333 Words of Grace

Sunday, March 3, 2024

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29 KJV).

What is this “corrupt communication?”

It is safe to say that most church leaders would never dream of using “four-letter words”—the obscenities, expletives, or vulgarities heard in nightclubs, prisons, and R-rated movies. We do commend them for their decency in this regard, but we warn them to be even more careful as touching the less-known “corrupt communication” abounding in empty works-religion and denominationalism. Church members everywhere have been exposed to these destructive words for nearly 20 centuries—but precious few have had any spiritual discernment to identify and complain about them, or avoid them altogether.

For example, courtesy of “contemporary Christian music,” assemblies have emphasized emotions and amusements and passed them off as “praise and worship.” There is more focus on dance moves and hand-raising than sound doctrine and Bible page-turning. Church attendees universally are pressured to walk aisles, mindlessly recite prayers, exalt “scholarship,” gratify preachers, jump into a baptistery, donate generous tithes and offerings, demand huge financial blessings from God, seek a healing experience, offer their commandment-keeping to get God’s acceptance, give up this pleasure and that luxury. All these activities stem from hearing “corrupt communication” in the pulpits, reading it in the “Christian bestsellers,” and learning it in Bible college and seminary classrooms.

Re-read Matthew 7:15-20, Matthew 12:33-37, and Luke 6:43-45, paying attention to “corrupt” situated in the context of speaking (especially false teachers talking, lies originating from a corrupt or rotten heart). Such words transmit a spiritual disease, decay or decomposition. Listeners and readers are exposed to a contagion, a poison, and they likely do not even realize it. The situation is more than unhealthy; it is often fatal, leading people down a destructive spiritual path and eternal ruin. Again, this goes far beyond mere “dirty words,” “swearwords,” or “indecencies.” As today’s Scripture suggests, it encompasses that which tears down people spiritually, affecting the growth of their soul, words not conforming to the principles of grace.

Let us investigate this more fully….

Saturday, March 2, 2024

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29 KJV).

What is this “corrupt communication?”

The Greek word rendered “corrupt” here is “sapros.” Let us see how our King James translators handled it elsewhere.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt [sapros] tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt [sapros] tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt [sapros], and his fruit corrupt [sapros]: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:33-37).

“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt [sapros] fruit; neither doth a corrupt [sapros] tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 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” (Luke 6:43-45).

In all the above verses, including today’s Scripture, the theme is corrupt speech….

Friday, March 1, 2024

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29 KJV).

What is this “corrupt communication?”

Early in my ministry, while driving home from college every afternoon, I listened to a certain local denominational preacher’s radio program. Being ignorant and shallow in the Scriptures, I figured I would be profited. Indeed, I learned some good information and, though I never attended services in person, I even sent a monetary donation to his ministry to express appreciation. However, some weeks later, I heard him teach false doctrine in one radio sermon. Later, I emailed him to correct his theology… but he replied with a single Bible verse he had lifted out of context. I thus stopped listening to his broadcasts.

A few years later, my parents and I began going to a denominational church where some Christian friends were attending services. For three years, we became acquainted with the pastor. Though friendly, he was also willingly teaching error and refusing counsel. By this time, my family had begun to learn dispensational Bible study, but we still did not know enough to break away from the assembly. The more we grew in the Scriptures rightly divided (following others’ ministries), the spiritual distance widened between us and this denominational preacher. Ultimately, we had to leave this group.

Lately, I was at a cemetery near my house, looking for the tomb of our denominational pastor who had died back in late 2019. Utterly astonished, I noticed immediately next to his burial plot a headstone bearing another familiar name: the name of that radio pastor (who died more recently)! Standing by their graves side-by-side, I reflected on those experiences I had under their ministries so long ago. It was some invaluable firsthand knowledge of how denominational systems strive to keep people ignorant and ensure they fund their organizations. Both men were presumably members of the Church the Body of Christ, and I rejoiced that, if they were in Heaven, they were now free from the endless confusion they caused themselves and others.

I can honestly say I was not bitter, for God in His grace used those detrimental situations for my benefit and the advantage of those I reach….