SPEECH is a sure index of the heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:3434O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34)). The grace of Christ alone can tame the tongue. Such a stupendous task is beyond the power of man as James 3:88But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:8) tells us. It is the heart filled with Christ which expresses itself in meekness and lowliness.
In those Epistles where the Apostle is seen as teacher we get doctrine followed by precept. The Ephesian epistle is an example of this. In connection with this we do well to remember that, “Precepts are the expression of the hidden moral virtue that lies in the doctrine.” We can have nothing more directly personal than God speaking to us in this way through His Word.
Take just one precept which occurs in the Ephesian epistle, “Foolish talking and jesting... are not convenient” (verse 4). The word for “foolish talking,” has been interpreted by some as the “slipping of the tongue.” Liddell and Scott’s lexicon gives as a definition “talking in a silly way.” Speaking of this word an early Christian writer uses the Latin expression, lubricum verbe. It is not difficult to see our modern lubricate in this. Lubricated, carries its own suggestion of the tongue easily slipping along in the talk of fools. There is always the danger of discourse becoming first foolish and then corrupt. Sound speech which Cannot be condemned, speech in grace seasoned with salt, is the hall mark of the heart occupied with Christ. This word then which in profane literature may have meant little more than “random talk” when taken up by the inspired Apostle can mean nothing less than that which is both folly and sin.
The word for “jesting,” like “foolish talking “occurs once only in the New Testament. This word would have special significance to the Ephesian saint. It speaks no less powerfully to Christians of this age of widely diffused education. The writer recently copied a line from a pre-Christian writer which shows how well known was the character of the Ephesians. “Ephesian” was almost synonymous with “jester.” The line was,
“I devote myself to pleasure, love and mirth,
In fine at Ephesus I was born.”
In the Greek this word is derived from “well” and “turned”— “that which easily turns.” The “jester” then, is always ready with an answer or repartee. He is witty and lively. He adapts himself to any circumstance, or to whatever is the mood of the person addressed, without coarseness or indecency. In spite of the atmosphere of refinement attaching to “jesting” it is coupled to “foolish talking” and forever stamped as “not convenient.”
It is useless attempting corrective methods. The specific complaint must be dealt with and then the symptoms will disappear. Christ filling the heart will mean Christ on the tongue. When He was here He was as perfect in His speech as He was in every other expression of that life which was the Light of men. It behooves us to remember that to all that precious unfolding of the counsel and purposes of God in the Ephesian epistle is added a number of exhortations for our admonition and profit, and among them that which has to say to us about the very manner of our speech.
S. O. Thurston.