What Did You Say? (A study on the Second Commandment) by Gretchen Gebhardt Editor's Note: This study on the Second Commandment is the second in a series on the Ten Commandments. See the Fall 2005 issue of the Lutheran Woman's Quarterly for the First Commandment study. "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" (LW 276, LBW 559, TLH 360) or "How Majestic is Your Name" (All God's People Sing 122) A Great Concern "I picked up some rough language working at the brewery one summer," my neighbor, a teacher, confessed. "I didn't use it in the classroom, but I wasn't as careful when I was in the faculty lounge. One day a colleague said, 'Roy, I admire and respect you, and I love you like a brother, but your language has become a great concern to me.' That's all it took; I changed my ways." Can you relate to this incident? Is your language a concern to your fellow Christians? Or does your language bring glory to God and uplift those around you? Insulting Jesus When the soldiers grabbed Jesus in Gethsemane and marched Him off to be arraigned, the disciples must have been terrified. They probably feared for their own safety. Peter wanted to monitor the events without becoming directly involved. Read Matthew 26:69-75. What did Peter do so he would not be identified as one of Jesus' disciples? Read together the second commandment and it's meaning (found in Luther's Small Catechism or LW p. 300). In what ways did Peter break this commandment? In what ways is it commonly broken today? Many people will defend their ungodly speech by saying it doesn't hurt anyone and they don't mean anything by it, so why worry about it? Read the following verses and note what God's Word says about careless or unwholesome talk. Matthew 12:36 Matthew 15:11 Ephesians 4:31 James 3:9-10 Worthy of Praise Peter swore he did not know Jesus but his denial did not diminish Jesus' love for him. What do the following verses tell us about Jesus' love for us and His willingness to forgive us? Psalm 90:14 Psalm 103:10-12 John 15:13 Jesus is indeed worthy of praise! How might this influence our choice of words? What do the following verses teach about our words? Proverbs 16:24 Ephesians 4:29 Speak Boldly! On Pentecost, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and he gave a bold witness for Jesus. Read Acts 2:38 and note the heart of his message. What do the following verses tell us about the need to speak about our faith in Christ? Luke 12:11-12 Ephesians 6:19-20 1 Peter 3:15-16 When can you speak for Jesus today? What will you say? Closing Jesus does not want us to avoid using His name. He wants us to call to Him in prayer and to praise Him. Spend a few minutes in quiet prayer, thanking and praising Jesus for all He does for you. Share the concerns of your heart with Him and trust Him to help you. Close by praying together "O God, My Faithful God" LW 371 stanzas 2-3. Give me the strength to do with ready heart and willing Whatever you command, my calling here fulfilling. Help me do what I should with all my might, and bless The outcome for my good, for you must give success. Keep me from saying words that later need recalling; Guard me lest idle speech may from my lips be falling; But when within my place I must and ought to speak, Then to my words give grace lest I offend the weak. Gretchen Gebhardt, a writer and volunteer teacher, is Bible Study Editor of Lutheran Woman's Quarterly. She lives in Seward, NE with her husband who is a retired pastor.