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Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, . . . now that I am become a man, I have put away/ childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11). The primary application of this statement is to the “childhood” of the church which needed miraculous gifts. When the church could become spiritually mature through God’s completed, perfected revelation, it would no longer have or need the “childish” gifts. Miraculous gifts would be inappropriate in its mature state. Secondarily, this principle can also be applied to the individual Christian. Those things which one might be expected to do or say as a spiritually immature babe in Christ will be “put away” when one becomes spiritually mature. One who persists in talking and behaving as a child simply advertises his immaturity.
Some preaching brethren insist on talking as little children. We read articles on religious subjects from time to time that use downright “silly” phrases. It would not be too surprising to hear such expressions from immature adolescents, but coming from grown men it sounds silly indeed. One popular preacher delights in projecting a “countrified” image, uses “ain’t” almost as crutch and makes it his specialty to use incomplete sentences in his writing and speaking. If he knew no better and could do no better that would be one thing. However, he is certainly not illiterate—he does it all gratuitously for the ” a ole country boy” image he likes to project. At best it is silly and childish.
We have seen and heard the expression, “God don’t make no junk,” several times in the past few years. If I understand the point of the statement, it is to convey the fact that every human being is of great worth because God created us and God does not create that which is worthless. With this truth I fully concur. I for one cannot appreciate such a juvenile, ungrammatical, even ridiculous and crude way to express such a lofty and ennobling Truth. It detracts from the beautiful and glorious concept I suppose it is intended to convey. It is silliness gone to seed!
I once read a paragraph in a bulletin exchange describing some of the wonderful blessings of God, to which the writer concluded, “Ain’t God good?” By using such a silly and disgusting expression the writer almost ruined the good things he/she had written about God’s blessings. Let us so speak and write as to “adorn the doctrine of God” (Tit. 2:10), rather than making it look ridiculous by our silly expressions.
[Note: I wrote this article for and it was published in The Edifier, weekly bulletin of Pearl Street Church of Christ, Denton, TX, June 2, 1988, of which I was editor.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
