Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ephesians 4:29

"Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear." — Ephesians 4:29 (ASV)

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

I have heard unthinking people say, "Well, if it is in your heart, you may as well speak it; it is better out than in." I do not agree with them! If you had a barrel of whiskey in your house, that would certainly be a bad thing to be in your possession; but it would not do any hurt so long as you kept it unopened, so that nobody could get at it, for the mischief arises when people begin to drink it.

Undoubtedly, it is an evil thing for you to have anything that is corrupt in your heart, but it will not be mischievous to other people until it begins to come out; so, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

But—

Since some communication is sure to come out of your mouth, let it be a good one.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,

Do not utter a dirty or corrupt word; no, even if it has a merry jest appended to it, do not speak it. "He pares his apple who would cleanly feed," is a good proverb. Take away all that is corrupt about the story.

But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

What sweet talking there would be if we all spoke in this way, to "minister grace unto the hearers"! Ah! then, my dear friends, it would not matter how much we talked, if every word was salted with salt.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,

Putrid is the word – "no putrid communication" – no word, therefore, which tends to do harm to the purest mind – nothing which is unsavory; therefore, also, nothing that is untrue – nothing that is slanderous – nothing that would injure my neighbor.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. "You may as well say it as think it," says one. By no means. If you think it, it will do you harm; if you say it, it will harm others.

You may have a bottle of poison, and it is much better to keep the cork in, for if somebody should drink it, then they will die. No, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.