Free Speech

 Free Speech

October 13

Question of the Day, “Are words weapons?”

“‘Your speech is violence’: the left’s new mantra to justify campus violence”

BY JONATHAN TURLEY, TheHill.com

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Ephesians 6:17

17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Revelation 12:11a

11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, …

Matthew 5:37 (Net Bible)

37Let your word be ʻYes, yesʼ or ʻNo, no.ʼ More than this is from the evil one.

Matthew 12:36-37

36 But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give anaccounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones,

But words will never harm me”, Nursery Rhyme

So which is it? Is speech violence or is speech harmless? Why did the founders put freedom of speech in the first amendment? Why did Jesus say to guard you speech, not making careless oaths but just saying “Yes” or “No’? Any finally, why does Paul say that the Word is a sword? It seems that words are more than just sounds in the air that dissipate and affect nothing.

In Ephesians chapter 6, we have been studying the armor of God and the sword of the Spirit is included there. The writer of Hebrews says that the Word is sharper than a two edged sword:

Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Most people today seem to take their words flippantly. They will say whatever comes to their mind without a second thought. This is contrary to the teachings of Jesus who gave great importance to words. He taught that you will have to give an account for every careless word you speak. So maybe there is a grain of truth in the liberal mantra, “speech is violence”. Satan lies but his lies are always based on a partial truth so that they sound plausibly true. He even quoted scripture to Jesus in the wilderness. Of course he spoke half truths and purposely twisted the meaning to serve his own purpose, but Jesus countered by quoting the word of God accurately. When you think about it, that is also what Charlie Kirk did. He always let his critics speak, but he then gently pointed them to the truth. He was always gentle in his correction and did not browbeat his questioners, but calmly stated the truth and the gospel. There were still those who took offense, but not because his words were offensive and cruel, but because the truth is offensive to the lie. Light and darkness can not abide in the same space.

So what can we conclude? Are words weapons? The Bible says “Yes”. Words of truth are sharper than a two edged sword and can separate light from darkness. Truth will drive out the lie and cause the lier to flee just like Satan in the wilderness. It is because words are powerful that we need to be careful in what we say. But we also need to have the courage to speak up when the lie is being proclaimed. The lie will seem plausible until the truth is spoken to counter it. And when you think about it, that is also what the founding fathers were thinking when they wrote the first amendment. So when the enemies of free speech say “speech is violence” and try to cancel us, we need to speak up all the more, asserting our first amendment rights to counter the lie with the truth. Let us Conclude with first Corinthians 10; there is power in words of truth to destroy speculations and false knowledge:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destructionof fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ