Before working through this Bible study, please read the 1-minute introduction The Power and Limit of Words.
It addresses misunderstandings about Proverbs 18:21: "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Scripture teaches that our words can be encouraging or discouraging, honest or dishonest, harmful or helpful, wise or foolish.
James three devotes 18 verses to the power of the tongue, but never addresses physical sickness, healing, or death.
Scripture teaches that our words can be encouraging or discouraging, honest or dishonest, harmful or helpful, wise or foolish.
James three devotes 18 verses to the power of the tongue, but never addresses physical sickness, healing, or death.
While Proverbs 18:21 could mean giving testimony at a trial where someone's life hangs in the balance, it doesn't promise that our words can have life and death power over all physical sickness.
1. It's dangerous to base theology on a Proverb alone. Solomon prefaces the book of Proverbs saying it is a book of "wise sayings." Nowhere is it presented or described as promises.
If every Proverb were a promise, all righteous people would be wealthy and live long lives while the wicked would dies young (Proverbs 10:22,27). Righteous people would never be harmed (Proverbs 12:21). I could continue, but I think you get the idea that we can't claim all Proverbs as promises. Proverbs offer biblical principles, many of which apply in a spiritual sense, not a physical sense.
For more on this subject, check out this Bite Size Study help: Proverbs Aren't Promises.
2. It is dangerous to create theology on a single verse even if it isn't a proverb.
For example, if we drew all of our beliefs about healing from James 5:14-16, we would assume all sickness can be healed by the prayers of the elders and/or confession of sin although it doesn't specify "all." But James 5:14-16 is only part of the story on healing. we must add it to every other passage on healing before drawing conclusions. If you want to see this illustrated with the subject of prayer, check out Pieces Parts.
3. Scripture is the best commentary on Scripture. That's why we combine all that Scripture teaches on word and healing to understand what the Bible teaches.
Bible Study
If every Proverb were a promise, all righteous people would be wealthy and live long lives while the wicked would dies young (Proverbs 10:22,27). Righteous people would never be harmed (Proverbs 12:21). I could continue, but I think you get the idea that we can't claim all Proverbs as promises. Proverbs offer biblical principles, many of which apply in a spiritual sense, not a physical sense.
For more on this subject, check out this Bite Size Study help: Proverbs Aren't Promises.
2. It is dangerous to create theology on a single verse even if it isn't a proverb.
For example, if we drew all of our beliefs about healing from James 5:14-16, we would assume all sickness can be healed by the prayers of the elders and/or confession of sin although it doesn't specify "all." But James 5:14-16 is only part of the story on healing. we must add it to every other passage on healing before drawing conclusions. If you want to see this illustrated with the subject of prayer, check out Pieces Parts.
3. Scripture is the best commentary on Scripture. That's why we combine all that Scripture teaches on word and healing to understand what the Bible teaches.
Our words are important:
Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
James 3: 5-6, 9-10, 17-18: Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell...9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be...17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
James 3: 5-6, 9-10, 17-18: Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell...9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be...17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
But our words do not bring physical life and death. If we want to understand what Scripture teaches about physical healing, we need to combine all that it teaches.
If you'd like to do that these devotions can help: The Biblical View of Healing.
And this article offers some important information about the history of the word of faith movement, a movement that teaches that our words can heal or make sick, bring wealth or poverty: Proverbs 18:21 doctrine.
copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, updated in 2024.
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