 is that it should be wholesome. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines wholesome as promoting health and well being, sound in mind and morals, prudent, and safe (Ref. 3). Our wholesome speech should promote the well-being of others, as we will see in the discussion below.
The Apostle Paul begins Ephesians 4:29 with the phrase, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth." The Greek word for unwholesome is sapros. Sapros means rotten, worthless, bad, corrupt and is applied to putrid vegetable or animal substances (Ref. 4, Ref. 5 below, Ref. 6). Matthew 7:17-18 uses the same word. Jesus said, "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt [sapros] tree bringeth forth evil fruit" (Matthew 7:17, brackets added). In Ephesians 4:29, Paul instructs us to restrain our mouths so we do not let any unwholesome (bad, rotten, corrupt) words go forth. Bad language not only reflects the corruptness of the "heart of a speaker" but also tends "to corrupt the minds or manners of hearers" (Ref. 7). If you would like to read more on what the Bible says about avoiding cursing and profanity, please go to the page, "Bible Verses About Sound Speech" and read the last section (Ref. 8). Good For Edification
The second characteristic of sound speech in Ephesians 4:29 is that our speech should be good for edification. That is, our speech should build others up, not tear them down. The Greek word for edification is oikodomé. The short definition of oikodomé is a building or edifice (Ref. 9). However, edification of people means more than building an architectural structure. Thayer's Greek Lexicon defines oikodomé as "the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness" (Ref. 9).
According to the Need of the Moment (Timely)
The third characteristic of sound speech in Ephesians 4:29 is that our speech should be according to the need and that it should be timely. The Greek word for need is chreia, which means need, necessity, business, occasion (Ref. 10). The English Standard Version (ESV) translates this phrase, "as fits the occasion" (Ref. 11). Our speech should edify (build up) our hearers according to the particular need of their spiritual state (Ref. 12).
The phrase, "According to the need of the moment," suggests to me that in our roles (for example, authors, teachers, parents, spouses, co-workers, team members, friends) we need always to pray and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance about what to say to our hearers and when to speak. Sometimes when we have a good idea, it may not be the right occasion or the right time to blurt it out. Our hearers will "hear" better when the Holy Spirit has prepared them to receive what we have to say. We should pray about when we should share our idea, inspiration, request, or constructive criticism. As an example from Scripture, God provided the occasion for Nehemiah to speak his request to King Artaxerses approximately four months after Nehemiah had prayed to God about the condition of Jerusalem's wall (Nehemiah 1:1, Nehemiah 1:11, Nehemiah 2:1, Nehemiah 2:4). King Solomon addressed the importance of timeliness in Proverbs 25:11. "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances." Our speech not only should be sensitive to the circumstances, but also should be spoken at the right time. We should look to God to guide us as to when that time will be. Give Grace to Those Who Hear
The fourth characteristic of sound speech in Ephesians 4:29 is that our speech should be grace-giving, that is, "give grace to those who hear." The Greek word for grace is charis, which means grace, kindness, favor, and especially, God's divine influence upon the heart (Ref. 13, Ref. 5 below). Our speech should minister the grace of God to others.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths: but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29 - 1599 Geneva Bible).
Summary. As Christians, and as instructed by the Bible in Ephesians 4:29, our speech should exhibit four essential qualities. Our speech should be wholesome, good for edification (building up others), appropriate for the occasion (timely), and give grace to those who hear.
To see additional attributes of sound speech from the Bible, please refer to the separate page, "Bible Verses About Sound Speech" (Ref. 8).
Apply. Memorize Ephesians 4:29 so you will always have this verse and these four essential characteristics of sound speech in mind.
Related Lessons
"Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Be a Good Example" (Titus 2:7-8) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Our Heart and Our Mouth" (Matthew 15:18) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - A Time to Be Silent" (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
References
1. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/ephesians/4.htm 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gill_(theologian) 3. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholesome 4. https://biblehub.com/greek/4550.htm 5. James Strong, "The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible," Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995 6. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/ephesians/4.htm 7. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/ephesians/4.htm 8. https://www.ScriptureWay.com/bible-verses-about-sound-speech 9. https://biblehub.com/greek/3619.htm 10. https://biblehub.com/greek/5532.htm 11. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A29&version=ESV 12. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/ephesians/4.htm 13. https://biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm
Orchid at Longwood Gardens - Titus 2:7-8 - Photo by Whitney V. Myers
"In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." (Titus 2:7-8)
This lesson is the first in a series on "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech" and focuses on Paul's instructions to Titus in Titus 2:7-8.
Consider. Why is it important that we as Christians be examples of good deeds and sound speech? How does the "soundness" of our speech affect our witness for Christ?
1. Who was Titus?
Titus was one of the Apostle Paul’s converts to the Christian faith. Paul refers to Titus as "my true child in a common faith" (Titus 1:4). However, Titus was not a new convert. Titus had accompanied Paul to the Council at Jerusalem described in Galatians 2:1. When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he said, "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you" (2 Corinthians 8:23). Titus was a godly, Christian teacher (Titus 2:1-8). Paul also commissioned Titus to appoint elders in each city in Crete (Titus 1:5).
"Considering the assignments given him, he (Titus) obviously was a capable and resourceful leader" (Ref. 1). 2. Be a good example
In Titus 2:7, Paul instructs Titus, "In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds ..." The Greek word for the English word, "example," is tupos (pronounced too'-pos) and means a proper pattern or model for others to follow (Ref. 2). As Christian teachers and leaders, we are to lead and inspire others by being a good example -- a good pattern -- for others to follow. We should reflect the light of Christ and point people towards Christ rather than to ourselves. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
3. With purity in teaching
In Titus 2:7 in the New American Standard Bible, the English translation uses the words "with purity in doctrine." The Greek word for "doctrine" is didaskalia (pronounced did-as-kal-ee'-ah) and means instruction and teaching (Ref. 3).
The Greek word for "purity" is aphtharsia (pronounced af-thar-see'-ah) which means incorruptibility and genuineness (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance - Ref. 4). As teachers, we are to be free from lower motives such as seeking popular applause (Ref. 5). Our behavior as teachers and leaders must be pure [incorruptible]. 4. Sound in speech which is beyond reproach
In Titus 2:8, Paul continues his instruction to Titus and to us by extension. As part of our good example to others, Paul instructs Titus and us to be "sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." The definition of "sound" in "sound speech" is healthy, pure, wholesome, and not deviating from the truth (Ref. 6). When we present God's truth to others, our speech (as well as what we write) is to be truthful, accurate, pure, healthy, edifying, graceful, timely, and presented in a loving manner that enhances the reputation of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:15, Ephesians 4:29).
Summary of the principles in this lesson.
1. As Christian teachers and leaders, we are to be good examples -- good patterns -- for others to follow, reflecting the light of Christ, and pointing people to Christ, not to ourselves. 2. Our motives must be pure [incorruptible], not seeking the applause of others. 3. Our speech is to be sound -- healthy, pure, wholesome, and true -- speech that is timely and graceful -- speech that is presented in a loving manner that enhances the reputation of Jesus Christ.
Apply. Be a good example to others of good deeds and sound speech. Reflect the light of Jesus Christ, drawing people to him rather than gaining applause for yourself.
Related Lessons
"Biblical Characteristics of Sound Speech" (Ephesians 4:29) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - Our Heart and Our Mouth" (Matthew 15:18) "Biblical Principles of Sound Speech - A Time to Be Silent" (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
References
1. https://www.biblestudytools.com/titus/ 2. https://biblehub.com/greek/5179.htm 3. https://biblehub.com/greek/1319.htm 4. https://biblehub.com/greek/861.htm 5. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/titus/2.htm Ellicott's Commentary on Titus 2:7 6. https://biblehub.com/greek/5199.htm |
Daily Bible Verse(Published on my Bluesky account) AuthorMr. Whitney V. Myers. Christian. For more information, please visit the Author Page. Posting ScheduleI plan to provide new postings about once a month. Planned Topics(subject to change) Recent Posts(most recent three months) Popular Posts(top 10) Categories
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