Let's Go Back to the Bible

Double-tongued

One of the qualifications for a deacon is that he must not be “double-tongued” (1 Tim. 3:8). The expression describes a man who says one thing to one person and then something different to another person. A deacon must be honest and straightforward in his dealings with all people.

So, is that just a qualification for deacons, or is that a responsibility of all Christians? One who is double-tongued is one who (as we might say it today) “speaks out of both sides of his mouth.” Depending on who he is talking to, he will adjust his story or adjust the facts to fit the person or the situation. The Bible (and even man today) calls that “deceit.”

Christians are charged to “put away…all deceit” (1 Pet. 2:1). Peter later states, “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit” (3:10). Be careful! “…Those who practice such things are deserving of death” (Rom. 1:29, 32). Be honest! Be straightforward! Be truthful! To all people! In all situations!