Many jokes, light talks, and jestings have to be ruled out. It is of course a different story when some brothers and sisters make a few clever remarks once a while, or when they say a few amusing words to their children and grandchildren. Paul refers in his Epistle to the Ephesians to "obscenity and foolish talking or sly, filthy jesting" (5:4). These are frivolous words, and we should reject them and turn away from them.

Moreover, there should not be any scoffing among us. At the time the Lord was on the cross, men scoffed Him, saying, "Let Him be. Let us see if Elijah is coming to take Him down" (Mark 15:36). This is scoffing. Those who do not believe in the Lord's second coming scoff and say, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue in this way from the beginning of creation" (2 Pet. 3:4). Others may scoff and jest in all kinds of ways, but God's children should not allow these things to come out of their mouth.

There are many other kinds of unfitting words, such as words spoken behind others' backs or words of criticism. As for reviling words, they are sin and should be refused (Titus 3:10); they definitely should not come out of a Christian's mouth. We have to watch out for all these kinds of words and refrain from all of them.