Prov: Expressing Your Opinion

[bcbsr]

 

EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION

Pr 18:2  A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. (NIV)

What's your opinion of that verse?

Or the NKJV translates it this way:

Pr 18:2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. (NKJV)

How do you feel about that?

Expressing one's opinions or feelings are secondary to listening to the Bible and grasping it's application - a fact which eludes many today in this post-modernistic culture where facts are reckoned secondary to personal opinions and feelings.

One evidence of this is the common phenomenon of people responding before they listen, as it says:

Pr 18:13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.

Ever have that happen to you? You try to tell someone something and they respond before they listen to all the relevant facts?

Pr 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

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The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

[OneLight]

You start the OP by quoting Proverbs 18:2 and then ask for our opinion?  Why would yo do that?

[missmuffet]

We all have freedom of speech. Can you tell where a person is with God by seeing their opinion?

[Neighbor]

9 hours ago, missmuffet said:

We all have freedom of speech.

Think so?

[Raven]

@bcbsr, What would you call a person who tries to exploit others to exploit their self.

[Yeshua153]

God has set everyone in their place, believers to find more truth from His Word, & discern false gospel & all the myriad of opinions. 

God has set unbelievers to fill most churches, & seek popularity, prosperity (of money), fame & knowing their right. That accounts for most on this site it appears.

2 Thes 2v10-12 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Think so?

Isn't it the first amendment? It is how we use it. 

[Neighbor]

4 hours ago, missmuffet said:

Isn't it the first amendment? It is how we use it. 

The first amendment to the United States of America  constutition has provided for some freedom of expression within it's territorial boundary to many individuals,  limiting what it's federal government may do to limit such expression. But all do not live in the USA, plus God is not limited to the constraints of the USA 's constitutional laws.

 I suggest that God does not allow freedom of consequence from one's  own speech. There are some 60 references to one's speech within the Bible,  many  of which carry warning of punishment to come for one's speech. Seems a serious matter (To me anyway).

There are some 60 guidances within the Bible that  "control" speech  [ See  one such list at https://www.openbible.info/topics/our_speech ] .  One sample is the following  from Matthew, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Just for fun here is a little something on the subject from "Cliff Notes" ( Got Questions ) ..."Despite the First Amendment, in the United States today, Christians do not have total freedom of speech. There are things we believe, ideas clearly taught in the Scriptures, that are now considered “hate speech” in our world of political correctness. A society that proudly proclaims freedom of speech and then creates laws against hate speech is talking out of both sides of its mouth. Laws and governments aside, there are still what we might call “social laws” in place, and when Christians are faced with ostracization due to their beliefs, it certainly does not demonstrate freedom of speech. Many believers throughout history have been persecuted by their societies because the expression of their beliefs did not line up with the status quo. A notable example is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whose refusal to bow down to the king’s idol landed them in the midst of a fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1–26).

God wants us to obey Him and to speak according to His Word. If obedience to that principle makes people hate us or gets us thrown in jail or even killed, we are not to back down. God wants us to speak the truth boldly (Ephesians 6:20), but He never promises that we will always be free to speak without consequences."
 

I guess one might argue that all are free to  "pour out folly", but I conclude that does not free any from the consequence of doing so. To shout boldly "I can say whatever I want" for example immediately puts the hearer on alert that unbridled thought is about to erupt. And most often it soon does to the later chagrin of the  mind and soul  whose physical body member quickly wagged on about it's "right" to do so; my tongue having failed me in that regard many a time.

 

 

 

 

[The_Patriot21]

I think there's nothing inherently wrong with expressing your opinion, however if you go through those proverbs in context and read other parts of scripture there's a lot to be said about the when and where to express your opinion.

Even Jesus remained silent at times but He also spoke out at times. What one should remember is first time and place. A funeral of a openly gay man is probably the wrong time and place to speak out against homosexuality, for instance.

Another thing to remember is the how. Sometimes it's not what's said that's offensive but the way it is said. We should work to temper our words with love.

We shouldn't just jump out and say what we want when we want whenever we think to. Instead we should weigh our words so that we share with love and wisdom. Which is what I think these verses are speaking of.