Slang is a form of speech that has been around for many years, and every generation develops its own unique slang. Some slang continues from generation to generation. But what happens when slang intersects with Scripture? It all depends on what kind of slang it is. God’s Word is truth. Slang may not be.
People who have grown up in the internet age, particularly with the ever-evolving smartphone, have created slang words (or letter symbols) that can be challenging if you are not in the know or part of the generation that understands those words.
For example, here is a list of some of the most-used slang words today: Dope (cool), GOAT (greatest of all time), Lit (amazing or exciting), Fire (hot or trendy), TBH (to be honest — I have always wondered that if the person didn’t say this, was he planning on saying something that was not honest), Bop (music that is really good), Salty (feeling jealous), Guap (lots of money), Slaps (exceptional), Drag (criticize), Bet (yes), Bussin’ (really good), Snack (attractive), Stan (obsessed with someone in a non-creepy way), Boujee (someone who is extravagant or fancy), Dude (guy or buddy, and also the nickname of one of my grandsons), Sending me (when something is particularly funny), Glow up (a transformation from bad to good), and Dank (high quality).
There are many more slang words and phrases, but I think those mentioned above are adequate examples. Slang is a language phenomenon that emerges among different people, nationalities, and ethnicities. It is almost always changing, although some slang expressions continue basically unchanged over time. Slang is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.”
According to the Urban Dictionary, the term “down low” came from the urban African-American community of bisexual men. Since they did not want their wives or girlfriends to discover their secret, they told others in the group to “keep it on the down low.” Today, it is universally used to mean keeping something secret or staying quiet about something.
We communicate with words, and they are important. The Bible says a great deal about our words, how we speak, and what we speak. Words communicate and have an impact on others.
Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each other.” Ephesians 4:15 encourages us to “speak the truth in love,” and James 1:19 exhorts us, “Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”
Our words, whether they are filled with slang or graced with the King’s English, have impact. As God’s children, we should use our words with discernment, intelligence, and spirituality.
Jim Henry, retired pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, used to begin his sermons with Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” That verse is more than an introduction to a sermon, it is a prayer that should govern our words.
Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver,” and Ephesians 4:25 instructs us to lay aside “falsehood and speak truth, each one of you with his neighbor.”
Slang is a reality, but the gospel is a much better and eternal reality. We shouldn’t keep the gospel on the down low but share it with every opportunity God gives us. We will need to use His Word as we use our words!