step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to restore such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted.” And he told the Ephesians (4:31, 32): “Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all injuriousness. But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you.” If Jehovah and Christ Jesus, who do not commit trespasses, can lovingly and completely forgive trespasses of others, cannot we imperfect men with due humility learn to really forgive one another?

OTHER OFFENSES OF THE TONGUE

17, 18. (a) Why is obscene speech not becoming to Christian ministers? (b) What kind of conversation is produced by mature Christians? (c) How can we explain anyone’s wanting to speak obscene things?

¹⁷ What is popular in this world is frequently not right. As the world deteriorates more and more, the morals and general ethics of the people degenerate too. That is why we have been admonished to quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making the mind over. The example of many of the world’s prominent entertainers and popular speakers and the trend of the conversation in clubs, social gatherings and even in the schools among the children is that obscene speech makes one outstanding and popular. Children, observing others, may be led to believe that swearing and obscene speech are an evidence of one’s being grown up and of one’s manliness, but as a matter of fact such proves only one’s worldliness. For over nineteen centuries Christians have had the inspired counsel of the apostle Paul: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every kind or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people, neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting, things which are not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks.”—Eph. 5:3, 4; Col. 3:5-8.

¹⁸ Harking back to the words of James 3:11, can our fountain of speech give out both sweet and bitter waters? What explanation is there for a person’s wanting to talk about obscenity or evil things at any time, even when in association with worldly people during secular work? Is he a Christian minister only when at a congregation meeting? When you are with others, what do you talk about? Are you always talking about worldly things, or do you make it a practice to uplift the conversation by talking on spiritual or constructive things? When there is an occasion to be with your brothers, are you talking about the latest cinema shows or sporting events, the daily gossip or scandals? Christ Jesus gives us the answers to all this at Matthew 15:18-20: “However, the things proceeding out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those things defile a man. For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thieveries, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things defiling a man.” So it goes back to what a person has put deep down in his heart. What is really interesting to him is what he will be speaking about regularly and zestfully.

19. (a) In the light of Galatians 5:16-26 how must we view the way one uses his power of speech? (b) Why is it important to have the heart filled with good things and then speak them out?

¹⁹ If we are to analyze the situation, how each one uses his power of speech is governed by whether one pursues the works of the flesh or has evidence of bearing the fruitage of the spirit. Wrong speech comes about through the heart’s being set on fornication, uncleanness, hatred, jealousy, drunkenness, revelries, selfishness, pride and personal gain. Those who know nothing of God’s righteous law and do not try to follow it use bad language and speak continually of fleshly things; that is the influence we see abroad in the world today. But where one’s mind and heart have been influenced by God’s spirit and where the individual has transformed his mind, we find him speaking on spiritual things. He has gained self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit, and he thinks before he speaks. He does not fly into a rage and speak without thinking, but is long-suffering and kind and speaks with mildness. That does not mean he does not speak forcefully in denouncing wickedness, but he does it in the same dignified manner as Jesus Christ used to speak out against wickedness, misleading traditions and hypocrisy. The taming of the tongue and the submitting of oneself to the guidance of God’s spirit and his Word are closely related. Jehovah judges, not by outward appearances, but by what is in the heart. Therefore the desire of every God-fearing person should be to fill his heart with spiritual things, to have a good heart for the refreshment and benefit of others and to become as a cool spring that continually bubbles forth sweet water on a summer day. Right speech leads to salvation.—1 Sam. 16:7; Rev. 2:23; Matt. 23:1-17; Gal. 5:16-26.

Speech and Salvation

1. What vital opportunity is before men now, as shown by Romans 10:8-10?

MAINTAINING life is the pursuit of all sane men because Jehovah placed in man a desire to live. Now through his Word Jehovah reveals to mankind that everlasting life is available to all who will reach out and take it on God’s conditions. An opportunity is presented to man to learn what is in God’s Word and fill his mind and heart with it and then speak it forth for his own salvation and the salvation of others. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; that is, the ‘word’ of faith which we are preaching. For if you publicly declare that ‘word in your mouth’, that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.”—Rom. 10:8-10.

2. What progressive steps must be made by those pursuing salvation?

² There is a close relationship shown between obtaining everlasting life and how we use our power of speech. Jehovah’s creation was for his pleasure and to result in praise to his name and the human creatures he made to be praisers of God. When they are busy at it he looks upon them with favor. Although the majority of men are found to be out of harmony with Jehovah, not praising him, yet in mercy he has allowed an opportunity to men to gain knowledge of his purposes and choose life. As one gains more accurate knowledge from God he better appreciates his relationship to the Creator. He learns that it is a privilege to make public declaration with his power of speech to the praise of Jehovah. He becomes a witness of Jehovah,