Jesus saves people from all sorts of walks of life. He saves bankers and sailors, pilots and construction workers, high schoolers and hard criminals. Some Christians are more inclined to swear than others, but are Christians allowed to swear?
In order to answer this question, it is first important to consider two principles from Romans 6:18: “And, having been set free from sin, [you] have become slaves of righteousness.” As Christians, we are free and we must not slip into legalism. But Jesus died to free His people from sin – not so that they might sin. When we think about what is or isn’t allowed in Christianity, we shouldn’t do so with an intention of toeing the line of sin. Rather, we should strive to live for righteousness.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at five biblical passages and principles to determine whether or not swearing is permissible as a Christian.
Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Paul instructs the Ephesian church to keep their words free from corrupting talk. The word for “corrupting talk” is a word that also means rotten, useless, and depraved. The same word is used in Matthew 7:17-18, which says, “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.” The word for “corrupting talk” is the same word as “diseased” here.
Jesus specifically outlines that the rotten/corrupt/useless/depraved/diseased tree is the tree that produces bad fruit. As Christians, we are to be the good tree that produces good fruits. And rather than letting unwholesome talk slip through our lips, we should strive to speak words that build others up and give grace to those who hear us. Swearing does not edify in any way, and it also does not promote grace for our hearers. And according to this passage, it should be avoided by Christians.
Colossians 3:8: “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
To the church in Colossae, Paul instructs God’s people to put away all obscene talk from their mouth. The word for “obscene talk” is a word that means filthy speech or foul or abusive language. It also has a sense of shameful speaking. In and of itself, swearing would fall under this category because it is both filthy and foul. But Paul seems to make this point even clearer for anyone who has doubt by linking it with the words anger, wrath, malice, and slander. Swearing so often finds itself in accompaniment with these other actions that Paul deems unworthy for Christians.
Matthew 12:36-37: “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.”
Following a similar lesson as mentioned above in regard to trees being known by their fruit, Jesus explains to those around Him that everyone is responsible for the words that they speak. Indeed, He teaches that individuals will give an account for every careless word they speak and even be justified or condemned by their words.
The word for “careless” here means idle, lazy, thoughtless, unprofitable, or injurious. As Christians, we are called to speak in a way that is thoughtful, profitable, and beneficial. Swearing, being none of these things, is not a behavior that corresponds to their new identity in Christ. And by continuing in unrepentant non-Christlike behavior, they are demonstrating that the fruit coming out of their heart is not good but bad.
Romans 14:13-23: “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”
As further motivation to maintain pure speech, Christians are called to act in a way that does not cause their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble. Swear words have largely offensive origins, and swearing goes against the conscience of many of our fellow siblings. Even if we mean no ill intent, we may influence those around us to succumb to sin if we swear around them. We shouldn’t swear because of the fact that we want to honor God in our speech. But Paul also encourages us to make sacrifices for the benefit of our siblings, and this includes not swearing for their sake as well.
Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
We may be tempted to think that swearing is just a minor point of fringe disobedience that isn’t a big deal because everyone else around us is doing it and because Jesus will forgive us anyway. But it is important to remember that Jesus died for our liberty from sin, not to give us a license to sin. If we view grace as permission to sin, then we haven’t really understood grace at all.
Paul made it very clear in Romans 6:1-2 that Christians must not continue living in sin or behaving in sinful ways. We, as Christians, have died to our former sinful lives. We are new creations in Christ, and we must live, act, think, and talk in a way that reflects this truth to those around us.
The Bible provides several reasons for Christians to avoid swearing. Rather, Christians should strive to make their words be respectful and edifying to those around them. Their speech should demonstrate that they are set apart from worldliness and committed to following Christ. While it is true that different cultures and social contexts view profanity through different lenses, Christians should always live above reproach and exercise caution with their words in order to represent Jesus well.