(Matthew 12:36\u201337)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have done any amount of writing, there is a good chance you have ideas, articles, or even book outlines stuck in your head, saved on your desktop, scratched out on a legal pad, or even written down on a napkin. Truly, one way to know that you are a writer, and not just writing, is that you traffic in words. And these words won\u2019t go away, until you write them down and send them out. As one Wordsmithy has put it, \u201cI write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. [And] thus far it hasn\u2019t worked.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Echoing Doug Wilson\u2019s sentiment about why he writes, this essay actually began in response to a controversy that swirled around the college he founded. When New Saint Andrews released a video in 2024 intentionally aimed at young men<\/a> with an Ernest Shackleton-like invitation to come and do hard things, they showed a clip of Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cfavorite finger\u201d (the middle finger), and the Internet erupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For my part, I think the brothers in Moscow answered the objections reasonably well<\/a>, and so my attempt to take a dog by the ears and enter into a debate not my own was unnecessary. Hence, my 2500-word essay entitled, \u201cOf Middle Fingers, Middle Earth, and Middle Knowledge,\u201d sits unfinished in a file on my computer. Nevertheless, that unfinished essay, along with the ensuing debate about using the serrated edge (see below) contributed to this month\u2019s theme and prompted this larger consideration of speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this essay, I will not consider what the middle finger means by itself, but rather I will offer a creative reflection on how all five fingers, used by themselves or in combination with others, represent various modes of speech. To put it allegorically, this essay aims to articulate a fulsome (but not exhaustive) approach to godly speech that uses a well-formed and skillful hand to symbolize a well-ordered tongue. As I will outline in ten points below (one for each finger), speech that honors God must be trained like the pianist\u2019s fingers in order to successfully communicate a wide range of notes. And if this essay hits its mark, it will help us all\u2014from the sweetest piccolo player to the saltiest bass drummer\u2014improve his or her use of words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To illustrate this handy allegory: consider the ways that each finger is used for communication, and how those various uses correspond (loosely!) to various moods of speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I realize that these illustrations are crude and not exactly to scale, to paraphrase Dr. Emmet Brown<\/a>, but that\u2019s just the point. Speech can be used with exact precision, as in Paul making an argument based upon the singular, not the plural (Gal. 3:16). And speech can also be used more generically, as when Hebrews 2:5 says, \u201cIt has been testified somewhere.\u201d And the point I will show and tell throughout this essay is that our fingers can be used as helpful reminders of how to employ words with varying degrees of precision and generality, simplicity and complexity, saltiness and sweetness, all for the purpose of grace and truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, in John 1, Jesus is identified as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), and immediately it says that he is full of grace and truth. This language echoes Exodus 34:6\u20137, which identifies God as merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (hesed<\/em>) and faithfulness (emet<\/em>). Translated into Greek, hesed <\/em>and emet<\/em> come across as full of grace (charis<\/em>) and truth (ale\u0304theia<\/em>). Truly, as the Son of God incarnate, Jesus perfectly embodies the Word, for he is <\/em>the Word. Through his actions and speech, he perfectly reveals what speech should look, sound, and feel like. And speaking allegorically, Jesus uses all five fingers with perfect form and fluidity.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as a well-formed hand has dexterity to employ its five fingers in a plethora of ways, so too human speech that blesses God and curses the devil will have countless combinations.[4]<\/a><\/sup> Likewise, because we have two hands, and not just one, it is possible for one hand to hold a sword firmly, while the other strokes a cheek gently. Such are the glorious and complex ways that humans reflect the God who made them. If God can be kind and severe at the same time (see Rom. 11:32), and if Christ can speak in parables to reveal and conceal with the same words (Matt. 13:10\u201317), then we too can learn to speak in ways that are simultaneously (or serially) simple, subtle, satirical, and sincere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, such mature speech is rare. More often our speech does not <\/em>adequately reflect the full range of God\u2019s speech, and if James 3 has anything to say about it, our speech is often tainted by sin and tasked to serve one\u2019s self-interest. Like children who are learning to master their native tongue, sinners who are redeemed by God\u2019s grace wrestle with the words they use. And depending on one\u2019s personality and parentage, sanctified speech will move in divergent directions. Some Christians need to learn self-control, so that they crucify their senseless words. Others need to learn how to speak with conviction and confidence, as their natural inclination is to remain silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Importantly, the book of Acts reveals that when the Spirit of God was poured out, it moved the disciples to speak<\/em>. For instance, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit filled the disciples and they spoke of God\u2019s mighty works in various tongues (Acts 2:4, 11). Later, in Acts 4:8, when Peter and John were arrested, Peter was filled by the Spirit, and he testified boldly before the council. Then, after Peter and John were released, Acts 4:31 says, \u201cAnd when they had prayed, . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.\u201d Paul too would be filled with the Spirit and speak boldly (Acts 9:17; 13:9), and in Ephesians 5:18\u201319, the command to be filled with the Spirit is followed with the effect, \u201caddressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart\u201d (paralleled in Col. 3:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long story short, those who are led by the Spirit will speak, and these words will be filled with wisdom, grace, prayer, and praise. Yet, if the model of Jesus, the prophets, and even the Apostle Paul are any example, then Christians will also learn how to pronounce judgment (Acts 13:9), call out sinners by name (2 Tim. 4:10, 14), offend the wicked (Matt. 13:57; 15:12), tell parables (Matthew 13), and use profane language in holy ways (Ezekiel 16, 23). In other words, the range of Christian speech goes far beyond saccharine and sentimental; it also includes holy mockery, angry denunciations, and prayers of imprecatory nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To speak generally, few Christians have a full range of speech. Rather, like singers, we are usually keyed to sing the high notes or the bass notes, but not both. Yet, we should strive to increase our range, in accordance with the Scriptures. We should learn to grasp all of the good words that God has for us. This means deftly wielding our speech for maximal profit, whether that speech is soft or strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, the hand is a helpful illustration, and the one I will use as we move forward. Just as a hand may not have every finger, and some fingers may be double-jointed, while others are permanently mangled by a childhood accident, so too our ways of speech possess a wide variety of formations and malfunctions. Yet, whatever hand we have been dealt, we must learn to use each finger as best we can. And more, we should learn to coordinate those fingers in combinations that make\u2014as in the case of playing a musical instrument\u2014the best noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With our speech then, we should learn to imitate the full range of Scripture, even as we recognize that some ways of speaking are more natural than others. In the same way that some hands are better formed to play the violin and others to grip an axe, so our patterns of speech will have natural settings, too. And yet, homiletic homeostasis is not an excuse for learning how to increase our range. And so, this means that for the verbose, sanctification will include speaking more selectively and perhaps more gently, too. By contrast, the timid will have to learn how to speak without qualification, or even to employ the serrated edge of satire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are too many variations on this theme to list them all. But in what follows, I will use the ten fingers to highlight ten modes of speech that maturing Christians should embrace (in various ways and at various times) as they pray, praise, and proclaim the truths of God. Even more, Christians should learn to apply these modes of speech in all areas of life, not only in the gathered church. From business contracts to family communications, from church services to online interactions, and from letters to the editor to political activism, these modes of speech should be employed with growing wisdom and proportional skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, these different ways of speaking are context-specific, and as I will attempt to show, the mature Christian will know when and when not to use the middle finger\u2014to highlight one mode of speech. More often than not, angry speech, of which the middle finger symbolizes, is not the baseline for Christian discourse. Rather, the command to be angry (and do not sin!) is a late-stage deployment to be used against those who threaten harm to others or hostility toward to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding this selective use of one mode of speech means that these ten words about words are not ten equally-distributed ways to speak or some cacophonous blend of speech. Rather, these ten words are ten well-crafted ways of speech that require the speaker to conform their character to God\u2019s, and to wisely employ the right finger at the right time. Like a well-worn keyboard that shows more wear on the A key than the Z key, so some fingers will be more readily used than others. And this too will require wisdom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But enough prolegomena. Here are ten words\u2014one for every finger on both hands\u2014to help you, dear Christian, get a grip on your speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you look at your thumb, what do you see? Maybe you see a scar from misplaced hammer strike, or maybe it juts to the side because you broke your thumb years ago. For scientists of the evolutionary variety, the opposable thumb is what sets primates apart from other mammals, and enables monkeys, gorillas, and humans to hang from trees or pick up fruit.[5]<\/a><\/sup> In a word, the thumb is a sign of intelligence and wisdom, and in Scripture that wisdom came first when Eve grasped with an opposable thumb the forbidden fruit\u2014because it looked good to make her wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Genesis 3:6 recounts the event: \u201c<\/sup><\/strong>So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate<\/em>, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.\u201d Wisdom and grasping go together, like hand and glove. And yet, from the very beginning, grabbing ahold of wisdom prematurely came with consequences. I say prematurely, because God always intended for his image-bearers to grow in wisdom and knowledge, but to do so according to his Word (Gen. 2:15\u201317). Psalm 19 makes this plain; it employs words and concepts from Genesis 3 to describe the way God\u2019s Word \u201cmakes wise the simple\u201d and \u201cenlightens the eyes\u201d (Ps. 19:7\u20138).[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the basis of Psalm 19 and Psalm 119, as well as a host of Proverbs, we discover that the beginning of wisdom is to seek wisdom (Prov. 4:7), or as Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10 tell us, \u201cThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.\u201d Because wisdom is mediated through speech, the first use of our words must be to rightly align our hearts with the archetypal Word (John 1:1\u20133, 14). If God the all-wise (Rom. 16:27) reveals himself through his Word, than wisdom comes from his Word, too.[7]<\/a><\/sup> And so, our faculty of speech must begin by seeking the wisdom of his Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truly, if the overflow of the mouth comes from one\u2019s hearts (Matt. 12:34), and if our hearts are naturally inclined toward evil (Jer. 17:9), then when the Spirit gives the soul grace to plea for mercy (Zech. 12:10), the wise man will confess with his mouth and believe in his heart that Jesus Christ is Lord (Rom. 10:9). Moreover, after the Spirit enables the man to repent and believe, a Christian will devote him or herself to training his tongue to honor the God who saved him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter James 3, where we learn that there are two kinds of wisdom: the kind that comes from heaven above and leads to righteousness, peace, and life, and the kind that comes from below that is deadly and demonic (see James 3:13\u201318). Notably, James\u2019s distinction between two types of wisdom comes right after he says, \u201cthe tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness\u201d (James 3:6). Indeed, as small as the tongue is, it sets the course of a man\u2019s life (James 3:4\u20136). And so, anyone who wants to guard his heart (Prov. 4:23) or renew his mind (Rom. 12:1\u20132) must give himself to the wisdom of God\u2019s Word and learn to speak as God speaks. In this way, the thumb is an apt symbol for the way we should speak. Just as the thumb enables the hand to grasp a stake (Jael), a snake (Moses), a fish (Peter), or a dish (Martha), so human speech enables us to grasp the wisdom of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, our speech can also reach for and regurgitate the wisdom of the world, but this is why it is so important to let the full counsel of God\u2019s Word shape our speech. For unless we permit Scripture to shape our praise, our prayer, our mockery, and our meditations, we will easily adopt the lisp of the Laodiceans or the prayers of the Philistines. As James 3:2 implies, no tongue is perfect, save that of Christ. Therefore, we should seek to imitate our Lord\u2019s speech, as well as all the apostles and prophets who were led by his Spirit. And when we do, we will soon discover how desperately we need help. For in fact, while it might be easy to speak like our Lord in one particular way, maturity calls us to conform all<\/em> our speech to his. And this leads to another use of the thumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the thumb is used to grasp things, it is also used\u2014at least in the West\u2014to affirm things (think: thumbs up!) and petition things (think: hitch-hiking).[8]<\/a><\/sup> And from these two representations come a second use of speech\u2014namely, the need to articulate prayer. To return to James, Jesus\u2019s brother who chooses to identify as the Lord\u2019s servant (James 1:1), he says that the man who controls his tongue would be the perfect man. Remarkably, James is one of a select few who grew up with a perfect man who never sinned with his words. So, he knows what he is talking about. Yet, in his letter, he not only warns of the way that earthly wisdom leads to evil speech (James 3), but he uses his own words to encourage saints to seek wisdom in their hour of need. And notably, he frames this in terms of perfection (or completion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He writes in James 1:4, \u201cAnd let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.\u201d The same word (perfect = teleios<\/em>) is used in James 1:4 and James 3:2 (\u201cAnd if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect<\/em> man\u201d).[9]<\/a><\/sup> By comparison, we can acknowledge that while no man is perfect in his speech, because no man is perfect in his heart, the aim of Christian sanctification is maturity in Christ. Put differently, the man who has been brought to life by the Word of God (James 1:18) is intended to grow in wisdom, so that his speech is trained to be like his Lord\u2019s. This is a major point of James’ letter, and it reinforces my point here. Namely, those who will use speech to seek wisdom will do so prayerfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In James we can see this in three places. First, in James 1:5\u20137, immediately after identifying the aim of seeing the Christian become mature (teleios<\/em>) and complete, he invites those who lack wisdom to ask for wisdom. Indeed, these verses are an invitation to pray, with the promise that those who pray in faith will avoid being a double-minded man. In other words, the wise Christian knows he is lacking in wisdom, and so he asks repeatedly for wisdom, trusting that God gives generously. And in this way, his lack of wisdom becomes the source of his plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, in James 4:1\u20133, the idea of asking repeats in the context of anger. To those who are angry because they do not get what they want, James identifies how they ask with wrong motives, and hence do not receive an answer to their prayer. In this way, James teaches Christians to conform their desires to that of the Lord (James 3:17\u201318) and to forsake the desires that come from worldly wisdom (James 3:15\u201316). For when they do, they can have confidence to pray, knowing that \u201cif we ask anything according to his will he hears us\u201d (1 John 5:14; cf. Matt. 7:7; John 15:7; 16:24). Indeed, the connection between wisdom and prayer is made explicit in James, and it should teach us to pray for wisdom (James 1) and pray according to wisdom (James 3\u20134). Thus, the thumb remains an apt symbol for our speech, as it calls us to affirm God\u2019s Word (thumbs up) as we petition God for aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, James 5:13\u201318 instructs Christians how to pray, praise, confess sin, and call for the aid of the elders. Set in opposition to grumbling speech (James 5:9) and making vain oaths (James 5:13), James calls the church to bring their words to God. Indeed, before speaking to others, complaining about earthly conditions, or making promises that would obligate one to earthly labors, the mature Christian will pray. God did not simply give us speech to speak to one another, but he gave his people words to bring praise to this throne and petition his mercies to fall from heaven to earth. And thus, when we think about wise speech, it begins, continues, and ends with speech to God. In fact, in everything else that follows\u2014from issuing condemnations on wickedness (think: protesting against abortion) to making covenantal commitments (think: marriage vows), these words to the world should be preceded by and animated with prayer. For without prayer, our words will be largely impotent and easily misdirected or improperly proportioned. Yet, with prayer, all that we say pleases God and promises to bring his will from heaven to earth, as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9\u201313.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9 <\/sup><\/strong> \u201cOur Father in heaven,<\/p>\n\n\n\n hallowed be your name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10 <\/sup><\/strong> Your kingdom come,<\/p>\n\n\n\n your will be done,<\/p>\n\n\n\n on earth as it is in heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11 <\/sup><\/strong> Give us this day our daily bread,<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 <\/sup><\/strong> and forgive us our debts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n as we also have forgiven our debtors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 13 <\/sup><\/strong> And lead us not into temptation,<\/p>\n\n\n\n but deliver us from evil.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n If our speech is shaped by the wisdom of God and empowered with prayer, then it leads the Christian to be able to put his finger on a number of things. Or to say it differently, when the Spirit brings light to the heart and the Word of God renews the mind, it leads the Christian to be able to speak truth and oppose error. Certainly, this two-sided speech is what qualifies a pastor to shepherd a flock (Titus 1:9), but the ability to point to truth and contest falsehood is something that all Christians should cultivate.[10]<\/a><\/sup> And for that reason, Christian speech, like the forefinger which is best suited to point things out, must include straightforward proclamation and unbending polemics. Let\u2019s consider each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As noted at the outset, the forefinger (or pointer) is best likened to the indicative mood. In grammar the indicative mood is the one that conveys a fact or grounds an argument. It is not wishful, nor demanding, nor contingent; it just is. And for Christians, our speech should be filled with such propositional truth. As I have recently written in my book, The Business of Is-Ness, <\/em>Christians should be the ones who are able to best articulate what is true, good, and beautiful. Our speech should match reality, and that reality is best interpreted by the truths we find in the Bible. Certainly, there are truths that go beyond the Scripture. Creation is filled with general revelation and wise Christians should be able to explain the rules of nature (i.e., natural law). But this all depends on a use of speech that is fundamentally NOT postmodern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Postmodernism\u2019s denial of objective truth means that it lacks the ability to point at a tree and say, without qualification, this is <\/em>a tree. Or more often, this boy is<\/em> a boy: he will grow up to be a man, and he cannot at any time be a female\/girl\/woman. Steeped in a world of personal experience and qualified propositions, not all Christians are equally adroit in their ability to speak plainly and point to the truth. The mood of our age is one of reticence and hesitation to speak without qualification to esteem one totalizing worldview (which Christianity is) over another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, any forefinger that shrinks back instead of pointing out the facts that hell is real, Christ alone saves, and same sex-attraction is inherently sinful\u2014to name only a few\u2014needs to spend more time with the wise and prayerful thumb. Indeed, of all people, Christians should be the best at pointing out the truth. But this depends upon being saturated with true wisdom and devoted to true prayer (see above). Nevertheless, because Christians are born by the word of truth (James 1:18), they are both able and deputized to go into the world as Christ\u2019s witnesses. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, the church is an assembly of ambassadors. As we have come to faith by the \u201cword of the truth\u201d (Eph. 1:13), proclaimed by preachers sent out for the truth (Rom. 10:14\u201317), we are called to abide in that truth (John 8:32), and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Truly, the church is founded on the truth of Christ (1 Cor. 3:10\u201315), and it is sanctified as the word of God (John 17:17). And so, Christians ought be the most plain-spoken and unflinching in pointing to Christ and his truth. In other words, their pointer fingers must be ramrod straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, the straightness of their indicative speech should be coupled with touch. In other words, just as the forefinger points to something beyond itself, it\u2019s also the finger most often used for touch. Indeed, when we speak wisely, we will have various tones, volumes, and word choices. And thus, mature Christians will not only speak directly, they will also speak skillfully. For in fact, the same truth needs to be calibrated to the idle, the fainthearted, and the weak (1 Thess. 5:14). Mature Christians also need to distinguish straight speech between the spiritual man and the natural man (1 Cor. 2:14\u201316), the young and the old (1 John 2:11\u201314), male and female (cp. Job 28 and Proverbs 31), and various degrees of repentance (2 Cor. 2:5\u201311; 7:5\u201313) or the lack thereof (Matthew 18:15\u201320). All of this means that we need straight speech that points to Christ and to all of his truth, and we need sensitive speech that is properly attuned to the impact that our words have on others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sticking with the forefinger, we need to consider the way that our words should fight. Someone who grows up in a home where yelling is constant and anger is always unchecked might assume that fighting words are what Christians should always and entirely avoid. Yet, a careful reading of Scripture teaches us that Old Testament saints were defined by warfare, and that this reality doesn\u2019t change in the New Testament\u2014only the weapons are different (see below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supporting this notion that warfare is commonplace for the people of God, consider Judges 3:1\u20132, which inform us that God intentionally left enemies in the land so that the younger generation would learn to fight. To many, this is a strange concept. Why would God desire his people to keep fighting<\/em>? Why wouldn\u2019t he seek peace at all costs? There are multiple answers to this question: God himself is a warrior (Exod. 15:3), Jesus came to the earth to win a victory over the devil (1 John 3:8), and perhaps most relevant, God\u2019s children learn how to love good and hate evil as they take up arms to fight the enemies of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, in Psalm 144, David praises God for training his fingers for war. He says, \u201cBlessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle<\/em>; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me\u201d (Ps. 144:1\u20132). As a type of Christ, David exemplifies a kind of holy war that Christ himself would pursue. Only, Jesus did not win the victory by way of sword and bow (Ps. 18:34); his decisive victory came by way of sweat and blood on the cross. Nevertheless, prior to laying his life down as the final sacrifice (John 10:17\u201318; Heb. 9:26), Jesus regularly picked up the sword of speech, as it was foretold of him in Isaiah\u2019s second Servant song (Isa. 49:2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout his ministry, Jesus did not simply preach the gospel and teach about the kingdom, but he also excoriated the wickedness of the Jerusalem priests (Matthew 23), he spoke parables against false teachers (Luke 15:3ff; 20:19), he sought to embarrass religious leaders with questions (Luke 20:1\u20138), and he used invectives such as \u201cbrood of vipers\u201d (Matt. 12:34; 23:33), \u201cblind guides\u201d (Matt. 23:34); \u201cunmarked graves\u201d (Luke 11:44), and offspring of the devil (John 8:44). In other words, Jesus came not only to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), but he came to expose the unbelief of hardened hearts (see John 6:60\u201371). Despite the ways that Jesus is portrayed today as a buddy, or a therapist, or a dispenser of endless grace, the true picture of Christ includes a willingness to call out the unrepentant sinner (John 10:26). In this way, Jesus\u2019s speech is straight. It does not bend to please any man. Truly, he was perfect in all of his ways, and this included his immovable commitment to the purposes and plans of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he was tempted, he combatted the devil with the word of God (Matt. 4:1\u201311), and throughout his ministry he did the same. When he was accused, misunderstood, and rejected by men, he did not charm the snakes who bit him or chase the goats who left him. Instead, Jesus\u2019s commitment to God was singular, and it shaped every word that proceeded from his mouth. Notably, Jesus constantly explained himself by means of quoting and applying Scripture. \u201cHave you not read?\u201d was his common refrain (see Matt. 21:16; Luke 6:3; cf. Mark 12:26; Luke 10:26). And if you follow Jesus through the Gospels, you will see that he was constantly engaged in verbal sparring matches. Unlike David, his sword was not made of metal, but Jesus did come wielding the word as a sword, as he says in Matthew 10:34, \u201cDo not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, with a life trained like the soldiers who went to war with giants, Jesus took up the sword to put the serpent to death. On Golgotha, the Lord himself was pierced through\u2014and his hands, feet, and head were made bloody\u2014but by his self-substitution on the cross, he won the victory and <\/em>he used his seven words from the cross to explain the meaning of his death<\/a>. In this way, Jesus finished his course pointing to the truth of God\u2019s Word and combatting all those who sought to deny him as the Word of God made flesh. As the Psalm 1 man, who perfectly embodied the Law, Jesus earned the right to sit at God\u2019s right hand, just as Psalm 2 foretold. Yet, notably, as a new David, as well as a new Joshua (cp. Psalm 1 to Joshua 1), Jesus\u2019s entire life on earth was a battle. And in that battle, it was his words that did the warfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same is true for those who follow him. Though we lack his perfection, Jesus\u2019s followers are taught to speak the truth in love to build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11\u201316). But we are also called to \u201cdestroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete\u201d (2 Cor. 10:4\u20135). In other words, the faithful witness to Jesus Christ is able to affirm the truth and deny every falsehood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout the rough and tumble of life, this will be an ongoing challenge. Like the rider who can fall off either side of the horse, the all-too-gentle Christian may have a hard time uttering anything but an encouraging word. Conversely, the Christian who is by nature more disagreeable may feel that it is a sinful compromise to withhold criticism of those who are in error or are associating with others who are in error. Yet, what remains true for all of us is that faithfulness includes affirming truth and denying error. Those who have a straight forefinger will be able to commend what is good and condemn what is evil. Every person carries this out by different ways and means, but if they follow Christ, then carry it out they must. Parents must be able to affirm and encourage their children and <\/em>they must be able to deny and correct their children, too. Indeed, I dare say this is perennial challenge, but one that taken seriously will produce great maturity in the life of the believer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, the refusal to utter a sharp word and to only speak positively will eventually disfigure the forefinger, such that even straight affirmations are pointed askew. At the same time, if someone\u2019s speech is only and always critical and condemning, then their ability to say plain things will be truncated. Our speech should be long enough to reach out and touch someone, but if our reputations for speech are only negative and naysaying, that first use of the forefinger will be lost. That said, when Christians are filled with wisdom and prayer, and they begin to point to the truth and contend against falsehood, then they are ready to employ some of the more advanced modes of speech that are represented by the middle finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we come to the middle, let me reiterate my intentions in this essay. I am not working an exegetical approach to speech, let alone a standard of speaking that is rigidly tied to the Ten Words (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) or the wisdom of Proverbs. I assume and affirm both of these moral standards, and believe that all speech that violates the Decalogue and the dictates of Scripture is sinful. That said, many of the ways that Christians police speech are based on cultural, familial, or traditional sensibilities. By contrast, my intention here is to say that godly speech has a wide range, and that just as the human hand has fingers that serve a variety of ends, so too does speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Properly speaking, two modes of speech that are associated (or that I am associating) with the middle finger are expressions of anger and applications of satire. Let\u2019s look at each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When debates broke out in 2024 concerning Johnny Cash\u2019s middle finger, I did a little Internet sleuthing. I googled \u201cJohnny Cash Middle Finger Russell Moore,\u201d because I knew that somewhere along the way Russell Moore, whose esteem for Johnny Cash is well-known, would have had something to say about it. And, in fact, he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On February 25, 2013, when Moore was still at Southern, he gave a defense of remembering Cash. Acknowledging the singer\u2019s checkered life, he argued for why Cash still mattered<\/a>, and he included a nugget about Cash\u2019s middle finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be sure, Cash\u2019s Christian testimony is a mixed bag. In his later years, he took out an ad in an industry magazine, with a photograph of himself extending a middle finger to music executives. And yet there is something in the Cash appeal to the youth generation that Christians would do well to emulate.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Ironically, Moore pointed to Cash\u2019s middle finger and proceeded to encourage a younger generation to learn something from Cash. If you read his whole article, you will learn that Moore\u2019s lesson is not one of flippantly flying the bird. But rather Moore commended Cash, middle finger and all, because of the way the \u201cman in black\u201d dealt with the painful realities of life and death, judgment and forgiveness of sins.[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I set Moore\u2019s unremarkable article against the seemingly radioactive response to New Saint Andrews college’s advertisement. In that fast-paced video, Nate Wilson (the narrator) invites men who are defiling pagan shrines with twenty-percent of a wave (i.e., using the middle finger) to come to New Saint Andrews and learn the way more excellently. In context, the Johnny Cash picture is set in direct opposition to pagan festivities of the Olympics, which included a transgender depiction of DaVinci\u2019s Last Supper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While still frames of Johnny\u2019s finger splattered the internet after the video released, the original is but one part of a string of images. And in that string I do not take New Saint Andrews to be suggesting that students in Moscow are going around dropping F-bombs, cursing old ladies, or discovering new ways to cuss. Instead, I have it on good authority that New Saint Andrews students actually break into spontaneous praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Douglas Wilson, Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life<\/em> (Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2011), 17. When it comes to books on writing, this one is my favorite. I read it years before I was told not to.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Speaking with All Five Fingers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2. I acknowledge this claim is both culturally conditioned and subjective, but stay with me. The force of my argument is not found in the precision of my comparisons, but in the way that skilled speech is comparable to a well-trained hand.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
3. Let the reader understand, I am not saying Jesus assigned his speech-acts to five (or ten) fingers, as I am doing here. Rather, I am using this analogy (or better, allegory in the technical sense) to help form a pedagogical tool, to help us get a grip on the range of ways we can and should honor the Lord with our speech.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Mature Speaking<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. And this does not even include the division of languages that came at Babel. While the human race has thousands of languages and dialects, I will restrict myself to the conventions of language within one tongue. It goes beyond the scope of this essay to consider the way that multiple languages may alter or amplify the argument being made here.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Speaking with a Full Range of Words<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thumb-better-schrock-1024x641.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Thumb: Wisdom from God and Prayer to God<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Wisdom from God<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. \u201cThe Grasping Hand<\/a>,\u201d American Museum of Natural History.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
6. D. J. A. Clines, \u201cThe Tree of Knowledge and the Law of YAHWEH (Psalm 19),\u201d Vetus Testamentum<\/em> (1974): 8\u201314.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
7. A longer discussion could be had with respect to the General and Special Revelation, for wisdom comes properly understanding both. In this essay I am primarily focusing on the wisdom that comes from God\u2019s Special Revelation.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
2. Prayer to God<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Admittedly, these uses of the thumb are culturally conditioned. I\u2019ve been told the thumb is equivalent to the middle finger in places like the Middle East. Fine. My point is not to define types of speech by cultural hand gestures, or to compare of contrast sign language in different countries. Instead, writing to English-speakers, I am using common gestures in the West to help conform our speech to the wisdom of Scripture.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
9. Linguistically, the word teleios <\/em>has the sense of \u201cmeeting the highest standard\u201d or \u201cmature\u201d (BDAG), and it points in the direction that Christians should strive to grow up in their speech.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pointer-Finger-Schrock-300x200.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Forefinger: Pointing to the Truth and Defending the Faith<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. On the need for pastors to have two voices, see Josh Daws, \u201cThe Two Voices Every Preacher Needs<\/a>,\u201d May 16, 2025.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
3. Pointing to Truth<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Defending the Faith<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Middle-finger-ring-Schrock-300x200.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Middle Finger: Righteous Anger and Serrated Speech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Expressing Righteous Anger<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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11. While it has been over a decade since Moore highlighted Cash\u2019s middle finger with the slimmest qualification, I don\u2019t recall any negative reactions. Yet, by highlighting the obscene gesture, was he not committing the same error? The same sin? Or, because he used words instead of a video, does that change the situation? If so, why? How does Moore\u2019s use escape critique, but New Saint Andrews\u2019 use invites the swiftest condemnation?<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
The question is rhetorical, but I suspect the answer is related to something other than the finger. When Moore was an evangelical darling, he could point to Johnny Cash, weave his middle finger into his narrative, and escape unscathed. By contrast, New Saint Andrews is not an evangelical darling, but perceived to be an evangelical bully, and when this is considered, much of the pushback to the New Saint Andrews comes into focus.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n