📖 Profanity in the pulpit.

It is not ok to use colorful language when preaching!

As of late, I have been surprised by the unrestricted use of profanity across different pulpits. This most recently caught my attention when watching a man in a pulpit who blurted out profanity and then rebuked his listeners for not being receptive to the word. Another clip came across my news feed from a different pastor threatening another preaching while using profanity in the pulpit. Using such profanity in the pulpit gave both pastors viral fame, but what did their use of profanity in the pulpit communicate about the sacredness of the space?

The uptrend of preachers taking non-traditional liberties in sacred spaces is everywhere, from profanity in the pulpit, preachers yelling at mothers to quiet their babies because it distracts their preaching, and shaming members because they did not buy the expensive watch they wanted. I know you saw the same viral videos I did; the truth is, the list goes on.

This uptick in profane behavior makes me wonder how seriously some people take their calls. To be called by God to serve God’s people is a privilege that should be done with reverence not just toward God but also toward God’s people. As ministers of the Gospel, we must consider that God has intentionally placed parishioners in our congregations, not to be misused and abused, but to be honored and matured as children of God.

With the aforementioned realities, I proclaim without hesitation that profanity should never make its way to the pulpit. Yet, there are those who use profanity in the pulpit and offer Scripture authors and other prominent theologian writings to back up their claims. Recently, a colleague and I were discussing this very topic, and the colleague offered the thought that “even Paul used colorful language in the Bible.” And this is what I want to talk about here.

Paul spoke at least four different languages. His New Testament letters are written in Koine Greek, which is not the same as our language today. Bad words now are not bad words then. We must be careful when we categorize or, should I say, miscategorize things about the Scripture. Everything that is in the Scripture should not be duplicated because context matters. Who, what, where, and the way things are done and said are directly proportional to when and why they were done and said.

Paul did not use “colorful language” while preaching.

Are Paul’s letters considered sermons? Paul wrote his letters with the intention for them to be read out loud (Colossians 4:16). However, Scripture does not provide a sermon that Paul preached. Comparatively speaking, writing words to a congregation and preaching words to a congregation are not the same. Furthermore, Paul was not intentionally writing Scripture when he penned his letters; instead, he wrote letters that later became Scripture.

Preaching is the result of the inspiration of Scripture through a particular preacher to a particular people. If a preacher uses profanity, it suggests the Scripture inspired them to do so, which we know to be untrue. Thus, preachers have a moral obligation to exercise discretion in their language. We must not communicate our vices but our virtues.

Paul was real, and we should be too. (As an argument)

People desperately want to have a different experience from the world. Yet, nothing excites people more than familiarity. With this in mind, being “real” by using profanity while preaching is a realness that exposes the sin in our lives. The Gospel should repel your hearers from a life of sin and pull them closer to an abundant life with Jesus. However, using profanity does the complete opposite—it uses “familiarity” to draw them closer to sin.

Paul may have used vivid language or some words considered “vulgar,” but it was far from our modern-day profanities. Paul honored his calling and the people who would hear his letter. Moreover, these letters were written to be part of the Scriptures inevitably, and we have to believe God was there to inspire God’s book.

Be careful when you copy the articulation of someone when you do not have their anointing.

We all know a seasoned preacher or two who, back in the day, used some colorful words in their sermon. Here is what a seasoned preacher told me that I never forgot. He said, “You can’t say what I say because you won’t say it with the anointing that I have to say it” (not that he was one that used profanity). He was saying to me that there is much more to the moment that factors into the words that are shared. God must authorize my words. Our words must be authorized for that season, that space, those people, that day, that church, that millennia, and that moment.

Preachers must take careful consideration in taking liberties with language because they have heard others say something that sounded good. Preachers are not called to say good-sounding stuff; instead, we are called to say God-sounding stuff. People can find people all over the world who will say things that they like. However, the preacher was not called to be that person.

Conclusion

A mother asked her son a question. She said, “If you fall into a deep pit and there are a bunch of people in that pit rubbing dung all over their bodies, would you rub dung on your body?” The son said, “No.” The mom asked, “What if they call you weird for not doing it? Would you do it then?” The son said, “No.” The mother said, “Son, do not let dung get on you when you know your actions are correct.”

As a preacher, we should not follow the linguistic trends that preachers are undertaking, nor should we attempt to copy the anointed moments of older preachers. We do not have to wear what they wear, say what they say, or do what they do. We must be our anointed selves, that person that is not sucked into the feeling of being catchy and clever, expecting conversions. Remember, our words have power and ultimately give meaning to people who are listening. Let God arise. Let Godly words be our arsenal.

“No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 HCSB