THE
LANGUAGE OF
ASHDOD
Nehemiah 13:23-27
{ adapted from a sermon by Steve Wallace }
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
RELIGIOUSLY
1. “Born-again Christian,”
1 Pet. 4:16; 1:22-23
6. “I’m church of Christ,”
Rom. 16:16; Acts 11:26.
7. “The Christian Sabbath,”
Lk. 23:56-24:1; Ex. 20:8-11
2. Preacher is “pastor,”
Eph. 4:11; Acts 20:17,28; 1 8. “Join the church of your
Pet. 5:1-2; Acts 14:23
choice,” Mt. 16:18
3. Reverend, Ps. 111:9
9. Witness, Acts 1:8
4. "Sacrament,"
1 Cor. 11:24
5. “Our church,”
Acts 20:28
10. “Accept Jesus as personal Savior,” Mk. 16:15-16;
Acts 2:38
11. “Fellowship meal/ hall,”
1 Jno. 1:3, 7
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech, Ex. 20:7; Rom. 2:24;
Eph. 4:29
Blasphemy: “impious and reproachful speech injurious
to the divine majesty” (Thayer, p. 362, MCL edit.)
“When applied to God, it means to speak of him
unjustly, to ascribe to him acts and attributes which he
does not possess, or to speak impiously or profanely.”
(Barnes, Matt. 9:3, Power Bible CD)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Corrupt: “of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless”
(Thayer, 640)
“Then it is used in a moral sense, as our word ‘corrupt’
is, to denote that which is depraved, evil,
contaminating, and may denote here anything that is
obscene, offensive, or that tends to corrupt others.”
(Barnes)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
“The use of a word or phrase that is less
expressive or direct but considered less
distasteful, less offensive, etc. than another”
(Webster, p. 630)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Darn, “damn: a euphemism for the curse”
(642)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Doggone, “…perhaps euphemistic
remodeling of G.D.” (541)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Gee, “euphemistic contraction of Jesus” (760)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Golly, “a euphemism for God” (784)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Gosh, “a euphemism for God” (788)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
MORALLY
Profanity, corrupt speech
Euphemisms
Heck, “an exclamation used as a euphemism
for hell” (839)
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
SOCIALLY
“Alternative lifestyle” – Romans 1:26-27
“Pro-choice” – Romans 13:9
“I’m only human” – Genesis 1:26-27
“An affair … make love” – 1 Corinthians 13:5
“No fault divorce” – Matthew 19:6
THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD
What was the problem?
• God’s people lived on the border of sin
• God’s people mixed with the world
• God’s people did not guard their marriages
and families from worldly language
1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor. 6:14ff; 1 John 2:15-17
What was the solution?
• Vigorous correction (Neh. 13:25ff)
• Learn to speak the language of truth (1 Pet. 4:11)