Don’t smoke, don’t cuss, don’t drink, don’t chew, don’t run around with women who do. That was the old joke in Sunday School once I was a child. We shouldn’t do this stuff if we were a Christian. Cussing makes the list, but what does the Bible say about profanity?
Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to say certain words. Very little reason was given to me about why, even when given the rare Bible verse. I won’t list the words here, but I did have a season as a young teenager once I began testing those boundaries, saying certain phrases. My dad ended up arguing how using profanity made me sound silly and uneducated, and the talk worked on me.
In my Bible study and travels all over the world, I wrestled with the thought of profanity by myself. Different cultures have their versions of profanity, even in English-speaking countries. What’s offensive in a single country isn’t the identical in one other. We use different terms to explain profanity: cussing, cursing, swearing, offensive language, crude language.
However, as cultural as this discussion is likely to be, the Bible is anxious with what we are saying.
What does the Bible say about crude language?
For crude language, we’d place terms of a graphic sexual nature or speak of bodily waste, no less than for Western cultures. While it might not explicitly address crude language as a contemporary concept, several biblical principles could be applied to understanding how Christians should approach their speech.
Ephesians 4:29 instructs us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps construct others up in line with their needs, that it might profit those that listen.” The context here teaches the importance of speaking helpful and constructive words slightly than coarse or vulgar. We are called to make use of their speech to encourage and edify others, reflecting the love and style of Christ of their interactions.
Similarly, Colossians 3:8 admonishes us to “rid yourselves of all things like these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language out of your lips.” We must guard against the usage of language that’s disrespectful, derogatory, or offensive. Instead, believers are called to cultivate hearts of affection, kindness, and humility, allowing our speech to reflect the character of Christ.
James 3:10 highlights the inconsistency of using praise and cursing with our speech: “Out of the identical mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this mustn’t be.” This letter from James reminds us how words have the facility to accumulate or tear down. For the disciple of Christ, our whole lives belong to him, including the things we are saying. What comes from the lips should praise God.
Jesus himself emphasized the importance of purity in speech. In Matthew 15:11, he declares, “What goes into someone’s mouth doesn’t defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that’s what defiles them.” What we are saying reveals the condition of the guts.
Do our words reflect a mindset on crude and sexual things? Or a mind and heart set on Christ?
What does the Bible say about cursing?
One element of profanity centers on cursing an individual or thing. Calling an individual a reputation, insulting someone, or terms that wish harm to someone or something fall into this category. As James points out, we should always not curse but praise. The idea of a curse comes from insurrection or the autumn, not from a life in search of to save lots of and rescue.
While curses can take various forms and contexts throughout scripture, several key principles emerge regarding their nature and impact.Proverbs 18:21 says,
“The tongue has the facility of life and death, and those that love it is going to eat its fruit.” The words we speak have the facility to bring life or death. Curses spoken in anger, malice, or unwell intent can carry significant weight and impact the one who speaks them and their intended goal.
Galatians 6:7 warns, “Do not be deceived: God can’t be mocked. A person reaps what he sows.” To curse one other person means to curse ourselves. Jesus calls us to like one another as we love ourselves, so our cursing someone, whether or not they deserve it or not, causes harm to ourselves, as well. Further, cursing has other consequences like discord, division, and strife.
Christ broke the curse over all creation, including humanity, through his blood and sacrifice on the cross. In him, and only in him, are all curses powerless for those submitted to Christ. Proverbs 26:2 states, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.” Curses spoken without cause or justification is not going to have an enduring impact. However, when curses are spoken with intent or merit, repentance, and prayer are essential for breaking their power. James 5:16 encourages believers to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another in order that you could be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Through repentance and prayer, believers can seek God’s forgiveness and protection from the results of curses.
Instead of cursing, we should always bless. We deserved the curse of sin in our insurrection and received mercy. We must give mercy and style in return. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus instructs his followers, “But I inform you, love your enemies and pray for individuals who persecute you.” This teaching challenges us to reply to curses with love and prayer slightly than retaliation or vengeance. We show the transformative power of God’s love and mercy by extending grace and forgiveness to those that curse us.
What does the Bible say about swearing?
The last version of profanity we are able to discuss is once we call it swearing. Profanity includes swearing upon an individual or thing as if that can help us accomplish something. The Bible takes swearing (vows, oaths) extremely seriously, emphasizing the importance of integrity, honesty, and faithfulness in fulfilling commitments.
God keeps his guarantees, and once we swear an oath, we’re sure to satisfy it, which could be difficult. Psalm 15:4 describes the characteristics of those that dwell in God’s presence, stating, “who despises a vile person but honors those that fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change their mind.” We should keep guarantees and honor commitments, even when it requires sacrifice or discomfort.
Jesus tells us to not make an oath in any respect. “Again, you may have heard that it was said to the people way back, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you may have made.’ But I inform you, don’t swear an oath in any respect: either by heaven, for it’s God’s throne; or by the earth, for it’s his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it’s town of the Great King. And don’t swear by your head, for you can not make even one hair white or black. All it is advisable to say is solely ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37) Even when desiring good things, we shouldn’t make an oath to do it, simply allowing our commitment to be evident and consistent in what we are saying or do. Our agreement needs to be enough. James 5:12 cautions,
“Above all, my brothers and sisters, don’t swear—not by heaven, earth, or the rest. You only have to say an easy ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Otherwise, you will likely be condemned.”
This verse echoes Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, emphasizing the simplicity and integrity of truthful speech. Swearing oaths by invoking God’s name or other sacred entities needs to be avoided, as it might result in irreverence and dishonor to God.
In these passages, the message is evident: let your yes be yes and your no be no. This means we should always speak truthfully and sincerely with no need additional vows or oaths. Our words should carry weight and be trustworthy, reflecting the integrity of our character as followers of Christ.
What is an important lesson from the Bible about what we are saying?
In each of those cases, the actual issue isn’t the words we are saying but the guts behind it. God cares about our motives greater than the legalistic idea of not saying certain offensive words. Jesus addresses this within the Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will likely be at risk of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is indignant along with his brother and not using a cause shall be at risk of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be at risk of the council. But whoever says, ‘You idiot!’ shall be at risk of hell fire.” – Matthew 5:21-22
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges the religious and legalistic attitude of the day. He focuses on the Ten Commandments, a number of bad ones, murder and adultery. No one in his day would have excused anyone for committing those two. But Jesus reveals where these sins originate. Adultery begins with lust. People might condemn adultery but excuse the lust of the guts. God doesn’t. Murder begins with hate. People might condemn murder but overlook hate. God doesn’t. In this context, Jesus then deals with a cuss word.
The word raca means nothing to us today. Two thousand years ago, this was a particularly offensive cuss word in Jesus’ culture. The term raca meant “you idiot.” If you spoke the word raca in Jesus’ day, you’d get in trouble with the religious authorities.
But Jesus cares more in regards to the heart and our motives. An individual can still say, “You idiot!” and curse one other human being made within the image of God. Using the words “you idiot!” avoided consequences from the religious leaders, but not from God. To attack and hate one other person, even with “protected” words, we’re at risk of hell.
God desires for us to be like him, holy in our thoughts and actions, with integrity between the 2, because he knows our play-acting righteousness isn’t sustainable and only results in hypocrisy and eventually hell. God is love and acts from his own heart of affection. When our motive is love, our actions will even naturally follow.
For profanity, words matter, but the guts matters more. Crude language reveals a heart occupied by crude acts of sex or bodily functions as an alternative of blessing and constructing others up in Christ. Cursing wishes harm on others as an alternative of loving them. Swearing by other people or things, even God and Heaven, undermines the integrity of individuals believing the simplicity of our word.
While we should always be sensitive about saying certain words, that shouldn’t be our major focus. Getting the guts right corrects our speech, too. Let us seek to encourage others with our speech. Let us love others as we might ourselves, with grace and mercy, as Christ loves us. And allow us to not comply with anything quickly or without due consideration, ensuring others can count on our word as we count on the guarantees of God.
If this seems unimaginable, it’s. We can’t do that on our strength. This is why God gives us the Spirit of Jesus inside us to share his thoughts, desires, and power with us. We must rest in his power and rely on his ability to steer us into all truth.
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