What to Say and What to Speak

What to Say and What to Speak.  During the movie, War Horse (2011, directed by Steven Spielberg), a scene unfolded that made us guffaw, almost snort, in the hushed movie theater. No one else in the theater laughed, although many turned to sneer at us for disturbing their movie-going experience. Under the signal of a homemade white flag, a British soldier and a German soldier met in No-Man’s-Land between the frontline positions of their respective units to untangle a horse caught in barbed wire. Because of the unresolved hostility and heavy artillery on all sides of their position, the two soldiers exchanged greetings nervously while standing in the mud, discussing how to best release the horse from his misery. In a gesture of civility, the British soldier says, “You speak English good.” After a moment to consider his response, the German soldier replies, “I speak English well.”

It was a very dry bit of humor in an otherwise dramatic scene that pivoted upon the standard rules of English grammar. Though speaking a second language, the German grasped more of English grammar than the Brit understood who was speaking his native tongue. Perhaps we laughed too forcefully, but the irony fit the situation. Like the British soldier in the movie, no one else in our American theater seemed to get the joke either. Good is an adjective; adjectives modify nouns. Well, is an adverb; adverbs modify verbs. Thus, the adverb, well, modifies the verb, speak.

Grammar saves lives. For instance, the grammar of “Let’s eat, Grandpa” versus “Let’s eat Grandpa” makes a huge difference! Grandpa either shares a meal or Grandpa is the meal. Thankfully, the Scriptures do not require us to become grammar nerds. However, even in rules of grammar the glory of Christ shines. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Prov. 25:11). It is not merely knowing the correct word that wins the battle, but “a word fitly spoken” that carries the day. We may be precise or imprecise in our word choice, but we might also become right or wrong in our use of those precise words. We can be so dogmatically right that we become morally wrong when we use our words unfitly.

Regarding Jesus, he not only spoke the proper words (the content of his teaching), he also used his words properly (the methodology in his teaching). He summarized his own teaching ministry in both respects: content and methodology. “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49). What to say, means the content of his words, his doctrine. What to speak, means the way he used his words, his delivery.

God’s word and God’s fitness of speech merge together in Jesus: content and methodology. Jesus is the Master Teacher, the divine Revelator, which was a foretold quality of Messiah (Deut. 18:15; Isa. 30:20; 54:13). He didn’t footnote his authoritative explanation of the kingdom of God by quoting the rabbis or philosophers. “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29). He who is good “has done all things well” (Mark 7:37).