Ephesians 5:4–"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."
There is an entire sermon series here. This verse comes to us as part of a sequence that is concerned with answering the question of how Christians are to live. But the reason this verse stands out so much is not because it seems so obvious that Christians would protect their speech from vulgarity; rather, what makes this verse so profound is the phrase: 'which are out of place.'
In a world that is dominated with every form of vulgarity and filth, particularly when it comes to language, it is completely counter-cultural to promote a lifestyle like this, one that takes speech and communication so reverently, so seriously. Yet this is precisely the intent behind this passage and those like it. Christians are called to live differently. At the very least, we must accept that this means how we talk and the content of our speech.
Showing posts with label talk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label talk. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Ephesians 4:29–No Corrupting Talk
Ephesians 4:29–"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
This is, in some ways, a very accessible verse, while in other ways it possesses a certain difficulty. The ease of this verse is that some corrupting talk can seem simple to ascertain. For instance, cussing and downcuts are easy to spot, while slander and glibness can be more difficult to spot. But the truth is that the most corrupting talk is the kind that slithers without notice rather than the kind that bombards with words like hammerheads.
It is the talk that is divisive, the talk that is deceptive, and the talk that is covert that is most corrupting. This is what Paul is warning us against, that we would protect our speech from such speech as this. It is by no means an easy thing to do, but it is our task nonetheless. Let us strive to protect our speech so that we would love and bless all those around us.
This is, in some ways, a very accessible verse, while in other ways it possesses a certain difficulty. The ease of this verse is that some corrupting talk can seem simple to ascertain. For instance, cussing and downcuts are easy to spot, while slander and glibness can be more difficult to spot. But the truth is that the most corrupting talk is the kind that slithers without notice rather than the kind that bombards with words like hammerheads.
It is the talk that is divisive, the talk that is deceptive, and the talk that is covert that is most corrupting. This is what Paul is warning us against, that we would protect our speech from such speech as this. It is by no means an easy thing to do, but it is our task nonetheless. Let us strive to protect our speech so that we would love and bless all those around us.
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