Railing and Clamor

edited from Kevin Maxey

When was the last time that you used "railing" and "clamor" in a sentence? Probably rarely, if ever. These are the kind of terms many of us read in our Bibles and immediately wonder, "What does that mean?" As we define "railing" and "clamor", you will see that just because we don't use these particular words in everyday conversation, they are certainly being practiced in full force today.

What exactly is railing? One of the best ways to understand a word is to look at how the Holy Spirit uses it in a biblical context. One such passage is 1 Peter 3:8-10, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (emp. KM). In place of railing, other translations use words such as reviling, insult, tongue lashing, berating, abusive language, ridicule, and sharp tongued sarcasm. The Contemporary English Version puts verse 9 this way, "Don't be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God's chosen ones, and he will bless you." The Easy to Read Version reads, "don't say something bad to a person to pay him back for saying something bad to you."

Let's investigate some of the Greek and Hebrew words that are translated as "railing" in our Bibles. First, there is the Greek word, loidoría, which Zodhiates defines as "to revile, a railing, reproach." Strong defines it as "slander or vituperation, railing, reproach." Another Greek word is oneidezo which means, "to defamechide, taunt, cast in teeth" (Strong). Zodhiates adds, "reproach, to defame, disparageGenerally it means to rail at, revile, assail with abusive wordsto upbraid, chide." In the Hebrew, harap, "means to taunt or agitate someone about something" (Zodhiates, see 2 Chron. 32:17; Psa. 119:42). And another Hebrew word, 'iyt, means "to scorn, to insult" (Zodhiates, see 1 Sam. 25:14). So we gather from these definitions that a person is guilty of railing when they insult someone with hateful words.

What is clamor? Again the context surrounding the use of this word speaks volumes about its meaning. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:31-32). Various translations use the following words in place of clamor: angry shouts of dissatisfaction, loud quarreling, loud insulting language, shouting, insults. The Greek word used here is krauge, which means "an outcry in notification, tumult or grief, clamor, crying." Zodhiates explains this word can be used to refer to "an outcrypublicof tumult or controversy." While railing would refer to all kinds of insulting speech, clamor is connected with insulting speech that is both loud and public.

This is a serious problem! While none of us purposefully set out to be railers and clamorers, we find that all of us have witnessed, been recipients of, and most likely participated in this type of abusive verbal behavior. Hateful speech is a deadly sin that will not only destroy your relationships in your neighborhood, home, and in the church, it will destroy your soul.

1. Man rails against his fellowman. This is so because we all have a tongue and James says we will always have trouble taming this unruly member (Jas. 3:8). You can witness railing and clamor almost every day. You've seen it at work when a business deal goes awry; at the service desk of a store when an angry customer files a complaint; on your street when a cranky next door neighbor gets upset; at your child's ball game when a temperamental parent doesn't like a referee's call; and on the daytime talk shows when foolish people clamor and rail in front of millions of viewers. How do you react in such difficult circumstances? Will you cast your lot in with the typical reviler or will your words be seasoned with salt and grace (Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29)?

2. The ungodly will rail against the godly. When you live right and proclaim the light of truth in a dark world, the world will hate you. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:20). When you disapprove of the sins of fornication, adultery, and homosexuality the world will revile you. When you speak against the sins of drunkenness, profanity, worldliness, and immodesty people will rail. Enemies of the Lord anxiously await opportunities to rail against His children (1 Tim. 5:14). Goliath insulted young faith-filled David (1 Sam. 17:42-45,10); Sennacherib, king of Assyria, taunted Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:17); and the Jews and Romans reviled Christ (1 Pet. 2:23). Christ warned us that the world will revile you just as it reviled Him (John 15:18). If you are living right you need to understand and be prepared for the fact that ungodly people will attack you verbally.

3. Some family members will rail against other family members. Perhaps the place where railing is most practiced is behind the closed doors of the home. Do you think you can leave your Christian "character" at the church building or discard it at the front door when you walk into your home? When you take off your coat and shoes, do you think it is okay to take off your godly adornment as well? Children, do you insult your parents with back-talk and statements like, "I hate you!" Fathers, do you berate and curse your children? Do you call them fools and stupid idiots (Matt. 5:22), provoking them to wrath (Eph. 6:4)? Wives, are you so frustrated and bitter with your husband that you feel you have nothing left to do but give your husband a hateful verbal lashing in order to get his attention (Prov. 21:19)? Do these family scenarios sound too familiar in your home? Remember that God's command for you to love others most certainly applies to your family relationships. Read 1 Cor. 13:1-8 and see if you are practicing these specific qualities of love in your family.

4. Some Christians will rail against other Christians. The one area of life where absolutely no evil speech should be present is in the church. But sadly we often find that Christians taunt, insult, lash out and attack other Christians. You've seen it in a business meeting when brethren get heated about some controversy. You've heard it when one brother starts yelling at another brother in the foyer after services. You probably know of brethren who do not like what the preacher or elders said and they cry out in reproach or storm out of the building. Other brethren like to accentuate their bitter verbal arrows by slamming phones and doors. These are sins of clamor. While some participate in this publicly many others do their cowardly railing in private from house to house, phone to phone, or computer to computer. God condemns those who are, "wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not" (1 Tim. 5:13; 2 Thess. 3:11). God forbid that any of God's children would participate in such evil.

Determine now that, no matter what the circumstance, you will not participate in the sins of railing and clamor. Too often we think that if we were mistreated badly enough, it justifies an evil response. "But you don't know what he or she did or said to me!" I do know what people said and did to Jesus, "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pet. 2:23). Jesus more than any of us had a right to strike back, but He didn't. When you get upset with your co-worker, spouse, child, parent or brother in Christ, control your tongue and refuse to commit this horrible sin (Jas. 1:19-20). Render a blessing to that person. God not only forbids verbal retaliation, He commands that we seek blessing for the evil speaker. We continue with our text in 1 Pet. 3:9 where God says don't respond to evil words with evil words, but respond to that person with a blessing - "not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing." Paul, who knew a thing or two about being the subject of hateful verbal attacks explains, "being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat" (1 Cor. 4:12-13). This person's soul is in danger and you need to act in a way to bless the soul toward spiritual salvation. This will of course include correction but it will also include a genuine spirit of good will for that person's soul. "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:44-45).