Some people talk too much. They enjoy hearing their own voice so much that they are always blabbing about something. It is easy to grow weary of them. Even God does. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Being a “loud mouth” is not a characteristic of a Christian (1 Peter 3:4).
There is, however, a time to speak. Solomon, writing about the appropriate time to do certain things, wrote, “To everything, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7). Talking too much is a problem, but so is not speaking when it is necessary. Adam gives us an example of this.
In Genesis 3 we have a record of the first sin. Satan deceived Eve in the garden. The question is, was Eve alone when she was being tempted by the Devil? Most have concluded that Eve was alone with the serpent and after she sinned, she went and told Adam about it. I am not sure when Adam arrived on the scene, but the text indicated that he was with Eve when she took of the tree and ate the forbidden fruit. Verse six says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband WITH HER; and he did eat.” That sounds to me like Adam was with Eve when she took of the tree and ate. Why did he not say anything to her? Why did he not warn her of the consequence of her sin? We do not know. We do know, however, that it was a bad time to say nothing.
There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. I am afraid that too many times brethren speak when they should not and are quiet when they should speak. Here are some examples.
When a brother in Christ sins, we should not keep silent. No one benefits when we are quiet in the face of sin. The brother who sins has lost his fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-7). If he does not repent of his sin, he will be eternally lost. Should we ignore that fact just because we do not want to offend the one who has sinned? In whose interest would that be? If your brother or sister in Christ sins, there may not be a lot you can do about it; but there is one thing you can do—speak up! Warn him of the error of his way. You might just save a soul (James 5:19-20). Let me give you another example.
When a false doctrine is taught, we should not keep silent. We are living in strange times today. Brethren have concluded that silence is always better than confrontation. A man can stand behind a pulpit and teach false doctrine and nothing will be said. I do not advocate writing a preacher off just because we do not agree with what he has preached, or even when he misinterprets a passage and teaches error. We all make mistakes. However, the answer is not silence. If I teach error, my soul stands in jeopardy before God. I have the responsibility, along with every other preacher of God’s Word, to abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9). If I stray from that doctrine, whether I do it purposely or accidentally, my relationship with God is affected. That is the time for someone to take me aside and tell me about it (Acts 18:24-28).
Whatever happened to the kind of courage possessed by Aquila and Priscilla? I know it is not always easy, but we must fight the urge to be silent when it is time to speak. If you are not willing to speak out against error, at the very least, hold up the hands of those who have the courage to do so.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things