Proverbs 15:4 – “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
A family of gentle speech, a church where people speak kindly, an office with such conversation, is like a Garden of Paradise where one would want to live forever. Could there be higher praise than to compare something to a tree of life, which bestows immortality (Genesis 2:9, 3:24, Revelation 2:7, 22:2)?
A gentle tongue will rebuke at times, never out of pique, but always for the good of the hearer. Words from a friend pointing out a fault will hurt, but they come from faithful love. The gentle tongue instructs, speaking wisdom, with words that fit each situation, like apples of gold in a silver setting. With a soft answer that turns away wrath, the gentle tongue is merry, doing good to the hearer like medicine to the sick (Proverbs 27:6, 25:11, 15:1, 17:22).
Perverse words cannot break bones like sticks and stones. They do worse. An evil tongue can kill a spirit and break a heart. With our tongues we demean others, declaring them insignificant, a species of murder (Matthew 5:22). With our tongues, we can destroy. Iago’s deceitful words led Othello to ruin in Shakespeare’s play of the same name. As he handed Him over to the soldiers, Judas Iscariot called Jesus “Master,” and kissed Him. Evil tongues make family life agony, turn churches into dens of envy and malicious gossip, and make workplaces torture chambers. More than one church has sadly lost a member, and yet a month later people start remarking, “I still miss him, but I’m glad the attitude is gone.” Emails, Facebook, text messages, and Tweets amplify a tongue’s power to break spirits.
This short proverb, telling the tongue’s power to give life or kill the spirit, does not tell us how to cultivate a gentle tongue. James does: “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19).” Paul does: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6).” Peter says to defend the faith, but “with gentleness and reverence (I Peter 3:15).” The Psalmist prayed: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3).” And Jesus is our example. “All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth (Luke 4:22).” Is it easy to cultivate a gentle tongue? No! “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man (James 3:2),” and only one Man has ever been perfect. But striving to speak words that heal rather than wound merits lifelong effort, because a gentle tongue is a tree of life.
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Dr. Bill Edgar, former chair of the Geneva College Board of Trustees, Former Geneva College President and longtime pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Sep 1, 2018
Faithful Doubt: Habakkuk, written by pastor Travis Scott, explores the short prophetic book of Habakkuk, in a practical and meaningful way through the lens of a doubter. Travis approaches the passage of scripture from an honest and humble perspective, recalling difficulties experienced as a husband, father, and pastor.
Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary delivered the spring 2021 Commencement address at Geneva College on May 10, 2021. Here is an excerpt of that message, entitled, "Every Good Work," from 2 Timothy 3. This excerpt first appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Geneva Magazine.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
As busy as college students are, it can be profoundly beneficial for them to seek out and engage in a routine Bible study. Diving deeper into their faith, exploring what the world’s challenges mean to them, and creating a Christian-based path forward can give any college student the direction he or she needs to achieve their best life. Still, it’s not always easy to make that decision—instead of a night with friends or yet another study session for a high-level math class, go to Bible study instead.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
What should someone with wealth do? Solomon writes, “Pay attention to it and know its condition.” He uses the example of sheep and goats. Wise parents blessed with wealth will teach their children how to work to maintain it. Wise children will accept the burdens of responsibility that go with family wealth, always remembering that riches do not last forever.
The Book of Proverbs has no use for the gullible, viewing them as willful fools. Even when everyone else can see a hateful, deceitful person for what he is, the gullible choose to believe gracious words.
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
How should leaders deal with difficult situations in difficult times? Geneva College’s John Gallo and Jenna Bieber provide a guidebook for leaders. "Lessons from Cain and Abel to Guide Leaders Through Turbulent Times" walks readers through the account of Cain and Abel to teach leaders the importance of justice, mercy, harmony and equality.
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