Words and Names

The above expression is found in Acts 18:15 where Gallio the proconsul dismissed the case against Paul as being something that it was not his business to adjudicate upon. It is clear from the passage that he did not think words and names were important. However, words and names do have their importance. Without them it would be very difficult to communicate thoughts. Signs have only limited use. Words are the basis of language and we normally ascertain their meaning by reference to a dictionary. Names, that is proper names, are what we give to people and things to identify a particular person or thing. For instance, we give a house a name or number to distinguish it from other houses. Words are made up of letters, but letters in themselves do not communicate thoughts. A single letter cannot do this except perhaps when the letter is itself a word as when we say I. Letters are important but are not the subject of this article (2 Timothy 3:15).

Words

Scripture shows the importance of words. In fact without words there would be no Scripture !Paul speaks of words that the Spirit teaches (1 Corinthians 2:13). The Bible is written using words which the Holy Spirit considers the best for conveying spiritual thoughts. For example, the Greek words for love, agapao and phileo are used, but not the word eros; the latter being connected with what is erotic and not therefore suitable to convey what the Holy Spirit has in mind when speaking of love. Paul also speaks of every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:17). Works are clearly important, but so also are words, whether the latter are literally single words or a sentence conveying a single thought. Then we have it said in Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt word go out of your mouth, but if [there be] any good one for needful edification, that it may give grace to those that hear [it]." Corrupt words getting used regularly tend to become part of a language and debase it. We should therefore be careful about using slang. A debased language becomes more difficult to learn because the corrupt words do not follow any recognisable rule. Language was given to Man in the first place and was no doubt perfect. Man did not himself develop language from primate grunts as evolutionists suppose. There is a vast amount that could be said as to words from Scripture, but suffice it to say: "A word in its season , how good is it !" (Proverbs 15:23) and "Pure words are pleasant" (Proverbs 15:26). Notice the contrast in this last quotation with corrupt words.

Then there is the meaning of words. Unless we understand their meaning no right thought and, in some cases, no thought at all will be conveyed to us. Words of a foreign language that we do not know convey nothing to us unless there is an interpreter who can translate. Paul speaks about this in 1 Corinthians 14. However, even when we think we understand the meaning of a word, we may in fact have an inaccurate apprehension of its meaning. There can be problems when reading, say, an English Bible because the English language may not have an exact equivalent for a Greek or Hebrew word. Notes in our Bibles and other helps can be useful here. However, in the end we may have to recognise that we cannot always attain the accurate understanding of Scripture that we would desire. Our limitations in this area should be recognised. Nevertheless the language in which the New Testament was written is a language which is a keen and precise instrument of expression and for this we should be thankful. However, this exactness was somewhat attenuated in the common Greek in which the New Testament was written (see Language of the New Testament in the New Bible Dictionary, page 714).

Many would claim that they accept Scripture and would put out teaching supposedly based on Scripture, but are in error because they have not taken the trouble to ensure that it says what they think it says. Christ said to one of those who came to him: "How readest thou ?". In other words: "How do you understand the law ?" (Luke 10:26).

However in looking into the meaning of words in Scripture we should beware of getting bogged down in disputes about them. Such disputes are likely to be unprofitable and lead to discord amongst Christians as Paul says: "He is puffed up, knowing nothing, but sick about questions and disputes of words, out of which arise envy, strife, injurious words, evil suspicions, constant