Giving Account of Careless Words

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.

Arnobius is coming to the end of this section in which he has castigated the pagans for demeaning and insulting their gods by attributing to them character reprehensible if found in mankind, much less deity.  In summation he points out that relating something sinful and evil to deity to goes beyond the pale.  Any sentient being worthy of worship must be highly honored in every respect, whether concerning personal nature or name.  If one believes a divine entity is present (a reasonable assumption), every care should be taken to honor that one in every respect.

Now, while in this you might be held guilty in one respect for writing in such wise about the gods, you have added to your guilt beyond measure¹ in calling base things by the names of deities, and again in defaming the gods by giving to them the names of infamous things.

But if you believed without any doubt that they were here close at hand, or anywhere at all, fear would check you in making mention of them, and your beliefs and unchanged thoughts should have been exactly as if they were listening to you and heard your words.  For among men devoted to the services of religion, not only the gods themselves, but even the names of the gods should be reverenced, and there should be quite as much grandeur in their names as there is in those even who are thought of under these names.

Arnobius of Sicca, The Case against the Pagans, Book IV, cap. 44

This same argument applies equally to Christians.  Though we may not overtly link God with sin and evil, we certainly can do that through how we carry his reputation in life and conduct.  God uniquely ties together his word and name (Ps 138:2), so that any defamation brought on one reflects on the other.  At Sinai God makes known that his people who are called by his name should conduct themselves in such a way that will never defame his holy character.

Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

As well, he gave specific instructions concerning those who are speaking something false in his name.

Deuteronomy 18:20
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.

Even if retribution is not meted out by the Lord immediately, all will be made plain at the final judgment with just reward or condemnation.

Luke 12:2-3
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

To an almighty God, we owe much that could never be paid, yet he is loving beyond all conception and has given everything by Christ's death for sinful man.  To him all honor is due.


¹ Addere garo gerrem, a proverb ridiculing a worthless addition, which nullifies something in itself precious, garum being a highly esteemed sauce (or perhaps soup), which would be thrown away upon gerres, a worthless kind of salt fish.  Arnobius merely means, however, that while such stories are wrong, what follows is unspeakably worse.