Silence and Speech
Which is better: silence or speech?

Saint Barsanuphius says, “Speech for the sake of God is good, and silence for the sake of God is good.” And Solomon the Wise says, “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” Let our topic today be (Silence and Speech):

The Importance of Speech:

The subject of speech is important, because the Scripture says:
“By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

And the Lord said to the wicked servant, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant” (Luke 19:22).

And David the prophet said to the young man who brought him news of Saul’s death, “Your mouth has testified against you” (2 Samuel 1:16). And when Peter spoke, they said to him, “Your speech betrays you” (Matthew 26:73).

Speech may contain a person’s salvation or his destruction, because it is not merely words, but “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34–35).

Thus, sin is not merely a sin of the tongue. Rather, the one who utters an evil word has a treasure of evil in his heart.

“For a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). And James the Apostle says, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” (James 3:11).

Since by our words we are justified and by our words we are condemned—that is, by our words we are saved or we perish—therefore we must be careful in our speech, for the Scripture says:

“Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

And the idle word is not only the evil word, but also the word without fruit, without benefit.

For God created the tongue for benefit; if it does not perform it, it becomes unused power. The virtue of the tongue is not merely that it does not err, but that it must have a positive work. Do you make a machine whose only benefit is that it does not harm anyone? Or should it have useful production?

Harmful Silence:

Saint Ambrose says, “If we shall be judged for harmful speech, we shall also be judged for harmful silence.”

The Scripture says, “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

If there is a time to speak, then we are condemned if we are silent in it.

If a person remains silent when he ought to speak, he sins by not speaking the necessary word. We say this lest some think that silence is a virtue absolutely. There are many examples of this.

At the trial of John and Peter before the council, Peter said, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). And the Book of Acts says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). And David the prophet said, “I have spoken of Your testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed” (Psalm 119:46).

Sometimes silence is cowardice and disgrace. Often God commands speech.

The Lord said to Paul in a vision at night, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent… for I have many people in this city.” And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them (Acts 18:9–11).

Because God commanded Paul to speak, he said, “For necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Thus woe to the person entrusted with speech if he does not speak. Often in such cases a person finds within himself a divine feeling compelling him to speak; and if he tries to be silent, he cannot.

An example of this is Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite in the story of Job: he remained silent for twenty-eight chapters because he was young and they were older; but finally he could not remain silent. “When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused, and he said… I also will declare my opinion, for I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; it is ready to burst like new wineskins. I will speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer” (Job 32).

Also David the prophet said, “I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; and my sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue” (Psalm 39:1–3).

These are the spiritual situations in which a person’s heart burns and he is compelled to speak by a divine impulse. Therefore when the prophet Jeremiah wanted to refrain from speaking, saying, “I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth,” the Lord rebuked him and said to him, “You shall speak whatever I command you.” Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth, and the Lord said to him, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:7–9).

If you feel that God has put His word in your mouth, do not be silent. For the word of God must go forth and accomplish its message.

Your good speech is that of which it was said, “By your words you will be justified.”

Therefore, just as some saints were praised for their silence, some saints were also praised for their speech… in history and in the Scripture:

Saint John Chrysostom was called “Golden-mouthed” because his speech was like refined gold. As the Scripture says, “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,” and “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom” (Proverbs 10:11, 31). And David the prophet says, “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice” (Psalm 37:30). Saint Gregory the Theologian delivered few sermons, yet they granted him the title “The Theologian.” As the Scripture says, “They spoke the word of God.”

The speech they uttered was not their own speech, but the word of God.

David the prophet said, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise” (Psalm 51). If God opens your lips, then you will declare His praise.

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke, and His words were spirit and life (John 6:63).

We did not hear words from Him for nearly thirty years. Then He spoke when speech was necessary. “The crowds were astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). And they said, “No man ever spoke like this Man” (John 7:46). “For He taught them as one having authority” (Matthew 7:29). “And all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

He spoke, and His word “works mightily,” and “shall not return void” (Isaiah 55:11), “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Are you likewise?

Speech of Benefit:

The Church needs such speakers, those in whose mouths God places His word, so they speak the word of God; and their word is powerful in its work and does not return empty, but brings forth much fruit.

The silent person is better than the one who sins with his tongue.
But better than both is the one who builds people up with his words.

He is the person who out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. Be filled with the Spirit, and bring forth from your treasures things new and old.

A problem may occur in a house, and someone sees it and remains silent, repeating in his heart, “Therefore the prudent shall keep silent in that time, for it is an evil time” (Amos 5:13), or he says to himself, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself” (Proverbs 22:3). But better than this is the one who, by a wise word from his mouth, solves the problem and peace prevails.

Abigail the wise woman, by her spiritual words, was able to save David the prophet from bloodshed and save her husband from death. The prophet blessed her and said to her, “Because you have heeded my voice and respected my person” (1 Samuel 25).

If Abigail had remained silent, her house would have been ruined, her husband lost, and the prophet would have sinned. Therefore it was said, “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). If you have a gentle answer by which to turn away anger, do not be silent.

In the Paradise of the Fathers we read about many who crossed land and sea to hear a “word of benefit” from one of the saints, that their souls might be built up.

Those saints who spoke not only benefited their listeners, but benefited all generations by their words which were recorded for us.

Among the examples of such speech is what was said to Cornelius to call for Peter, “who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14). Therefore Peter says about this meeting, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them” (Acts 11:15). How wondrous this is!

Peter speaks, and the Holy Spirit falls upon the people. And Elizabeth hears the greeting of Mary, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41).

Is our speech like this, containing the Spirit of the Lord, and by it He descends?

Saint Arsenius, who perfected silence exceedingly, was able in his silence to acquire treasures of the Spirit, which Pope Theophilus longed to receive. He would travel to the desert merely to hear a word of benefit from Arsenius or from Paphnutius.

The word of benefit is a word from God, sent by the Spirit upon the mouth of one of His saints, to which He gives power and effect; it enters into the hearts of people and changes their lives for the better.

For this reason the saints sought the word of benefit; they received it from spiritual guides, from experienced elders, and from every source—even from the mouth of a child, or from the mouth of any simple person.

Saint Macarius the Great received a word of benefit from the mouth of a cowherd. Saint Moses the Black sought this word from the boy Zechariah. And Saint Anthony the Great benefited from a word spoken by a woman who was not ashamed to uncover herself before him and descend to the river. When he rebuked her for uncovering herself before a monk, she said to him, “If you were truly a monk, you would dwell in the inner desert, for this place is not suitable for the dwelling of monks.” He received her word as though it had come from the mouth of God and carried it out at once.

And just as Saint Anthony benefited from the word of that uncovered woman, so also Mar Ephraim the Syrian benefited from a word spoken by a sinful woman who was looking lustfully at his face.

When he rebuked her for that, she said to him, “I look at you as a man, for I am a woman; and the woman was taken from the body of the man. But you ought to look at the earth from which you were taken, for the man was created from the dust of the earth.” Mar Ephraim heard and departed benefiting.

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An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – published in El-Keraza Magazine – Year Seven (Issue Three) 16-1-1976.

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