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What the Bible says about Profanity
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Profanity is the use of profane language, serving to debase what is holy.

It seems that many types of foul language are related to God or to holy things. The modern Israelite seems to think he is a real big shot if he can say foul things about God or what is holy and sacred without being struck down on the spot. The ancient Greeks called such overweening pride—the kind that drove Satan to defy God and try to replace Him (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17)—hubris. How far from God our nations have fallen!

Staff
Swear Not at All!

Related Topics: Profanity


 

Ezekiel 22:26

The word profane has become rare these days. Its full meaning has disappeared from common conversation, and it is now used almost exclusively with regard to language—as in profanity. But obscene or vulgar speech—as common as it is—is only a fraction of what is contemplated by profane.

The word came into English through French from the Latin profanus, and its root is quite revealing. It consists of pro- (before, meaning "against" or "away from") and fanum ("temple"). Something that is profane, then, is literally "against the temple" or even "far from the temple." Biblically, "temple" refers not just to a physical building, but embodies all that takes place there—specifically, the true worship of the true God. Thus, not only can foul words and phrases be "far from the temple"—far from the true worship of God—but also people, behaviors, and even instruments of worship can be profane.

Profane may not be an especially common word in the Bible, but wherever it appears, it contains a tremendous amount of gravity. When God warns against profaning something of His (such as His name, Sabbaths, sanctuary, altar, ordinances, etc.), He uses forceful and firm statements to convey His seriousness. Why is God so concerned that His people be vigilantly careful with what He designates as clean and unclean, holy and unholy, or appropriate and profane?

These designations define His nature, character, and way of life. Just as a parent teaches a child what is good and what is not—so the child will grow up mirroring the values of the parent—so God instructs His children in what is proper and what is not. Without this divine designation, and the accompanying warnings, we would be left to our own devices and would certainly not mirror the values of our Father (see Proverbs 29:15). To be unconcerned with what God defines as acceptable is to be unconcerned with God Himself.

How serious is God? He establishes the death sentence for profaning the Sabbath by working on it (Exodus 31:14). He killed Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, for offering profane fire—fire that had its source in human effort rather than divine causation (Leviticus 10:1-2). He proclaims punishment and disaster on prophets and priests who are profane (Jeremiah 23:11-12, 15-17). Because of profaning God's Sabbaths, the Israelites received God's fury and anger and were scattered among the Gentiles (Ezekiel 20:15-24; 22:6-16). Even after being scattered, they continued to profane His name—something that continues today (Ezekiel 36:16-38; 39:7-8). Clearly, the issue of what is "far from the temple" is not a minor one to God.

Ezekiel 44:23-24 foretells of a time when God's priests—teachers, leaders—"shall teach My people [Israel] the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. . . . They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths." But this time is clearly yet future. Right now, we are in a time more accurately described in Ezekiel 22:26.

These things can be clearly seen in the common Western rejection of the Sabbath in favor of Sunday worship; in the syncretism—mixing of holy and profane—of Christmas and Easter; and in the scoffing at the designations of clean and unclean—acceptable and profane—food. In the Israelitish nations, hardly any thought is given to living a holy life, even though our Savior clearly tells us, "Be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; see I Peter 1:15-16). The author of Hebrews exhorts us, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14; emphasis ours).

The church of God has an even greater responsibility to distinguish between the clean and the unclean—the holy and the profane—than the physical peoples of Israel. To whom much is given, from him much is required (see Luke 12:48). We are called to be lights to the world and witnesses of God and Jesus Christ. Our attention to upholding God's designation of holiness while shunning the profane directly influences how much we resemble God, and the degree to which we resemble God will determine our success in being true and faithful witnesses of Him.

In Haggai 2:10-14, God explains that when a people are defiled—unclean, profane—all the works of their hands and their worship of Him are likewise unclean. This is given in the context of the building of the Temple under Zerubbabel and Joshua.

God teaches us that holiness is not transferable—but uncleanness is. Having a holy human leader or a holy spouse, friend, or neighbor, will not make us holy. However, our contact with the profane will contaminate us, and the work of our hands will become unfit for His service.

God requires those whom He has called into His service to be holy—because He is holy—and to distinguish between the holy and unholy, the unclean and the clean, for by so doing we will come to know Him.

David C. Grabbe
The Holy and the Profane

Matthew 5:33-37

Jesus says that His brothers and sisters should not even be using such seemingly mild exclamations as "Good heavens!" They are unnecessary, and more than that, Satan and his anti-God attitudes influence them.

Certainly, church members are not using four-letter words or blaspheming or profaning God's name. In part, the third commandment—prohibiting taking God's name in vain—deals with such matters. Rather, the words that some complain about are of another type: mild or watered-down versions of God's names or crude words for certain body parts or bodily functions. Though this sensitive theme may embarrass or offend, it needs to be covered.

For those who might be new to this subject, it is necessary to give warning about "substitute" swearwords such as "gosh," "golly," "jeez," "shoot," "shucks," "heck," "darn," and others. Such words are called euphemisms, literally "good speech." It does not take much thought to figure out what words these exclamations are substitutes for. We do not need them! The English language contains thousands of benign yet descriptive words and expressions that convey the same feeling or reaction.

Yet for those whose speech habits are deeply ingrained, it can be hard. Many of us have used bad language freely and frequently before conversion. Many of us are surrounded by foul language at work every day. A friend told me that, upon starting a job "in the world" after spending four years at Ambassador College, he was plagued by swearwords constantly coming to the tip of his tongue for the least little problem!

I do not wish to appear self-righteous in discussing this sensitive subject. I am not pointing a finger at others. Like many church members, I work in an office where I cannot even enjoy a cup of coffee with my coworkers because the air so frequently turns blue with bad language and filthy subject matter. Some of the women are as bad as the men—in some cases, worse! It can rub off on us and, like the proverbial frog in hot water, we can gradually come to accept gutter-language as the norm. We can become calloused to it, and we can allow it to creep into our everyday conversation.

Staff
Swear Not at All!

Matthew 12:33-37

This is a strong statement from our Savior! The fundamental question is: "How Christ-like is our speech?" This is just one area out of the whole of our behavior. We will be judged for every word, even the idle ones that we may just toss off in a time of weakness or when joking around with friends. That is a pretty strict judgment.

Jesus speaks here in black-and-white terms. The tree (meaning the person) is either good—producing good fruit—or he is bad and produces bad fruit. Which are we—the good or the bad tree?

In verse 34, He says, "Out of the abundance of the heart we speak"—and we could add, "and act." Jesus says in Matthew 15:17-18 that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him. What comes out of a person will be either good things like service, love, kindness, and other fruits of the spirit, or bad things, the works of the flesh, which He names there.

So, what will it be with us? What is the abundance of our heart?

The picture here is that the heart is a kind of vessel—a bowl—and things are poured into the heart. At a certain point, the vessel will overflow, and an abundance will come out of it. What comes out of our heart—this bowl or vessel—will expose the characteristics of the heart.

When we pour information into our minds, we process it. For a while, it stays in the bowl, as it were, and becomes mixed with what has been put there before. Our minds work on it for a while, and over time, it begins to gel into certain ideas. Once our minds are full, ideas break out in words, plans, and behaviors. Evil thoughts within, evil speech and/or works without. Or, we can put it the other way around—godly, kind, Christ-like thoughts within, godly, kind, Christ-like speech and/or works without.

What breaks out of our hearts? We have to answer that ourselves. Do we have profane minds that spew out profane speech? Or, is it "on [our] tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:26) because behind our tongues are pure and kind hearts?

This is vitally important because "by those words" we will either be justified or condemned. Our thoughts are just precursors to our speech and action.

So, where do we stand in relation to this line that Jesus Christ our Savior, our High Priest and Judge, has drawn? Are we a good tree or a bad one?

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Is God in All Our Thoughts?

Galatians 6:6-7

We will not deceive God by having outward actions that seem godly to others yet inside we are profane. That will not turn God's head at all; He knows. We cannot pull the wool over God's eyes. He says that if we sow profanity, we will reap profanity, which is basically ungodliness.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Is God in All Our Thoughts?


Find more Bible verses about Profanity:
Profanity {Nave's}
 




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