The Insult That Returns to the Speaker

In a Biblical sense, the greater damage is done to the one who utters an insult. His words do not alter the intrinsic worth of the person he insults, who continues to bear the image of God (Genesis 1:27; James 3:9). Rather, they reveal the poison within his own heart, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34, King James Version). In seeking to demean another, he ultimately disgraces himself, because his speech uncovers a heart that is far from the character of Christ. The one insulted may be wounded, but the offender's own spiritual condition is exposed and, unless there is repentance, progressively corrupted (Ephesians 4:29-31; James 3:9-10).