Idle Words Matthew 12:36

Matthew 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

Idle Words Context

Context 1) Miracle & charges made. “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:22-24).

Context 2) His response. “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges” (Matthew 12:25- 27).

Context 3) What He had done. “Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:29-30).

Context 4) A warning by Jesus. “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32).

Context 5) Condemnation by the Lord. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:33-35).

Context 6) Our text. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Idle Words Context Definition

Definition 1) Idle. “An ineffective, useless word (a privative and ergon). A word that does no good and so is pernicious like pernicious anaemia. It is a solemn thought. Jesus who knows our very thoughts (Matthew 12:25) insists that our words reveal our thoughts and form a just basis for the interpretation of character (Matthew 12:37)” (A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament).

Definition 2) Notice this comment. “Idle word” does not mean here what is usually termed now as “idle words”; it does not mean careless, innocent talk on subjects secular and social, and opposed to serious conversation. Rather it signifies wicked, malicious, injurious, slandering, impious words”(H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew, p. 273).

Idle Words Context Definition Reveals Heart

Reveals The Heart 1) Look at what Jesus said. “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35).

Reveals The Heart 2) Notice this comment. “It is an obvious fact that there is nothing so revealing as words. We do not need to talk to a man long before we discover whether he has a mind that is pure or a mind that is dirty; …whether he has a mind that is kind and sympathetic or…cruel, callous, critical…It is the words which a man speaks in his unguarded moments, the words which he speaks without thinking…when the conventional restrains are removed which really show what he is like” (Barclay, Commentary on Matthew, vol. 2).

Reveals The Heart 3) A negative example. “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church” (3 John 9-10).

Reveals The Heart 4) A positive example. “Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:22- 24).

Idle Words Context Definition Reveals Heart Words Matter

Words Matter 1) Jesus said so! “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Words Matter 2) Justified by words. “with the positive idea predominant, to judge, declare, pronounce, righteous and therefore acceptable” (Thayer, p. 150).

Words Matter 3) Condemned by our words. “to give judgment against (one), to pronounce guilty; to condemn” (Thayer, p. 331).

Words Matter 4) Warning given by James. “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (James 3:5-6).

Idle Words Context Definition Reveals Heart Words Matter Use Of Tongue

Use Of The Tongue 1) Lay aside and grow. “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:1-3).

Use Of The Tongue 2) Bless and curse. “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9-10).

Use Of The Tongue 3) Corrupt versus good. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

Idle Words Context Definition Reveals Heart Words Matter Use Of Tongue