Southern Ten Commandments

A friend of mine delivered the southern ten commandments to me via e-mail: ('King James' revised into ' Jackson County ' language, of course)


(1) Just one God


(2) Put nothin' before God


(3) Watch yer mouth


(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'


(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa


(6) No killin'


(7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal


(8) Don't take what ain't yers


(9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'


(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff





One of the things I found of interest was the third commandment, "Watch yer mouth", and the ninth, "No tellin' tales or gossipin'". Even though the Bible forbids us from bearing "false witness", it also forbids us from bearing "true witness" if it comes in the form of tale bearing, gossiping, evil speacking, whispering, and backbiting.

God's righteous standard which governs our talk has gotten perverted, diluted, or just plain lost over the years. Truth is not the only criteria that our words must meet in order to be righteous. Sometimes I wonder if more than anything else, it is the flow of our daily conversations that grieves the Holy Spirit and stops up the works when it comes to God doing mighty works in, among, and through us.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
(Eph 4:29-30)



Yours in Him,
Pastor B.