This past Sunday, I was preaching through Philippians 3:3-11, and came across this text:
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. ~ Phil 3:8 (ESV)
That word "rubbish" is really not the best word that translates the word skubalon. In fact, I would argue that it really falls short. Paul is making the point that his past achievements, while seemingly great before Christ, are now so meager before the glory of Jesus, that they are nothing but sheer "dung" (KJV). But is "dung" the best word to describe skubalon?
According to TDNT, skubalon is a combo of excrement, muck, scraps after a meal, and food gone bad. I described it as fish heads and guts mixed together with manure left out a month. One whiff and I have a feeling you would either vomit, pass out, or both.
But here was my dilemma, what word should I use in the pulpit to describe skubalon? Some make the case that when Paul used skubalon, he was essentially using an expletive. At the very least, he was using a tweener word such as "crap." And what is interesting to note is that a whole evangelical trend has flowed out of texts such as this to legitimize using expletives in the pulpit.
I remember hearing Tony Campolo "say in a message once:
According to TDNT, skubalon is a combo of excrement, muck, scraps after a meal, and food gone bad. I described it as fish heads and guts mixed together with manure left out a month. One whiff and I have a feeling you would either vomit, pass out, or both.
But here was my dilemma, what word should I use in the pulpit to describe skubalon? Some make the case that when Paul used skubalon, he was essentially using an expletive. At the very least, he was using a tweener word such as "crap." And what is interesting to note is that a whole evangelical trend has flowed out of texts such as this to legitimize using expletives in the pulpit.
I remember hearing Tony Campolo "say in a message once:
I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t give a shit. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.
Even as I post this quote, I do so with some trepidation. You see, I haven't said a curse word since I was in the 6th grade. More than it being a mark of righteousness (which would be dangerous for my soul), it's just a habit I have. I don't curse, ever. Not in my angriest moments, and trust me, I have been VERY angry at times since the 6th grade. So for me, this is a struggle.
But I understand what Tony Campolo is saying and why he is using this word. It makes sense. But I wonder if in doing so, he loses something more valuable than even making the point. That while the point can be spot on, once the cat is out of the bag, it will never go back in. Those who were in Tony's audience, don't have his heart nor maturity. They simply think since "Tony cursed in the pulpit, I like Tony Campolo, therefore, I can curse in the pulpit." That is, as important as the point a preacher can make by using an expletive, does that same preacher lose far more than the point itself. I have expletive-laced preaching, even to make a valid point, is self-defeating.
So going back to skubalon, I really wrestled with even saying the word "crap." The word seemed to have the right blend of getting the essence without using the expletive, "s..." The latter would have been more for the shock factor, coming out of the pastor's mouth, at the pulpit on Sunday of all places. But the former is a word that many people use. In fact, the word comes from the name of the inventor of the toilet. That doesn't seem to be so bad. However, as you might know, it's not the word itself that determines meaning in our day, but the image and experience formed from that word, especially when it comes to vulgarities and expletives.
I just made that personal assessment that I don't even need to say "crap" and I can still gain the same effect. Sure, I would need to think it through. But expletives mostly are for the lazy and I do think it would have been self-defeating. People wouldn't remember that self-righteousness is skubalon. No, they would remember me saying "crap" or the s-word in my sermon. It would detract from God's Word and the glory of His Son. It would give me all the glory.
In the end, that's why I chose not to say, "crap." I simply did not want me to be a distraction to what Jesus is all about. It's not about what I do or how well I preach. He has to increase and anything I do to stop that from happening is only a detriment to the gospel.
If you're interested, this article entitled, "Toward an Evangelical Theology of Cussing" is a good one that I read before this message.
But I understand what Tony Campolo is saying and why he is using this word. It makes sense. But I wonder if in doing so, he loses something more valuable than even making the point. That while the point can be spot on, once the cat is out of the bag, it will never go back in. Those who were in Tony's audience, don't have his heart nor maturity. They simply think since "Tony cursed in the pulpit, I like Tony Campolo, therefore, I can curse in the pulpit." That is, as important as the point a preacher can make by using an expletive, does that same preacher lose far more than the point itself. I have expletive-laced preaching, even to make a valid point, is self-defeating.
So going back to skubalon, I really wrestled with even saying the word "crap." The word seemed to have the right blend of getting the essence without using the expletive, "s..." The latter would have been more for the shock factor, coming out of the pastor's mouth, at the pulpit on Sunday of all places. But the former is a word that many people use. In fact, the word comes from the name of the inventor of the toilet. That doesn't seem to be so bad. However, as you might know, it's not the word itself that determines meaning in our day, but the image and experience formed from that word, especially when it comes to vulgarities and expletives.
I just made that personal assessment that I don't even need to say "crap" and I can still gain the same effect. Sure, I would need to think it through. But expletives mostly are for the lazy and I do think it would have been self-defeating. People wouldn't remember that self-righteousness is skubalon. No, they would remember me saying "crap" or the s-word in my sermon. It would detract from God's Word and the glory of His Son. It would give me all the glory.
In the end, that's why I chose not to say, "crap." I simply did not want me to be a distraction to what Jesus is all about. It's not about what I do or how well I preach. He has to increase and anything I do to stop that from happening is only a detriment to the gospel.
If you're interested, this article entitled, "Toward an Evangelical Theology of Cussing" is a good one that I read before this message.