Matthew 12:37

The Lord follows up what He had said before by moving their fears, shewing that they that have thus sinned shall receive the most extreme punishment, "I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment."

And the meaning is; If every idle word which does not edify the hearers is not without danger to him that speaks it, and if each man shall render an account of his words in the day of judgment, how much more shall you, who have spoken falsely against the works of the Holy Spirit, saying that I cast out demons through Beelzebub, render an account of your false charge?

He said not "which ye have spoken," but makes His teaching of universal application to the whole race of mankind, and at the same time His words less grievous to them that heard them. By an "idle word" is meant one that is false, that accuses any falsely. Some indeed say that it includes all light talk, all such as stirs immoderate l aug hter, or shameful and immodest words.

Or such as lacks either rightness in itself, or reasons of just necessity;

being spoken without the profit of either the speaker or hearer; as if laying aside weighty matters we should speak of frivolous trifles, or relate old fables. For he that deals in buffoon jests to create l aug hter, or brings forth any thing shameful, he will be held guilty not of an idle, but of a sinful word.

The words which here follow depend on those that went before; "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." There is no doubt but that every man shall he condemned for his evil words which he speaks; but none shall be justified for his good words, unless they proceed from his inmost heart, and from a entire purpose.

See that this sentence is not a burdensome one. The Judge will pass sentence not according to what any other has said concerning you, but according to what you have yourself spoken. They that are accused then have no need to fear, but they that accuse; for those are not charged of those evil things that have been spoken of them, but these of those evil things that they have spoken.

And as a similar rule holds with regard to hearing and seeing in the case of what is obscene, the divine Instructor, following the same course with both, arrays those children who are engaged in the struggle in words of modesty, as ear-guards, so that the pulsation of fornication may not penetrate to the bruising of the soul; and He directs the eyes to the sight of what is honourable, saying that it is better to make a slip with the feet than with the eyes. …

Wherefore the Saviour, taking the bread, first spake and blessed. Then breaking the bread, He presented it, that we might eat it, according to reason, and that knowing the Scriptures we might walk obediently. And as those whose speech is evil are no better than those whose practice is evil (for calumny is the servant of the sword, and evil-speaking inflicts pain; and from these proceed disasters in life, such being the effects of evil speech); so also those who are given to good speech are near neighbours to those who accomplish good deeds. Accordingly discourse refreshes the soul and entices it to nobleness; and happy is he who has the use of both his hands. Neither, therefore, is he who can act well to be vilified by him who is able to speak well; nor is he who is able to speak well to be disparaged by him who is capable of acting well. …

But, however, since the conduct according to the divine rule is imperilled, not merely by deeds, but likewise by words, (for, just as it is written, “Behold the man and his deeds;” so, “Out of thy own mouth shalt thou be justified”), we ought to remember that, even in words , also the inroad of idolatry must be foreguarded against, either from the defect of custom or of timidity. The law prohibits the gods of the nations from being named, not of course that we are not to pronounce their names, the speaking of which common intercourse extorts from us: for this must very frequently be said, “You find him in the temple of Æsculapius;” and, “I live in Isis Street;” and, “He has been made priest of Jupiter;” and much else after this manner, since even on men names of this kind are bestowed. I do not honour Saturnus if I call a man so, by his own name. …

It is now high time that I should, in order to meet all objections of this kind, proceed to the explanation and clearing up of the other trifles, weak points, and inconsistencies, as you deemed them. God calls out to Adam, Where art thou? as if ignorant where he was; and when he alleged that the shame of his nakedness was the cause (of his hiding himself), He inquired whether he had eaten of the tree, as if He were in doubt. By no means; God was neither uncertain about the commission of the sin, nor ignorant of Adam’s whereabouts. It was certainly proper to summon the offender, who was concealing himself from the consciousness of his sin, and to bring him forth into the presence of his Lord, not merely by the calling out of his name, but with a home-thrust blow at the sin which he had at that moment committed. …

In Exodus: “Thou shalt not curse nor speak ill of the ruler of thy people.” Also in the thirty-third Psalm: “Who is the man who desires life, and loveth to see good days? Restrain thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.” Of this same thing in Leviticus: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Bring forth him who hath cursed abroad outside the camp; and all who heard him shall place their hands upon his head, and all the assembly of the children of Israel shall stone him.” Of this same thing in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians: “Let no evil discourse proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for the edification of faith, that it may give grace to the hearers.” Of this same thing to the Romans: “Blessing, and not cursing.” Of this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: “He who shall say to his brother, Thou fool! shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire.” Of …

I . But concerning bishops, we have heard from our Lord, that a pastor who is to be ordained a bishop for the churches in every parish, must be unblameable, unreprovable, free from all kinds of wickedness common among men, not under fifty years of age; for such a one is in good part past youthful disorders, and the slanders of the heathen, as well as the reproaches which are sometimes cast upon many persons by some false brethren, who do not consider the word of God in the Gospel: “Whosoever speaketh an idle word shall give an account thereof to the Lord in the day of judgment.” And again: “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Let him therefore, if it is possible , be well educated; but if he be unlettered, let him at any rate be skilful in the word, and of competent age. …

14. But the word conceived and the word born are the very same when the will finds rest in knowledge itself, as is the case in the love of spiritual things. For instance, he who knows righteousness perfectly, and loves it perfectly, is already righteous; even if no necessity exist of working according to it outwardly through the members of the body. But in the love of carnal and temporal things, as in the offspring of animals, the conception of the word is one thing, the bringing forth another. For here what is conceived by desiring is born by attaining. Since it does not suffice to avarice to know and to love gold, except it also have it; nor to know and love to eat, or to lie with any one, unless also one does it; nor to know and love honors and power, unless they actually come to pass. Nay, all these things, even if obtained, do not suffice. …

85. Matthew proceeds with his narrative in the following terms: “And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils but in Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation;” and so on, down to the words, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Mark does not bring in this allegation against Jesus, that He cast out devils in [the power of] Beelzebub, in immediate sequence on the story of the dumb man; but after certain other matters, recorded by himself alone, he introduces this incident also, either because he recalled it to mind in a different connection, and so appended it there, or because he had at first made certain omissions in his hist …

22. Because then, though having become a beast, I departed not from my God, there followeth, “Thou hast held the hand of my right hand.” He hath not said my right hand, but “the hand of my right hand.” If the hand of the right hand it is, a hand hath a hand. “The hand Thou hast held of my right hand,” in order that Thou mightest conduct me. For what hath he put hand? For power. For we say that a man hath that in his hand which he hath in his power: just as the devil said to God concerning Job, “Lay to Thine hand, and take away the things which he hath.” What is, lay to Thine hand? Put forth power. The hand of God he hath called the power of God: as hath been written in another place, “death and life are in the hands of the tongue.” Hath the tongue hands? But what is, in the hands of the tongue? In the power of the tongue. …

“For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

“What then, if I have been overtaken?” saith one. Cleanse thyself. “How, and in what way?” Weep, groan, give alms, apologize to him that is affronted, reconcile him to thyself hereby, wipe clean thy tongue, lest thou provoke God more grievously. For so if one had filled his hands with dung, and then should lay hold of thy feet, entreating thee, far from hearing him, thou wouldest rather spurn him with thy foot; how then durst thou in such sort draw nigh to God? Since in truth the tongue is the hand of them that pray, and by it we lay hold on the knees of God. Defile it not therefore, lest to thee also He say, “Though ye make many prayers, I will not hearken.” Yea, and “in the power of the tongue are death and life;”and, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

You have been moved by your desire to know the truth, Macarius, who are “a man greatly beloved,” to make a request of me, which will bring you the blessing attached to the knowledge of the truth; but it will win for me the greatest indignation on the part of those who consider themselves aggrieved whenever any one does not think evil of Origen. It is true that it is not my opinion about him that you have asked for, but that of the holy martyr Pamphilus; and you have requested to have the book which he is said to have written in his defence in Greek translated for you into Latin: nevertheless I do not doubt that there will be some who will think themselves aggrieved if I say anything in his defence even in the words of another man. …