We have already introduced the above verse in a previous chapter when we discussed "boldness" or "plainness" in speech. Christian speaking should generally be plain, simple, frank, and straightforward, and the language of common men. There is little "flowery language" in preaching the word of God, or "fancy talk." On the above words of the apostle John Gill wrote (commentary):
"we use great plainness of speech; plain and intelligible words, not ambiguous ones: or "boldness"; we are not afraid of men nor devils; we are not terrified by menaces, stripes, imprisonment, and death itself: or "freedom of speech"; we speak out all our mind, which is the mind of Christ; we declare the whole counsel of God, hide and conceal nothing that may be profitable to the churches; we are not to be awed by the terror, or drawn by the flatteries of men to cover the truth; we speak it out plainly, clearly, with all evidence and perspicuity."
"Freedom of speech," what does that mean? Many preachers have often begun their discourses by asking their hearers to pray that the Lord would give them "liberty" to preach effectively and inspirationally. They desire the "blessing" of liberty to preach to edification. Of course, when we speak of "freedom of speech" in this sense we exclude what that means politically, where it means to have license to say what one pleases (with exceptions) without criminal liability. What we mean is that a speaker has freedom of thought in speaking, has a fresh memory where recall is easy, and is free from hindrances and distractions, and where there is a kind of "unction" or exuberance felt and manifested. It has to do with easiness of expression, or fluency. It also includes the idea of speaking with fervor, with deep and intense feeling. It also includes, as Gill says, speaking clearly and distinctly and in "intelligible words" and avoiding ambiguity.
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (II Cor. 3: 17) This would of course include freedom of speech. Further, in looking through the four Gospels and the Book of Acts and seeing the many times where men filled with the Spirit spoke we see this liberty in speaking exemplified. When filled with the Spirit and speaking and teaching the word of God there is no hesitancy in speaking, no stammering, no searching for words, for speech then just flowed smoothly like a stream of water. Let us notice Paul's words before his trial before Festus the ruler.
"But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak (apophthengomai) forth the words (rhema) of truth and soberness." (Acts 26: 25)
The Greek word apophthengomai means "to speak out, speak forth, pronounce," it not being "a word of everyday speech but one belonging to dignified and elevated discourse." It also means to "enunciate plainly." It was sober conversation, dealing with the most important subjects concerning the world and human beings. As the subject matter is grave, so must be the discourse. In fact, Christians are exhorted to avoid talking about unimportant matters in the place of speaking of the gospel.
"But avoid foolish questions," said Paul, along with verbal "contentions and strivings about the law," saying that "they are unprofitable and vain." (Titus 3: 9) They are to avoid them in their discoursing on the things of God. Such speech is no good, useless, not edifying. Paul also warned against "foolish talking" (morologia, a word we looked at previously), and against "jesting" in discourse, saying such was "not convenient," not right or proper. (Eph. 5: 4)
People generally want simple honest plain talk although they are vulnerable to "smooth talkers," as we well know from advertisers and politicians. They are generally interested in the facts, not in embellishment of them. Sadly, this is the kind of talk on many news and opinion shows in the media today.
As we have previously noted, Isaiah wrote:
"The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear." (Isa. 32: 4)
Such was the speaking of the apostles and the church's first evangelists and teachers, even its lay members. They by the Spirit of God spoke in words that were "fluent and clear." In fact, we can put that word "fluent" into those paragraphs above where we spoke of freedom in speech, for "fluent" means "able to express oneself easily and articulately." The word comes from the Latin and means "to flow like a stream" and this simile is what we just previously referred to in those chapters about liberty in preaching. People who talk about a given discourse will sometimes mention "the flow of the speech" or "the flow of the argument."
Notice too how those who the prophet said would come to "know and understand" and to speak clearly and fluently are they who were previously people who had a "fearful heart" about speaking publicly, yea, even people who "stammered" in their speech. This was fulfilled in the Book of Acts when the apostles and first Christians spoke in such language, yea, even miraculously in other languages. But on that we will enlarge upon in a future chapter.
Paul advised that Christian speak should be -
"Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (I Titus 2: 8)
By "sound speech" is meant healthy talk, not "sick speech." It should reflect life and light, should invigorate and enliven, enrich, and be robust. It should rejuvenate, motivate, vivify, energize, and refresh listeners. Paul says that "sound speech" is what "cannot be condemned," that is, cannot be legitimately refuted. Notice how Paul describes speech in a debate format. There is the speaker with "sound speech," the one with the truth of the proposition in debate, on one side, and then there is the opponent on the other side, "he that is of the contrary side." Notice how Paul describes the victory of truth verbally defended by the Christian debater. He says that the opponent 1) "cannot condemn" the speaker nor his reasoning and proof (his words), and 2) becomes "ashamed" of his opposition to the sound speech, and 3) is silenced so that he has "no evil thing to say of you."
Along this same line of thought Paul also wrore:
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." (I Tim. 6: 3-5)
"Sound speech" and "wholesome words" denote much the same thing. It is productive talk, conversation that is good for a person's well being. It is beneficial and nutritious for the hungry mind. Speech and communication for the Christian should be bible based. The bulk of words used in Christian discourse and conversation should be the very words of scripture themselves. The words of Christ and scripture should be predominant because they were chosen by Christ and the Holy Spirit (who inspired the Bible writers). The words in scripture were specially chosen by God to convey truthful ideas.
When we look at the words chosen for use in holy scripture we see how God communicated in simple plain language, in the language of the common man. That is not to deny that the Bible contains poetry, well written narratives, clear doctrinal statements, and good rhetoric and grammar.
As to the substance of a conversation or discourse one should avoid debates and verbal disputes about "questions and strifes of words," and avoid "perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds." From such types of discussions one should "withdraw," should not participate in. Sophists and popular speakers often participate in such useless argumentation. Paul says they "dote" over such kinds of arguing, doting denoting a mental sickness. As mentioned earlier from another passage, such quarrels over words involve "foolish and unlearned questions." (II Tim. 2: 23) They are called logomachies. Wrote Dr. Gill on this doting:
"or he is "sick or diseased"; his mind is distempered; he is like one in a fever, that is delirious; his head is light and wild; his fancy is roving, and he talks of things he knows not what; his head runs upon "questions"; foolish and unlearned ones, about the law and works, and the necessity of them to justification and salvation; concerning genealogies, and other fruitless and unprofitable subjects." (Commentary)
Notice how such doting conversation about things of no serious import often involves "railings," the disputants merely making ad hominems and spewing out personal attacks towards each other, casting aspersions, denigrating, ranting and raving, yelling and screaming, etc. Such unhealthy discourse also often entails "evil surmisings," or "groundless suspicions," or "wicked opinions." Such discourse produces anger and wrath, discord, turbulent clashes, all of which is most unbecoming speech, very unhealthy.
In order to speak well a speaker should strive for clarity so that hearers might not be in doubt as to what is being said, so that there be no misunderstandings or misinterpretations, no confusion. Wrote Paul:
"So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air...Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." (I Cor. 14: 9, 19)
Speak so as to be clearly understood. To do this, in most cases, one should choose words that are well known and easily understood.
The early Christians were enabled to speak "in an unknown tongue," and this indeed shows the superiority of the believer's conversation and discourse over that of unbelievers, including its elite speakers. The divine gift of tongues was intended to demonstrate this superiority in speech and language to the unbelievers no doubt. Paul said that the gift of tongues "are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not." (I Cor. 14: 22) Why is the gift of tongues a sign to unbelievers? Are not all spiritual and supernatural gifts, all miracles, signs? Either to believers or unbelievers? Paul goes on to say that the gift of prophecy was a gift to believers, but not to unbelievers. So then, how and why is the gift of supernatural speech a sign to unbelievers? And, what does the sign signify to unbelievers? What message does it communicate to them?
Most commentators have not sufficiently explained how the gift of tongues in particular is a sign to unbelievers. Many say that the gift of tongues was like other spiritual gifts and miracles, all of them being signs to unbelievers. But that is not tenable. Why single out the gifts of tongues? Further, Paul says the gift of prophecy was not a sign to unbelievers, and yet it was a miraculous gift. Are all of the supernatural gifts signs? Some of the sign gifts may be intended for believers alone, like prophecy, some intended for unbelievers alone, like tongues, and some intended for both, or for neither if some of them are not "signs."
What message was God sending to unbelievers by the sign of tongues? Why can it not be seen as a word of condemnation towards orators, rhetoricians, and the Sophists of the present world? The experts in speech, the linguists who knew multiple languages, the professional speakers, existing in Corinth and the Greek speaking world, when they heard men of the lower classes of believers speak fluently in foreign languages, miraculously, what would have been their opinion of it? The meaning of the sign for unbelievers, how is it different than the other sign gifts? There must be some word from God intended specifically for unbelievers in their hearing believers speak in tongues, for a symbol's purpose is to convey ideas in imagery. It seems that unbelievers must see in the sign a divine condemnation or judgement of some kind, and many commentators affirm this much, but disagree on the nature of the condemnation. It seems more likely that it was a judgement upon all their lofty ideas about the role, nature, and importance of rhetoric. Certainly it condemns the Sophist idea about the purpose of good speaking, which was not to glorify God or to correctly teach religious truth.
So far as speech is a means of one person communicating to another or to others it must be in a language and verbiage that hearers understand. Such speech not only includes the choice of words but in speaking them clearly and distinctly, as was the case in Nehemiah.
"So they read (out loud) in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." (Neh. 8: 8)
The content of speech should be paramount, far more important than the manner in which speech is delivered, and words and sentences are the ingredients of that content. But, if one cannot understand your words because you are not speaking with good diction, your words will have been of no benefit. To mumble words and to slur speech is a hindrance to good speech.
Some speakers are good as entertaining people with the quality of their diction and the melodic rhythm of their words. But, if a speech merely pleases the ear in such a way without informing and teaching, then it is of little value. In the discoursing of Ezekiel we see an example where speech merely tickled the ear of the hearers in spite of the fact that he was speaking the truth in substance.
"And they come unto thee as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness. And, lo, you are unto them as a very lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear your words, but they do them not." (Eze. 33: 31-32)
Ezekiel was a good speaker apparently. But, he was not merely such because of his eloquence only but because he was informing the people about what God's word says. So, the fact that the people were merely entertained by hearing the pleasing and melodic voice of the prophet is not the fault of Ezekiel the speaker but the fault of his audience. Still, many highly paid popular speakers would love for their hearers to be as entertained with their speaking as were the people hearing Ezekiel.
On this verse Dr. Gill wrote (Commentary):
"Whose voice, and the music of it, are regarded, and not the matter of the song, but the manner in which it is sung; so these people did not so much attend to what the prophet said as the manner of his delivery; they were delighted with the harmony of his voice, the eloquence of his speech, the propriety of his expressions, the eloquence and aptness of his diction, and the cadency of his words, and not with the excellent doctrines he delivered; they were affected and pleased no otherwise than if they had been at a concert of music; or had been entertained by one that understood not only vocal music, but could "play well on an instrument" at the same time, and make both agree together; which yields much pleasure to lovers of music."
In the new testament such entertaining discourse is spoken of under the metaphor of "tickling" an "itching ear" (II Tim. 4: 3) which denotes being "tickled in their hearing." (Vincent) People today speak of "tickling one's fancy," denoting something, including talk, that makes people feel good. It generally involves comedic talk, loose talk, talk designed merely to entertain and move the emotions without imparting any substance or knowledge, sort of what we see in most "chit chat."
Profitable discourse and conversation for he believer requires grace poured into their lips and their mouths sanctified. Said the Psalmist: "You art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you for ever." (Psa. 45: 2; See also Prov. 22: 11)
This grace is most needed when the believer faces a hostile opponent to what he says as one who disseminates truth. He needs God's grace and blessing to have courage and boldness at such times in order to defend the teachings of scripture. Notice these words from Jeremiah the prophet about his being sent to speak in the name of the Lord.
"Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command you you shall speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth." (Jer. 1: 4-9)
Like Moses we see how Jeremiah also shrunk back from his call to go and teach the rebellious sinners of his day because he felt his inabilities. But, God told him not to fear, to put his trust in him, and the Lord assured him that he would give him what abilities he needed to speak in his name, saying that he would "deliver" him from harm and threats, and he also equipped him with powers of speech by "touching" his mouth and by putting God's "words in your mouth." The believer can be assured that God will bless him as he purposes to speak in the name of the Lord.
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