Articles
Plainness of Speech
If I told you, 'It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers,' would you understand what I was saying? How about this: 'Pulchritude possesses solely cutaneous profundity.' Would you understand either of those statements? Maybe if I reworded them in more familiar terms? You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and, Beauty is only skin deep.
Successful communication requires both a speaker/writer who clearly illustrates and conveys information to the listener or reader, and a listener/reader who fully hears and comprehends what the speaker or writer is conveying. If the listener/reader does not hear/read or comprehend what the speaker/writer is saying, or if the speaker/writer uses words that are beyond the understanding of his audience, the message is not successfully communicated. More than just words are important, too; a speaker whose body language or tone of speech indicates disdain for the audience will not successfully communicate the intended message, but something else entirely.
Why is this important in the matter of religious and spiritual discussion? It is important because the message is important. If we do not communicate effectively the message of God's plan for our salvation, then we have failed our duty. Every servant of Jesus Christ must be “able to teach” (2 Tim. 2:24), and that means we must be able to effectively communicate the message God has revealed to mankind about his sin and God's plan for overcoming it and obtaining forgiveness and eternal life. Keeping the message to ourselves, or communicating it in language that is foreign to the hearers does no good for the lost souls. We must be effective communicators!
Think about the many parables of our Lord; in each one, He used language and stories familiar to the audience, and He told of people, places, and things familiar to them. He did not use a university-level vocabulary [and remember, He knew every word there ever was] to impress them, and He did not go into deep theological discussions that had no meaning to those who heard Him. Jesus quoted only the Scriptures, and spoke truth to the people — because that was what they needed to know and hear!
Part of effective communication is clarity in the delivery and, if necessary, explanation of the message. Those two phrases used at the beginning of this article would, for most, need some explanation or the message would be left unclear. Sometimes, the speaker/writer uses words that are not clearly understood, but sometimes it is the delivery that gets in the way of a clear understanding. Either way, those who speak and/or write the message must be careful to use language that is appropriate to the audience, and the message must be delivered in an organized, logical manner so the main point is clear, and the arguments in defense of the point are just as clear to those who hear or read it.
Confusing, rambling speech or writing is certainly not the right way to convey important information. The apostle Paul, speaking of the superiority of the message of the gospel over that which Moses delivered, wrote, “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness [“plainness” KJV] of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12). The point he was making was that the message demanded he speak bluntly, openly, and boldly; then was no time to be beating around the bush, rambling, or timidness!
In a society that is increasingly hostile to the truths found in God's word, we should not be blind to the influence it has on the local church which is, as we well know, made up of people — people who can be influenced by society's pressures to conform. This being the case, the gospel preachers and teachers of God's word and those who write in its defense must not become timid or hesitant to write on difficult issues and timely topics. If we are truly convicted that it is through faith in Christ alone that one must be saved, and that this also means we must be willing to submit to His will when society overwhelmingly does not, we will not shy away from calling sin 'sin' and teaching the plain truth that all are guilty of sin (Rom. 3:23) and there is only one Savior (Acts 4:12). Now is not the time to be shy or embarrassed to say plainly what God's word has clearly stated. If we resort to using euphemistic language to describe sin or false teaching, we will one day have to answer for not clearly stating what God's word says, and for misleading those in error.
Plainness/boldness does not mean rudeness, however. As boldly and as bluntly as Paul preached and wrote God's word, he at no time resorted to rude, insulting speech to make a point. When he wrote by inspiration that we should be “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), he did not exempt himself from the demand. He was not averse to telling the brethren plainly that he cared deeply for them (cf. Phil. 1:8), but he was also not shy about making some very stern condemnations for their behavior, either (cf. 1 Cor. 5:6; 1 Cor. 11:17-22). When necessary, he did not mince words about sinful behavior and the need for correction, but they also knew he did it with much love and anguish (cf. 2 Cor. 2:4). We may bluntly expose sin, but it must be done with love for the one whose sin it is; we may also plainly note a certain teaching is erroneous, and still express it in a way they know we are telling them because we love them and care for their soul.
Preachers, teachers, and writers must speak or write so as to convince the hearer/reader that the message is important and that it is something that should be understood by the audience as something important to them, not just to you; these are “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68), after all! As a speaker, it is tempting to speak passionately, enthusiastically, and loudly about certain truths to make the point, but we must not fall into that line of thinking that the more passionately one speaks, the more 'true' the message becomes. The power to convict is not in the speaker's passion, but in the gospel itself (Rom. 1:16); one who quietly speaks truth may be received more readily by those who are seeking truth. It will be the message of the gospel, though, that convicts — no matter how the message is delivered.
And when we sit down with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, or fellow students to talk to them about God's word, please remember that even the best speaker/teacher/writer will not convert everyone. Very few will want to hear the message of the gospel because (1) it convicts them of sin when most want to believe they are 'good,' (2) it demands a change in beliefs and in their way of life, and (3) it will necessarily convict their loved ones who have passed on and who did not obey the truth of the gospel. With that in mind, don't try to whitewash the message, soften it, or change it one bit. Speak plainly, but lovingly, and try to get them to see (1) we are all guilty of falling short, yourself included, (2) the change required has eternal rewards, and (3), what they know now will not change the past or the fate of those passed on, but it can change their eternal destination and their future — for the good.
In a world where the message of truth is lost in a cacophony of error and lies, and where truth is never said to be absolute, we must speak with plainness and boldness the truth that is the message of the gospel: salvation in Christ alone. —— Steven Harper
