Saturday, March 2, 2019

The Tower Of Babble

There's a famous Bible story in Genesis 11:1-9 that describes how the descendants of Noah, who spoke one language, decided to build a city with a tower that would reach the heavens, making them famous. 
It was called the Tower of Babel. God did not like their prideful arrogance, so He confused the people with different languages so they couldn't understand each other, and scattered them all over the world. The word 'babel' means confusion. 

Our English word, babble, sounds very similar to babel, and has a similar meaning -- to talk in a long-winded way without making much sense. One who babbles can also be referred to as a prattler (a person who talks at length in a foolish way). A babbling prattler can be considered as someone who likes to blither (to talk continually without making sense). A babbling, prattling, blitherer will naturally blather (talk forever without making much sense). A babbling, prattling, blithering blatherer tends to jabber (talk rapidly and excitedly with little sense). This babbling, prattling, blithering, blathering jabberer tends to be a chatter-box with the gift of gab who may be considered a blowhard, gasbag, motormouth, windbag or yapper, especially if they are spewing nonsense. 

Be warned! Do not be drawn in to such person who is trying to argue about foolish, ignorant things. Such an arrogant person is like a human prideful tower of babble. It's best not to debate but move on. There may be a time to discuss and debate, but not with someone who is making no sense and is unreasonable. You'll be able to discern the difference.  

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. (2 Timothy 2:23 NLT)

A blabber-mouth is bad enough when talking nonsense in a worldly way and may even be considered a blithering idiot by some. But when talking spiritually, we as Christians need to be cautious. We need to be grounded in the Word of God to recognize what is foolish nonsense and what is not. What is truth and what is not. We need to be like the ancient Bereans who were known for checking one's truthfulness. They checked the Apostle Paul for accuracy, comparing what he said against what the scriptures said. 

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. (Acts 17:11 NLT)

If someone is trying to persuade you of some spiritual, theological concept, you need to check it against the Bible to see if it is truth. It's the only way to be sure that you are not captured by some prattling, blithering, blathering, jabbering tower of babble.

Unfortunately, too many people are led astray by false teachers. 

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3)

So be on guard.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

And keep growing spiritually by reading the scriptures. 

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14)




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