1. The Mouth Before God
The tongue blesses God and wounds men; testifies truly and bears false witness; reproves and slanders; vows and flatters. The faithful life cannot be governed while the mouth remains ungoverned.
2. Christ’s Command Against Oath-Craft
Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by Heaven, for it is the throne of God;
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Nor shall you swear by your head, for you are not able to make one hair white or black.
But let your word be, ‘Yes, yes,’ or, ‘No, no’; and whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
— Matthew 5:33–37, SRT
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, neither by Heaven nor by the earth nor by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, that you may not fall under judgment.
— James 5:12, SRT
The disciple’s ordinary speech must become truthful. He must not create levels of speech in which oath speech is honest and common speech is loose.
3. Vows Before God
Guard your steps when 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 that they are doing evil.
Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in the heavens, and you are upon the earth. Therefore let your words be few.
For a dream comes through much busyness, and a fool’s voice through many words.
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.
Better that you should not vow than that you vow and do not fulfill it.
Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
— Ecclesiastes 4:17, 5:1–5, SRT
Do not hurry with your mouth before God. Better not to promise than to promise and not perform. Reverence requires few words and fulfilled vows.
4. False Witness and Lawful Evidence
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
— Exodus 20:16, SRT
One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin, in any sin that he commits. By the testimony of two witnesses or by the testimony of three witnesses a matter shall be established.
— Deuteronomy 19:15, SRT
And if your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
And if he does not hear them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to hear even the assembly, let him be to you as one of the nations and a tax collector.
— Matthew 18:15–17, SRT
Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Reprove those who sin before all, so that the others also may have fear;
I solemnly charge you before God and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One and the chosen angels to keep these things without prejudice, doing nothing from partiality.
— I Timothy 5:19–21, SRT
Accusation must not be by impulse, usefulness, suspicion, or rhetorical force. Scripture binds judgment to lawful witness.
5. Hear Before Answering
Whoever answers a matter before he hears it—it is folly and shame to him.
— Proverbs 18:13, SRT
The first to plead his cause seems righteous, until his neighbor comes and examines him.
— Proverbs 18:17, SRT
The first speaker is not the whole case. The faithful must not answer before hearing or judge before examination.
6. Reproof, Love, and Flattery
You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people; you shall not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed. I am the LORD.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your fellow, so that you do not bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
— Leviticus 19:16–18, SRT
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch those who cause divisions and stumbling blocks contrary to the teaching you learned, and turn away from them.
For such people do not serve our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, but their own belly; and by smooth words and flattery they deceive the hearts of the innocent.
— Romans 16:17–18, SRT
These are grumblers, discontented, walking according to their own lusts; their mouth speaks arrogant words, flattering people for the sake of gain.
— Jude 1:16, SRT
Reproof is lawful; hatred is not. Flattery is not love, but manipulation in pleasant clothing.
7. The Tongue as Fire
Let not many of you become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a mature man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put bits into horses’ mouths so that they obey us, and we turn their whole body.
Behold also the ships: though they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the one steering wills.
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts great things. Behold how great a forest a little fire kindles!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, defiling the whole body, setting on fire the course of life, and itself being set on fire by the Valley of Hinnom.
For every kind of beast and bird, creeping thing and sea creature, is tamed and has been tamed by human nature,
but no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless God the Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God.
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring pour forth both sweet and bitter water from the same opening?
Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
— James 3:1–12, SRT
And I say to you that every careless word men speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
— Matthew 12:36–37, SRT
Teachers especially must fear. The tongue can set a forest on fire, and every vile expression must be accounted for in the Day of Judgment.
Trial
Every doctrine, practice, counsel, ministry habit, and public word touching this matter must be tried by the Word.
- Does it let yes be yes and no be no?
- Does it avoid oath-craft and verbal manipulation?
- Does it refuse accusation without lawful evidence?
- Does it hear before answering?
- Does it reprove without hatred and reject flattery?
- Does it remember that teachers undergo severe examination?
Settlement
We will not call slander discernment, rage reproof, cowardice peace, evasion humility, or many words wisdom.
We will speak truth each to his neighbour, require proof where accusation is made, confess Christ under judgment, and fear the God Who judges words.