The Tongue
A Study in the Scriptures
"He who will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile." 1 Peter 3:10
(c) 1976, 1977, 1981 by Diane S. Dew
I. The Spirit of God is greatly grieved when the words of our mouths do not edify or minister grace to those around us.
Ephesians 4:29-30
A. Bitter and sweet waters cannot come from the same well.
James 3:10-12
B. A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit; neither can a good tree bring forth bad fruit.
Matthew 7:16-18
C. We must separate the precious from the vile ("worthless").
Jeremiah 15:19
II. There is great power in the tongue, and it can minister either life or death.
Proverbs 18:21
A. The tongue can be a destructive and deadly weapon.
Proverbs 11:9; 15:4
Psalms 57:4
1. It is "like a sharp razor."
Psalms 52:2
2. Scripture describes the tongue as a sword.
Psalms 55:21; 57:4; 59:7; 64:3
Proverbs 12:18; 25:18; 30:14
3. "And the tongue is a fire ..."
Psalms 57:4; 120:3-4
Proverbs 16:27; 26:20-21
Isaiah 5:24
James 3:5-6
4. It is like the deadly poison of a serpent.
Psalms 58:3-4; 140:3
Romans 3:13 (Psalms 5:9)
James 3:8
5. Words can eat away like gangrene ("canker," KJV = ganggraing, Gk.)
2 Timothy 2:16-17
B. But our words can minister life as well.
Proverbs 15:4; 18:21; 10:11, 21
1. There is healing in a soft word.
Proverbs 4:22; 12:18; 16:24; 17:22
2. A kind word can minister grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29
3. A word spoken in season may impart joy and gladness.
Proverbs 12:25; 15:23
III. We are, therefore, exhorted to guard the words of our mouths.
Psalms 24:13; 39:1; 141:3
Proverbs 13:3; 21:23
1 Peter 3:10
A. "When the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it; and His anger was kindled ..."
Numbers 11:1
B. "All these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth" are a part of "the old man with his deeds," and must be dealt with accordingly.
Colossians 3:8-10
C. By our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned.
Matthew 12:36-37
D. Not what goes into the mouth, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a man.
Matthew 15:11, 18 (Mark 7:20)
E. Since we are to "speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), God would rather that we give thanks and edify one another, than cause dissention and strife among the brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Ephesians 4:29; 5:4
F. We are to be an example in speech (see 1 Timothy 4:12), even as Jesus Christ "did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again ..."
1 Peter 2:21-23
IV. "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man..."
Job 1:1, 8, 22 cp. 2:9-10
Zephaniah 3:13
James 1:26; 3:2
Revelation 14:5