"So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak it to the air."
1 Corinthians 14:9
Part 1
Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, helping them to understand the importance of their words in church worship, teaching, and preaching. They must be easy for everyone to understand. That is, our words are to be “well marked, clear and definite,” and “distinct”[1] (Thayer). What comes from our lips needs to be, “Literally, a well-marked discourse, language which has a clearly discernible meaning.”[2]
“So likewise ye.”
He gives two illustrations to help make his ideas understandable.
The first, musicians need to use their instruments carefully to make clear notes when they play them. If the notes the flute or harp plays are indistinct and hard to follow, who will know what song they are playing? When a symphony becomes a cacophony, who can benefit from hearing it? (1 Corinthians 14:7).
Secondly, if the bugler bungles his bugle calls in the army and no one knows what he’s alerting them to, how can they be ready to fight the battle? If he cannot play the commands correctly to “charge,” and to “retreat,” the soldiers will be in a world of hurt! (1 Corinthians 14:7-8).
Before she took piano lessons, one of our granddaughters loved to “play the piano,” often and loudly. Her mother frequently reminded her to play quietly. While none of us knew what she was playing, my granddaughter did, and thoroughly enjoyed herself. What sounded like banging to grownups was beautiful music to her.
“So likewise ye” be sure to make your words in the Lord’s ministry clear and easy to be understood.[3]
“Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood.”
Which “words” are Paul thinking about? He says the words that are “uttered by the tongue.” Not difficult to understand, whatever words come from the mouth. So, whether praying, preaching, testifying, or singing, our words need to be “easy to be understood.”
Yogi Berra[4], who was the manager for the New York Mets (1972-1975), and the New York Yankees (1964, 1984-1985), was famous for his muddled words. When he spoke, you may not know what he was really saying…
“We lost because we made too many wrong mistakes.”
“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
“Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.”
“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going because you might not get there.”
We chuckle at these jumbled statements. But they do underscore the importance of being transparent when speaking.
Why do we need to speak words that can be understood clearly and simply? Tomorrow we will look more at that. See you then.
Quote: “Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he”[5] Publilius Syrus.
[1] Thayer’s definition of the phrase, “Easy to be understood” (eusēmos). J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] Cambridge Bible, the electronic version in eSword (emphasis theirs).
[3] Eusēmon (eu, well, sēma, sign) is an old word, here only in N.T., well-marked, distinct, clear. Good enunciation, a hint for speakers
” (emphasis mine). A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] Yogi Berra words from https://bible.org/illustration/yogi-berra, downloaded, Wednesday, September 23, 2020.
Yogi Berra dates from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra, downloaded, Wednesday, September 23, 2020.
[5] Publilius Syrus’ quote Downloaded, Wednesday, September 23, 2020. From: https://www.searchquotes.com/search/Clear_Speech/2/. He was a former slave who lived 85 – 43 BC.