Verbal Murder: Are Your Words Killing?
Standards of Christian Living – Part II
In Truth Has a Name: The Mountain Revelations (part I of this series), I laid the foundation by asserting that Jesus is the messenger, judge, and arbiter of truth. He is Himself the Truth. What does this mean? It means we must do, above all else, whatever Jesus says we must do.
If Jesus condemns something, consider it condemned—regardless of what anyone else says.
If Jesus approves something, it is approved—no matter who disagrees.
With that mindset, let us dive into the first of the “You have heard…” / “But I say to you…” statements of Jesus.
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Beyond Murder
In Matthew 5:21, Jesus says:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’”
Jesus was simply repeating the sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13. “Do not murder” has always been the standard. In a world that is becoming more violent, we need the reminder that the prohibition against murder did not originate with human society—it is a divine law. It’s why even if someone escapes human justice, they won’t escape God’s.
But Jesus raised the standard:
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” – verse 22
The first part about being angry is easy to understand: it doesn’t mean that anger itself is sin, because Scripture consistently shows that it is not. Paul wrote:
“Be angry, and do not sin…” – Ephesians 4:26
Jesus Himself was angry at times, such as at the hardness of the Pharisees (Mark 3:5). God the Father also displays anger. Scripture describes Him as:
“Slow to anger and great in mercy.” – Psalm 145:8
“He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever.” – Psalm 103:9 NLT
So anger is not inherently sinful. It becomes sin when it leads to wrongdoing, and that is the danger Jesus warns about.
Words Matter: Raca, Fool, and Slander
The second part of verse 22—about saying “Raca!” or “You fool!”—is less clear. However, the severity of the consequences is the key to understanding it. The council (Sanhedrin) was the highest earthly religious-judicial authority, and hell represents the ultimate divine judgment. These punishments indicate that what Jesus is addressing goes far beyond simply calling someone a fool or an idiot (which is essentially what “Raca” means) or describing a person’s actions as foolish or idiotic.
I believe Jesus is warning against slander and false accusation, the sin forbidden in the ninth commandment:
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16
Slander—falsely accusing someone or spreading lies—was common in Jesus’ day and was sometimes used as a weapon by the powerful. Jezebel used it to kill Naboth (1 Kings 21:9–13). False witnesses were used to kill Stephen (Acts 6:11–14). And false testimony was used to crucify Jesus Himself (Matthew 26:59–61).
False accusation is serious before God and before society. That’s why many legal systems will punish slander and defamation.
Slander or False Accusation is Sin
True Christians would avoid these practices entirely, but many still fall into gossip, backbiting, and rumor-spreading. Women are more prone to doing these than men. This is why Paul, writing to Timothy about the qualifications of deacons’ wives, said:
“In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others…” – 1 Timothy 3:11
And writing to Titus about older women, he said:
“Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.” – Titus 2:3
Once we understand verse 22, verses 23–26 fall into place. They are not random—together, they form a single message. To drive home the point that slander or false accusations are serious offenses before God, Jesus says:
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” – verses 23–24
If you have participated in slander or false accusations, your prayers may be hindered until you make things right. God expects repentance and reconciliation. Sometimes, wrongdoings are the reasons why our prayers are hindered; this is one of them.
Jesus then warns about earthly consequences:
“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” – verses 25–26
The “adversary” is the person falsely accused. If they threaten legal action, settle quickly—whether through a private apology or a public one. Do not presume God will spare you from consequences if you refuse to repent.
Sometimes, people commit offenses that have legal repercussions. If they ask God’s forgiveness, He will forgive them, but they think God’s grace and forgiveness will cancel out the consequences—it won’t. This is why, if you’re a Christian believer, make sure you don’t do anything that exposes you to legal penalties.
The standard is not merely “do not murder.” When we spread lies or unverified negative reports, we commit verbal murder, harming a person’s character, reputation, and even their livelihood. If Christians were above doing these sins, Jesus and the apostles would not have warned us so often.
Watch Your Speech
I believe the overall message of verses 21–26 is that we must watch our speech.
Do not use cuss words like the F, N or S words or anything similar.
Do not lie about anyone.
Do not repeat any negative report about another person, especially if it is not verified.
God doesn’t want us doing these things. God doesn’t want these things among His people.
There is so much foul language in society today—in movies, music, sports arenas, schoolyards, workplaces, and on social media. Accusations fly constantly online, and while our culture has normalized much of this, God doesn’t. Sadly, Christians often use the same language. But Jesus said we are called to be the light and the salt of the world.
Ask yourself: is your speech different from that of a non-Christian, or does it resemble it? Would anyone be able to tell from what you say that you’re a believer? I once had a coworker mention that he’d noticed I never use cuss words. I’m not saying this to boast, and the comment honestly surprised me, but it reminded me that people notice things about you even when you don’t realize it. Would non-believers around you be able to say that about you?
If you’re struggling to keep your speech pure and God-honoring, watch what you let into your mind (heart), listen to, and read. Jesus says:
“…How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” – Matthew 12:34
In my next post, I will unpack Matthew 5:27–32, the next “You have heard…” / “But I say to you…” combo. God bless, and stay tuned.