Clear Communication

[F]irst comes the thing, then the idea, then the word. If our ideas are sound to the extent that they faithfully represent the thing, they will be clearly communicable only if we clothe them in words that accurately signify them. Ideas as such are not communicable from one mind to another. They have to be carefully fitted to words, so that the words might communicate them faithfully…

How do we ensure that our words are adequate to the ideas they seek to convey? The process is essentially the same as the one we follow when confirming the clarity and soundness of our ideas. We must go back to the sources of the ideas. Often we cannot come up with the right word for the idea because we don't have a firm grasp on the idea itself. Usually, when we clarify the idea by checking it against its source in the objective world, the right word will come to us.  

Even though this quote is about good communication in general, D.Q. McInerny's advice could well be applied to how we speak/write about the things of God. Are those ideas faithfully represented? Are we true to the source, which is His Word?

I don't want to paint with a too broad a brush, but the current Christian climate seems to be known for the strength of its feelings rather than the soundness of its logic. Consequently an emotional response may be the goal instead of engaging the mind with reasoned arguments. I could point the finger at passages in Christian books in which I've tried and failed to pin down a doctrinal position. But am I applying those same critiques to myself?

If I love God, I should love His Word. If I love His Word, I should treat it with the respect it deserves. This can't be done without an honest effort to know the source with the Holy Spirit's enabling. But in addition, I should endeavor to represent the truth as faithfully as possible by clothing it "in words that accurately signify them."

I don't want to become paranoid about what I say or write, but this isn't just any ordinary book we're talking about. This is God's revelation of Himself in His Holy and Infallible Word. If clear communication is important for our relationships and professions, how much more should we be clear in matters of eternity?

                                                                                                              
Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking, D.Q. McInerny, Random House, 2004, pg. 11. (italics mine)