Are there any of us who truly have complete self-mastery over their spoken words at all times? Honestly, how many of us if placed in an unfavorable confrontational; or a dangerous situation, or perhaps an intense heated verbal argument, will you have the spiritual integrity to maintain complete control over your “Tongue?”
From this small part of our physical body comes the ability to bless or curse, sometimes both in one sentence or during a trying time.
The object of this blog post is to encourage and remind life-long learners about our newly obtained ability toward magnifying the proper use of the gift of speech while attempting to eliminate the negative perversion of the power of speech.
Place of Origin
While I was looking in The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion, I noticed a very interesting term, Lashon hara. This word is defined as scandal-mongering which is considered prohibited by the Bible on the basis of Leviticus 19:16, “You shall not go up and down as a slanderer [talebearer] among your people.”
Scandal implies an offense that communicates”sinfulness” or “stumbling block.” [Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology] The term mongering is the definition of a person who is involved with something in a petty or contemptible way. [Dictionary.com]
In classical Rabbinic law, there is a distinction between different aspects of talebearing [rekhilut], slandering, scandalmongering, etc. It is thus believed that every kind of trafficking in an evil report or rumors-whether true or not-by carrying them from one person to another, or by relating unpleasant or harmful facts about another, is forbidden.
The rabbis forbade even “the dust of lashon hara” [avak lashon hara], i.e. by insinuation, as in saying “do not mention so-and-so for I do not wish to tell in what he was involved,” or in praising a person to his enemy since this also invites lashon hara.
Both the teller and the listener to Lashon hara are guilty of transgression, even if the person spoken about is present at the conversation.
If a person publicizes unpleasant facts about himself, he who repeats them has not indulged in lashon hara. [Gleaned from an article, Leshon Ha-ra in The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, revised edition (1986)]
The Power of Speech for Good or Evil
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it, we bless our Lord and Father; and with it, we curse men…from the same mouth come both blessings and cursing. James 3:8-9.
With the tongue, first and foremost we use one’s speaking ability to praise our Creator. The Hebrew title of the Books of Psalms is Tehillim (“praises’). Throughout our coming and going each believer should continue to praise our Lord God for all things.
Next, there should be a very high regard for the “Spoken Word” as it is the foundation of the sacred wisdom that is the byproduct of divine revelation that is ours to obtain as we are called and commissioned by the Holy Spirit to live, and speak the Words of Truth in the preaching and teaching of the Holy Scriptures. [Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16]
Last, we have the ability to bless our friends, family, and others in many ways: we can edify or build them up, to exhort, and to console people. Likewise, through our speech, we may lovingly reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with lovingkindness, longsuffering, and teaching, even through times of troubles.
The Dark Side of the Power of Speech
At least from a Biblical worldview or spiritual perspective, the greatest violation of the tongue is to deny the very One who created them, is not God. Perhaps, no better scripture reference says this better than Isa. 29:16,
“You turn things upside down: Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, ‘He made me not’; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, ‘He hs no understanding?'”
The next perversion of the tongue is the wickedness of misuse and alteration of the divine message of The Gospel which leads living souls falsely with the intent of fleecing them in this life, and the possibility of depriving them the eternal benefits of the Gospel in the life to come.
Third, is the distortion of Truth. Truth is intrinsic to the very nature of God while lying is an assault upon the very fabric of God’s being. In the entire Bible, lying is strongly condemned, while many see that there really is not much wrong with lying, Rev. 21:8 warns that all liars will have their portion in the hell of fire.
The Age of Vulgarity
The Holy Scriptures speak of filthy talking in Eph. 5:4. The term “filthy” [aischrotes] entails behavior that flouts social and moral standards, shamefulness, obscenity” while “shameful speech” [aischrologia]-which is noted in Col. 3-8, denotes “speech of a kind that is generally considered in poor taste, obscene speech, dirty talk.”
Other forms of evil speech are lascivious speech, corrupt communication, foolish, moronic talking, abusive speech.
Our earlier used James 3 scripture noted the powerful destructive nature of the tongue, however, the Holy Bible has other very distinct evil speaking of our tongues, as I will apply an appropriate scripture reference to each.
The Character of the Tongue
The hateful tongue: Jeremiah 9:2-5, Boasting tongue: Luke 18:9-14, Impetuous tongue: James 1:19; Prov. 17:28, Obscure tongue: Eph. 6:14, Critical tongue: Prov. 17:10, Double-tongued: 1 Tim. 3:8, Explosive tongue: James 3:8; Psalms 50:6
The Condition of the Heart
Those who swear have a Profane heart, impure stories or communication, they possess a filthy heart. People who quilty of murmuring have a thankless heart, while criticism reflects an individual with a jealous heart. The slander is one who has a hateful heart.
The remainder of this blog post, I have chosen and reinterpreted 1 Peter 2 and 1 Peter 3 as our Biblical standard to encourage each of us how to tap into our obtained ability toward magnifying the proper use of the gift of speech while attempting to eliminate the negative perversion of the power of speech. Grace and Peace
We are His Living Stones, His Spiritual House on Earth
Therefore having put aside, by laying off, renouncing or stowing away every kind of badness; depravity or trouble, not to mention all trickery, guile, and treachery, hypocrisy, jealousy, and backbiting, detraction and slander.
The regal living souls of God are recreated by His Spirit to thirst after each waking moment of their new-life experience, like a newly-born infant, for the pure milk for one’s soul-care while on earth, that by it, each of us of faith will grow to maturity in one’s salvation.
We shall never forget about how it was at our initial conversion, being drawn out of the darkness of the world, into the Light of the Kingdom of God.
We were with no unknown ties other than those newly obtained ties that are associated due to our spiritual regeneration. Was not this first step toward the life-long pursuit toward the inherent likeness to the One who is responsible for our total deliverance, in this life as well as the eternal life to come?
Never grow tired Oh Saints of God in constantly craving with high intensity, the undeceitful, nor unadulterated, the reasonable and rational appetite of the Living Word of Truth. So that each of us may continue to grow toward being rescued, safe, and delivered throughout our journey on earth.
Is not our aim as the Beloved Community of God to practice and maintain unity, like-mindedness with a great sense of genuine mutuality and compassion, fondness, and humiliation of mind one to another?
As the Light and Salt of the earth, it is those who are called and commissioned of the Spirit of God to not be guilty of repaying any person, whether saint or sinner, with worthless, depraved or injurious activities of any kind. This is also true of any sort of slander insults for insults, are we much better than those who are groping in the darkness?
We are called to give good reports, or better still, we are to speak well of those who offend us, for each of us is called to this action, that each of us would inherit blessings.
For anyone who wants to take pleasure in or long for the important elements in this physical and spiritual life that we have, must restrain one’s language from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
We have a higher calling in that now we have a choice to turn from evil and do good. We are to seek daily, peace, prosperity, a successful or thriving lifestyle and condition. We are commanded to chase after this type of living!
For Adonai, our Heavenly Father keeps His vision on the very ones whom He has approved by granting His Spirit to reside within them. His perception is open to their prayers, but the countenance, His presence, and person are against those who do evil things. Amen.
Closing Prayer
It is true my Lord, we were all born guilty at the time of our conception. Yet it was You Lord that is responsible for our spiritual rebirth. Each day You require each of us to be truthful in our inner-lives. Please enable us, Your people to know and practice Your wisdom in our hearts.
We willfully submit our collective hearts to You that by Your will and might, our hearts can be clean and that our spirit may be renewed and determined in doing Thy will.
Never my Lord, remove your Spirit nor Your presence for our lives, for within Your presence we have the joy of our salvation. By your might, we as Your living stones will keep us as we will teach and bear witness of Your ways, before this very world, that has lost its way! Amen.
Other references that were used for this blog post, My Jewish Learning, article, Gossip, Rumors and Lashon Hara (Evil Speech). The Power of Speech for Good or Evil, an article by Wayne Jackson.