(The Proverbs of many lands speak about it.)

The boneless tongue, so small and weak,

"Can crush and kill," declares the Greek.

"The tongue destroys a greater hord,"

The Turk asserts, "than does the sword."

The Persian proverb wisely saith,

"A lengthy tongue—an early death"

Or sometimes takes this form instead,

"Don’t let your tongue cut off your head."

"The tongue can speak a word whose speed

Says the Chinese, "outstrips the steed;"

And Arab sages this impart,

"The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart."

From Hebrew wit the maxim sprung.

"Though feet should slip, ne’er let the tongue."

The sacred writer crowns the whole,

"Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul."

(Prov. 13:3, James 3.)

And yet notwithstanding the fickleness of the "tongue and its susceptibility to evil, it is singular to note that YAHWEH saw fit to choose this small organ of frail man as the most powerful factor in the salvation of souls! Hence, we read: "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe". (Cor. 1:21). The object of the "preaching" in Apostolic times was the salvation of sinners: not the "entertainment of saints." The commission still reads: "Go ye into all the world, and PREACH (KERUSSO)—to publish or proclaim openly and authoritatively, by speaking) the gospel to every creature" (Mark. 16:15). Again we read: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (Pet. 4:11). Although our Holiness (?) friends assert that they have "miraculous" power to "speak in tongues" (foreign languages), this writer challenges the statement and demands the proof! He further affirms that no living person today can speak a word in any language he has not learned, and that to speak in the language of YAHWEH, our God, or to "speak as the oracles (LOGION) the words of utterances of God," he must, necessarily, learn that language. In order to do this, we are told to "HEAR IT" (Deut. 5:1; Jno. 12:47,48; Rom. 10:17), and to "READ IT"(Josh. 8:34, 35; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; Eph. 3:4), and "STUDY IT" (2 Tim. 2:15), and to "MEDITATE UPON IT" (1 Tim. 4:15), and thus to "GROW IN IT" (1 Pet. 2:2; Eph.4:14, 15; (2 Pet. 3:18).

We are sometimes too much concerned about the other fellow’s teaching (language) and not enough about what we "should be teaching" (speaking). That "style" in speaking is an admirable ornament the writer will not dispute. But, to say the "proper things," in the "proper language" (oracles), and to leave unsaid everything not connected with the subject, will about fill the requirements of Paul’s command (Col. 4:6) and also that of Peter (1 Pet. 3:15). The influence of the pen, the press, the sword is great; but though these should fail, the power of the preaching of the gospel endures. (Rom. 1:16).