Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
A philosopher in ancient Greece asked his servant to prepare the best dish possible. The servant prepared a dish of tongue, saying, ‘It is the best of all dishes, because with it we may bless and communicate happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, cheer the faint-hearted, inspire the discouraged, and say a hundred other things to uplift mankind.’ Later the philosopher asked his servant to provide the worst dish he could. A dish of tongue again appeared on his table. The servant said, ‘It is the worst, because with it we may curse and break human hearts, destroy reputations, promote discord and strife, and set families, communities and nations at war with each other.’ That servant well understood the power of speech, and we understand it too, if we think about it. But do we understand our responsibility to make sure that our speech is always to be that which represents the family into which our Salvation has brought us?
Paul’s direction to the Christians in Ephesus – and today to us – is for us to avoid all corrupt communication. What is corrupt communication? Obviously, it includes profanity, obscenities, dirty jokes, lies, and nasty abusive talk. These we know better than to use. But it also includes any speech that is destructive to others, especially other Christians. It includes gossip and slander, revealing secrets, talking about people behind their backs, uttering unkind words to or about anyone. All those things are corrupt communication. All those things are wrong for Christians. So why do some Christians engage in corrupt communication? According to the Lord Jesus, in Luke 6:45: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Simply put, evil must be inside for evil to come out. So how do we eliminate the evil and activate the good?
Just as our bodies take on the character of the food that we eat, so do our minds take on the character of what we feed it. If we read the world’s books, watch the world’s movies, engage in the world’s pastimes, revel in the world’s entertainment, and spent most of our time with the world’s companions, we will have worldly speech. And worldly speech is corrupt. But if we feed on the Word of God, read wholesome books, spend our leisure time with upright Christians, expend our energies in the furtherance of the Gospel and in helping fellow saints, attend and participate in Assembly meetings, and spend time in prayer, we will have Heavenly speech, and it will not be corrupt.
Speech that is salted with the Word of God and that is employed in prayer and worship will not be corrupt. -Jim MacIntosh