Conversations Can Be So Revealing!
Yes they can! And, they can reveal a lot more than intended. Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
I assigned myself the task, once upon a time, to make a list of all conversations recorded in Scripture. Alas, the list became so extensive that I abandoned the effort. Nonetheless, we shall notice a few of those.
Some conversations simply give needed information. Consider the conversation between Daniel and Belshazzar (Dan. 5:13-28) or the conversation between Jesus and the eleven (Acts 1:4-8). Other conversations reveal the humility of one or ones; Naaman and his servants or Jesus and the woman seeking to have her daughter healed are both good examples of this (2 Kings 5:13; Matt. 15:22-28).
Some of the recorded conversations show an effort to hide or conceal sin: Samuel and Saul (1 Sam. 15:13-30), God and Adam (Gen. 3:9-12), and Peter and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). Others reveal an intent to deceive: Jesus and the devil are a classic example of this (Matt. 4:3-10). One’s ignorance is often revealed through his conversation (Jesus and the Pharisees — Matt. 19:3-9; Jesus and the Sadducees — Matt. 22:23-33).
A honest and good heart, a heart seeking the truth, is often brought to light by a simple conversation: Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3:1-9), Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8:30-38), Naomi and Ruth (Ruth 1:8-17), Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4:7-26). Some conversations reveal one to be very foolish (Balaam and his ass — Num. 22:28-30).
Many conversations reveal deep deception. While we have already mentioned this, we wish to call attention to a few other examples: Nehemiah, Sanballat, and Shemaiah (Neh. 6:2-8, 10-11), the Pharisees and the man born blind (John 9:19-23). Read Genesis 45:25-28 and notice what is revealed by the conversation between Jacob and the brothers of Joseph or the conversation between Elijah and Obadiah (1 Kings 18:7-15).
Of course many conversations reveal more than just one thing, often several or many things. We see this in the conversation of the Lord with Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), as well as the conversation between Paul and the Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:17-22). Conversations are so revealing and not just the ones recorded in the Bible.
Consider this brief conversation between two preachers, reported word for word:
Question: “What is your conviction on divorce and remarriage?”
Reply: “I don’t know what I believe on that subject.”
Question:”What do you think of Homer Hailey’s position on the divorce and remarriage of the non-Christian?”
Reply: “I don’t know what Brother Hailey’s position is.”
Question: “I have his booklet on the subject; and . . .”
Reply: “I have it also and I have read it several times and I still don’t know what his position is.”
What does this conversation reveal? Was the replier ignorant of Matthew 19:9? Was he saying that the passage was too difficult to understand? He was by no means a neophyte, so that most probably rules out ignorance. Perhaps he was saying that he did not want anyone to know what his conviction was; if this was the case, he certainly was not like Jesus or Paul. Perhaps he really did not have a conviction on the subject, but what would that reveal?
Now, notice his reply concerning the late brother Hailey’s position. I have known brother Hailey a long time, and I have read almost all (if not all) that he has written. I have not always agreed with what brother Hailey has written, but I find no difficulty in understanding what he has to say. To me, his writings are quite clear. Consider this statement by brother Hailey in The Divorced and Remarried Who Would Come to God (9). “The question is: Does God require those who were married, divorced, and remarried while in the world and who would obey the gospel to separate after they become Christians, or does he accept their marriage as lawful? I believe that he accepts them without requiring their separation and I shall show the reasons why.” And, this is not the only such statement in the booklet.
How could anyone read the above statement and still not know brother Hailey’s position? Assuming that one may overlook such by just one casual reading, but to overlook it while reading it several times is somewhat beyond my imagination. But, as I said in the beginning, “Conversations Can Be So Revealing!” Yes, and they do, sometimes, reveal far more than is intended.
Conversations have a way of revealing things and this should be the purpose of all conversations. So, it is not whether or not conversations reveal, for they do, the question is — what do they reveal? “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
1515 Walnut St., Alameda, CA 94501, oholderby@juno.com
Truth
Magazine Vol. XLV: 10 p16
May 17,
2001