Unwholesome talk
What does it mean to not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths (Ephesians 4:29)?
The apostle Paul was a master at taking complex doctrinal truths and breaking them down into practical life applications. Here is where we land in Ephesians 4:17—5:21, as Paul lays out concrete “dos and don’ts” for everyday, holy, Christlike living. One thing we must practice if we want to live as Jesus calls us to, explains Paul, is to “do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29, NKJV).
Paul’s exhortation sounds much like the old maxim, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” The Greek word sapros, translated as “corrupt” (KJV, NKJV), “unwholesome” (NIV), and “foul or abusive” (NLT), means “not in good condition (damaged or decayed); hence unsound, bad, worthless and useless.” The term was used to describe rotten fruit or decaying trees. When used in the context of corrupt words or foul language, this kind of talk—whether deceitful, insensitive or offensive—is in one way or another damaging or hurtful to the hearer. Instead of dragging others down with our words, everything we say should be good and helpful so that we encourage and build up those who hear them. Only then can we walk in the holiness and purity of Christ.
Paul repeated, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” (Ephesians 5:4, NLT). To the Colossians, he wrote, “You must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8).
Jesus taught that the words we speak reveal what is in our hearts: “Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good. Or make a tree rotten, and then its fruit will be rotten. A person can recognize a tree by its fruit. . . . Your mouth says what comes from inside you. Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say. By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty” (Matthew 12:3–37, GW; see also Matthew 15:19; Luke 6:45). One day, we will have to answer to God for every careless or corrupt word that proceeds from our mouths. If we can’t say something edifying, we are better off saying nothing at all.
James also stressed the influence of our words for good or evil, to bless or curse, heal or destroy (James 3:1–12). Solomon counseled, “Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” (Proverbs 4:24). In Proverbs, the words that come out of our mouths are revealers of our character: “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly” (Proverbs 15:2, ESV; see also Proverbs 11:11; 15:28). “The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives” (Proverbs 12:6, NLT). Corrupt words reflect rottenness in one’s heart and produce ruin, while gracious words reveal a heart after God, generating goodness and life.
Our ability to communicate with words is a priceless and powerful gift from God. As the only creatures He created in His own image, speaking is one way we reflect God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26). The Lord spoke the world into existence (Hebrews 11:3), and, in a much smaller way, we can also speak words of life (Proverbs 10:11; 18:21). When we “let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,” we offer a welcoming and enticing word to those who don’t know Christ (Colossians 4:6, ESV).
If we genuinely want to “live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:15, NLT), we will ask God to change our hearts so that no corrupt words proceed from our mouths. We will pray for the Lord to purify our hearts and renew our spirits (Psalm 51:10) so that we might “delight in truth in the inward being” and “wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6, ESV). As we seek inner transformation, the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with the truth, love, and righteousness of Christ so that only what is good, helpful, and pleasing to God comes out of our mouths.
