An Edifying Word
[By Jeremy Brown]
The great commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20, where it reads, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirt, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”” (NASB). As we consider the topic of evangelism in lieu of this command, it can be overwhelming for us to consider how we are to teach others “to observe all that I commanded you…” I ask my children “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer – One bite at a time (If anyone was to ever actually eat an elephant…). Likewise, I don’t believe we should feel pressure to teach others the entirety of the bible in our first study with them. Learning all the commands of Jesus will take time, and we need to remember that. Instead, I’d like us to focus on saying a word or two that might be edifying to the hearer, and appropriate to the moment.
We find the story of Jesus with the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Though there are many lessons we can learn from this interaction, I’d like to point out one thing Jesus says to the Samaritan woman. After generating some curiosity in the woman by introducing the phrase “living water” in verse 10, Jesus says to the woman in verses 13-14, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (NASB). As you go through the text, you can see the woman change her mindset from something physical, to something spiritual. At first, she inquired about a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman, and then we see her concerned about the logistics of drawing water. But as the conversation progresses, we see her now concerned with spiritual things. Jesus could have directed the conversation in any number of ways, but we see Him on this first meeting with this woman, bring the conversation quickly to spiritual matters. He spoke to her something that was edifying in that moment, and as the story goes on, we see many Samaritans who had believed in Jesus because of that woman (John 4:39-42).
In Acts chapter 8, we read about the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip. As the eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah, Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, and the eunuch responded, “how could I, unless someone guides me?” (vs. 31, NASB). We then see Philip do exactly what Jesus commissioned from Matthew 28, and Philip “preached Jesus to him” (vs. 35, NASB). Interestingly, as they are still on the road traveling, we read about them stopping the chariot for the eunuch to be baptized (vs. 38). My question – Do you suppose Philip taught the eunuch all things concerning Jesus and His teachings, in that short amount of time? I don’t believe that’s a likely conclusion, but rather, Philip taught the eunuch some words that were edifying and appropriate for that first meeting. And as a result, we see the eunuch become obedient to the gospel.
James 3:5 says, “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things” (NASB). When reading through the context in James 3, we see how powerful the tongue can be, even though it might be so small in comparison to the body. How true this is! Our words can have such a large effect, we ought to be careful with our speech, but additionally, we must respect and appreciate how impactful our words might be on others.
Ephesians 4:29 reads, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (NASB). This verse teaches us to not use unwholesome or corrupt speech, but rather, to use speech that would be good, for the edifying or building up of others. The NASB adds “according to the need of the moment”, and the ESV similarly says “as fits the occasion.” If we consider this, then our speech must not only be edifying in the words we choose to speak, but they must also be appropriate for the occasion on which we are speaking. As mentioned, we are sometimes bogged down in thinking we must teach everything to someone in our first discussion about spiritual things. Instead, while you are living in that moment, I urge you to focus on that moment, and evaluate what you believe to be the most edifying words to speak. If we can refine this approach in our conversations with others, then I believe it will lead to a more spiritually focused discussion, and Lord willing, more discussions to follow.
Lastly, as mentioned at the end of Ephesians 4:29, the goal of our edifying speech is to “give grace to those who hear” (NASB). Grace can be defined as “unmerited favor,” and in other instances, it can simply mean “blessings” or “kindness.” Whichever understanding you may find to be “best” for this instance, at the end of it all, I consider it to be a blessing regardless. And that’s what we want. We want others to be blessed, and to be ultimately blessed, in receiving eternal life from our great and merciful Father in heaven. This is what we see from the two stories mentioned – the many Samaritans believing Jesus and His teachings, and the Ethiopian eunuch becoming obedient to the gospel.
As we have opportunity to study or converse with others, especially for that very first meeting, my suggestion is to focus on the specific topic in that moment, and to do your best to provide a word or two that would be edifying. If our speech can help others to be blessed, we should recognize how significant our words are, and how great they can be, when used to glorify our Lord.