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Articles
Weasel Words
I was reading one day about the address that William Jennings Bryan gave back in 1925 at the Scopes trial. A biology teacher had broken the new Tennessee law forbidding the teaching of evolution in state-supported schools. Mr. Bryan said, "Evolutionists attack the truth of the Bible, not openly at first, but using weasel words like ‘poetical, ‘symbolical’ and ‘allegorical’ to suck the meaning out of the inspired record of man's creation."
Indeed Mr. Bryan hit the nail on the head of how the devil and his servants operate in propagating error. The devil does not openly attack truth at first, but by questioning and casting doubts on the truth of God, and by using the sly, insidious, cunning "weasel words," he seeks to undermine faith in God. Notice in Gen.3:1, the devil said "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" You see, he was casting doubts in the mind of Eve, and then in verse five he would flat out deny what God said. Paul warned of those who would use "weasel words" in Rom. 16:17-18. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." The NAS says "smooth and flattering speeches." Or we might say they used "weasel words." Paul spake of those who would beguile with enticing words, in Col.2:4, "And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." Paul teaches in Tit.1:9-11 that the gainsayers seek to subvert whole houses by vain talk and deceit, "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." or could we say with "weasel words?" Yes, the only safe guard against the workings of the devil is to be rooted and grounded in the truth, Col.1:23, "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." When you and I have our ears attuned to the Saviour’s voice, Jn.10:4-5, "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers;" we will not be lead astray with "weasel words."
