How does Romans 3:13 illustrate the sinful nature of human speech? “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The venom of vipers is on their lips.” A Triple Portrait of Corrupted Speech • Open graves → Words carry the foul stench of death, revealing inner decay. • Tongues that practice deceit → Lying is habitual, not occasional; deceit flows naturally. • Viper’s venom on the lips → Speech wounds and poisons, spreading spiritual death to others. Old Testament Echoes Paul Draws On • Psalm 5:9 “For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they flatter.” • Psalm 140:3 “They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is under their lips.” Paul stitches these texts together to show that Scripture has consistently diagnosed the tongue as lethal. The Tongue as Exhibit A of Universal Sin • Romans 3:10 – 3:12 sets the courtroom scene: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” Speech becomes the first evidence presented. • James 3:5–8 reinforces the charge: the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” • Because everyone speaks, everyone’s guilt is unmistakably exposed. From Lips to Heart • Matthew 12:34 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Corrupt speech reveals a corrupt core. • Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is “deceitful above all things,” making deceitful words inevitable. What we say is the audible overflow of the sin that lives within. Practical Implications for Today • Guarded Conversation: Proverbs 10:19 warns that “sin is not lacking” when words are many. • Edifying Talk: Ephesians 4:29 commands words “fit for building up.” Anything less aligns with the grave, the lie, and the venom. • Consistent Witness: Colossians 4:6 urges speech “seasoned with salt,” showing that redeemed hearts must sound different from condemned throats. The Only Cure for Poisoned Lips • Isaiah 6:5–7 shows God cleansing unclean lips with atoning fire, pointing to Christ’s sacrifice. • 1 Peter 2:22–24: the sinless One “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth,” yet He bore our sins to heal us. • By grace, believers receive new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26) and, with them, a new vocabulary that replaces death with life (Proverbs 18:21). |
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