エフェソの信徒への手紙4:29-30 Ephesians 4:29-30,

悪い言葉を一切口にしてはなりません。ただ、聞く人に恵みが与えられるように、その人を造り上げるのに役立つ言葉を、必要に応じて語りなさい。　　　（エフェソ4:29）

「造り上げる」と翻訳されているオイコドメーというギリシア語の言葉は、このエフェソの信徒への手紙のテーマを理解するための鍵になる言葉です。この手紙の4章11節から13節でパウロは次のように記しています。「そして、ある人を使徒、ある人を預言者、ある人を福音宣教者、ある人を牧者、教師とされたのです。こうして、聖なる者たちは奉仕の業に適した者とされ、キリストの体を造り上げてゆき、ついには、わたしたちは皆、神の子に対する信仰と知識において一つのものとなり、成熟した人間になり、キリストの満ちあふれる豊かさになるまで成長するのです。」

この箇所の解き明かしでお話いたしましたように、クリスチャンは、キリストからいただいた賜物を、教会のほかのメンバーと共有し分かち合っていくときに、一人一人も成長し、教会という共同体も成長していくことができます。また、「聖なる者たちは奉仕の業に適した者とされ」というのは、信徒の人たちが賜物に応じてさまざまな「務め」をキリストから与えられるということを意味しています。信徒の人たちが賜物に応じてさまざまな「務め」をキリストから与えられることによって、12節の後半にあるように「キリストの体を造り上げて」ゆくことができるのです。「キリストの体を造り上げてゆき」の「造り上げ」も本日の箇所と同じオイコドメーというギリシア語の言葉です。

このように、この4章11節から13節の御言葉と本日の御言葉を合わせて読みますと、教会という共同体を共に「造り上げ」ていくためには、教会のメンバーに対して「聞く人に恵みが与えられるように、その人を造り上げるのに役立つ言葉を、必要に応じて語る」ことが必要であるということがわかります。また、教会のメンバーに対して「聞く人に恵みが与えられるように、その人を造り上げるのに役立つ言葉を、必要に応じて語る」ことが忠実になされているならば、教会という共同体を共に「造り上げ」ていくことができるようになるのです。　　　　　　　　　　（10月26日の説教より）

As many will know from television news reports, on 8 July this year, a member of the House of Councillors drew heavy criticism after stating during a campaign speech for a candidate from his own party, “Un no ii koto ni Noto de jishin ga atta.” (Luckily, there was an earthquake in Noto.) Subsequently, this member acknowledged that his remark was inappropriate, apologised, retracted his remark, and resigned as chair of the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors’ However, he did not resign his seat in the House of Councillors.

Wondering why such a remark was made, I searched online for articles reporting on the incident. I then came across an article on the website of the radio station Bunka Hōsō, featuring Dr. FUJII Satoshi, Professor of Kyoto University Graduate School explaining the background to the remark. To summarise the key points of Professor FUJII’s explanation: The state is promoting a system of dual-region residence, where one person resides in both an urban and a rural area. When this House of Councillors member said “luckily,” it meant that luckily an earthquake had occurred to expand this system, – that the Noto Peninsula earthquake had led to an increase in people residing in two regions. He probably meant to say “makoto ni zannennna koto desu ga” (it is truly regrettable) or “kō ka fukō ka” (luckily or unluckily) but slipped up and said “luckily” instead.

However, “luckily or unluckily” means “it cannot be definitively determined whether the outcome is good or bad.” Fundamentally, the Noto Peninsula earthquake was an extremely unlucky event for the residents. Therefore, even if this House of Councillors member had said “Luckily or unluckily, an earthquake occurred in Noto,” it would still have constituted an inappropriate remark lacking empathy for those affected by the earthquake.

So why do such verbal gaffes occur? An intriguing article on the Mainichi Broadcasting System website, analysing the issue of gaffes, is titled: “The Age of Universal Gaffes: Not Just Politicians! How to Prevent ‘Gaffes’ Anyone Can Make in the SNS Era? What to Do If You’ve Already Said It?” Within this article, Dr. YANO Kaori, Associate Professor of Nagasaki University categorises gaffes into two types. These two types are the “emotional type,” where someone accustomed to speaking in public gets carried away and slips up, and the “lost type,” where someone less accustomed to public speaking becomes completely blank-minded while speaking. Furthermore, according to Mr. FUKUDA Kenji, a communication specialist and representative of Hanashikata Kenkyūzyo (the Speaking Style Research Institute), the characteristics of people prone to gaffes even in everyday conversation are overconfidence, carelessness, verbosity, impulsive speech, and pleasing everyone. Both experts advise exercising considerable caution with words when posting on social media, which is prevalent in modern society. They further point out that, beyond the internet, face-to-face interactions have also become an era where gaffes are met with greater scrutiny, necessitating even greater consideration for diversity and new values than in the past.

Upon reflection, the need for careful speech is not a phenomenon unique to the modern era. It was already emphasised in the time of the New Testament. The Epistle of James contains a stern warning concerning the organ within the mouth used for speech – the tongue. It reads the Epistle of James 3:5-10 as follows.

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

The saying, “The tongue is a fire,” aptly expresses how carefully words must be handled. And the warning that the tongue sets on fire the entire course of life and is set on fire by hell is by no means an exaggeration. It is not uncommon for politicians or celebrities to lose their jobs due to a slip of the tongue. Moreover, in modern society, it is commonplace for criticism to converge on statements made on internet blogs or social media, resulting in so-called online backlashes. According to the Bible’s teaching, human beings are sinners; thus, it may be inevitable that the sin within the heart manifests itself through words. James states plainly, “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison,” revealing the sinful reality of human beings without concealment. Yet we cannot cease using words. We human beings communicate our thoughts through speech, forming diverse communities to live together. So, what mindset should guide our use of words? Today’s Bible passage teaches us principles for using words.

In the first verse of today’s passage, verse 29, the Apostle Paul says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” This teaching stands as a meaningful instruction even when taken in isolation. Yet, considering the surrounding context and the overall content of this epistle reveals a deeper significance.

In 4:22-24, Paul exhorted believers “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” In other words, he urged them to put off the words and deeds that surface from their sin-stained old self, and instead put on words and deeds based on the new self formed by the Holy Spirit. Then, in the following verse 25, he states, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,” teaching how one who has put on this new self should speak. Considering this in light of the whole Bible, “put away falsehood” means more than simply not telling lies; it means not spreading “false report” or “slander” (Exodus 23:1, Leviticus 19:16). Moreover, “speak the truth with his neighbor,” signifies not merely stating what is factually true, but rather exchanging words of faithfulness that build trust as members of the faith community (Zechariah 8:16-17).

After instructing on controlling anger in verse 26, confronting the devil in verse 27, and managing economic life in verse 28, Paul returns to the use of words in today’s passage, verse 29. What exactly constitutes the “corrupting talk” in “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths”? The original Greek word sapros (σαπρὸς) fundamentally means “rotten.” What happens if one eats rotten food? Bacteria and viruses enter the body, causing food poisoning with symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. In the worst cases, it can lead to death. Similarly, words corrupted by sin wound the hearts of those who hear them or lead them towards sin. To take an extreme example, suppose someone says to another, “You’d be better off dead.” The recipient would be deeply wounded. Worse still, what if they retaliated with, “You’d be better off dead”? These two individuals would come to hate each other, and an actual murder might occur. Indeed, workplace colleagues or family members sometimes come to hate each other, leading to murder. Likely, an exchange of “corrupting talk” lay behind it. You might think, “Surely such things could never happen within a Christian church.” Indeed, it is highly unlikely to escalate to murder. However, a false sense of security among fellow believers can lead to careless exchanges of harsh words, which can then destroy relationships of trust. We must be very careful to avoid exchanging “corrupting talk” between pastors and congregants, or among congregants themselves.

So, what kind of words should believers use when speaking to one another? As the latter part of verse 29 states: “But only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” The Greek word oikodomē (οἰκοδομή), translated here as “building up,” is a key term for understanding the theme of this Epistle to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul writes as follows.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

As I preached in the exposition of this passage, when Christians share and impart the gifts they have received from Christ with other members of the church, each individual grows, and the church community as a whole also grows. Furthermore, the phrase “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” signifies that believers are given various “ministries” by Christ according to their gifts. It is through believers being given various “ministries” by Christ according to their gifts that they can “build up the body of Christ,” as stated in the latter part of verse 12. The term “build up” in “building up the body of Christ” is the same Greek word, oikodomē, used in today’s passage. Thus, reading together the words of 4:11-13 with today’s passage, we understand that in order to jointly “build up” the community of the church, it is necessary for church members to speak the words that “is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Moreover, if speaking to church members the words that “is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,” is faithfully practised, then the church community can be built up together.

As I preached earlier in the exposition of verses 22-24, which teach us “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,” when emotions run high and the old self threatens to surface, let us take a moment to calm down and put off it. Then, by praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, let us put on the garments of the new self that thinks, speaks, and acts according to the Holy Spirit. If we fail to do this and instead utter emotional words driven by impulses from the old self, we grieve God’s Holy Spirit.

Thus, in verse 30 of today’s passage, Paul says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Note that he teaches not “Do not grieve God,” but specifically “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” If we engage in coarse, “corrupting talk” within the church, following our old selves, we grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in each of our hearts and within the community of the church. For the Holy Spirit hears every word spoken by Christians in the church. Some might think, “If that’s the case, I’ll become so nervous I won’t be able to say anything.” However, it is precisely by being conscious that the Holy Spirit is hearing that Christians are trained in the use of words. That is, we are trained to speak under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, so that our words may be “good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Therefore, let us continually speak under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Moreover, the wisdom gained through such training will undoubtedly be useful when Christians speak in general public.

What is the meaning of the latter part of verse 30: “you were sealed for the day of redemption”? “The day of redemption” refers to the Last Day when Christ will carry out the Last Judgement and complete the salvation of Christians. Therefore, being “sealed for the day of redemption” means that salvation in the Last Judgement on the Last Day is guaranteed. Earlier in this letter, Paul also states that being given the Holy Spirit signifies that salvation on the Last Day is guaranteed. Specifically, in verses 1:13-14, Paul says as follows.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

The phrase “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” uses the passive form of the verb σφραγίζω (sphragizō), the same verb as “sealed” in verse 30 of today’s passage.

Even as Christians, we may stumble in various ways during our lives. We may utter words or commit acts unbecoming of a Christian. If we do such things, does that mean we can no longer receive salvation on the Last Day? That is not the case. Certainly, those who speak or act in ways unbecoming of a Christian will face God’s judgement temporarily. Yet, even for such people, God grants repentance and protects them so they do not fall from the grace of salvation. Concerning the assurance of salvation guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, the Westminster Confession of Faith, formulated in England during the seventeenth century, teaches in Chapter 18 Article 1 as follows.

Such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

Let us continually receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who seals us the salvation on the Last Day, and daily speak and act accordingly.