The Un-Tamable Tongue

The Un-Tamable Tongue: A Biblical Diagnosis of Why International Peace Fails

Author: Da Effiong Daniel
Minister of the Gospel and Sociologist

Journal Proposal: Theology of Peace Journal; Journal of Religion and Conflict Transformation

Abstract

Despite decades of international diplomacy, lasting peace remains elusive. This paper argues that this failure stems from a fundamental misdiagnosis of conflict’s root cause. Drawing from the biblical books of Exodus, Jeremiah, and James, this analysis posits that the primary weapon of war is the word—the untamable tongue that sets the course of human conflict (James 3:6). Using the sustained provocative rhetoric of Iran toward Israel and the U.S. as a modern case study, and framing it through the cultural lens of the Efik/Ibibio/Annang challenges Akpede Ayok (direct taunt) and Nseabunam (indirect taunt), this paper demonstrates that conflict originates in the human heart and is unleashed through speech. Pharaoh’s defiance ('Who is the Lord…?' Ex. 5:2) provides the archetypal pattern. The conclusion is that without a spiritual solution to tame the tongue at its source, all political peacemaking is ultimately a temporary containment of a perpetual fire.

Keywords: Theology of Peace, James 3, Pharaoh, Iran, Rhetoric, Akpede Ayok, Nseabunam, Heart, Tongue

1. Introduction: The Futility of Surface-Level Peace

The international community invests vast resources in peacemaking: treaties, conferences, and sanctions. Yet enduring peace remains a mirage. These efforts fail because they address the symptoms (kinetic violence) while ignoring the disease: the weaponized human tongue, which itself flows from a deeper spiritual condition of the heart. The Bible provides the necessary framework to diagnose this disease and understand its intractability.

2. The Biblical Position: The Tongue as the Ignition Point

The Scriptures locate the problem of conflict not first in geopolitics, but in human ontology.

The Heart of the Problem: 'For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of' (Matthew 12:34). All external conflict is preceded by internal condition. Jeremiah sharpens this diagnosis: 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?' (Jeremiah 17:9). The source of destructive speech is not the lips themselves but the deceitful, corrupted human heart.

The Weapon Itself: The Epistle of James delivers the most severe diagnosis: 'The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell' (James 3:6). This identifies the tongue as a meta-weapon of immense destructive power, with a spiritual origin.

The Ultimate Challenge: James concludes with a sobering admission of the problem’s depth: 'No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison' (James 3:8). This asserts the fundamental inability of humanity to solve this problem through its own power.

3. Case Study: Iran’s Rhetoric as Modern Archetype

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s sustained use of chants like 'Marg bar Amrikā!' ('Death to America') and 'Marg bar Isrā'il!' ('Death to Israel') is a pristine modern example of the tongue set on fire. It functions as:

A Direct Taunt (Akpede Ayok): A challenge to the adversary’s strength and resolve ('If you are strong, prove it').

An Indirect Taunt (Nseabunam): A dismissive provocation that questions the adversary’s agency and power ('What can you do?').

This rhetoric is not mere political posturing; it is the linguistic kindling that sustains the fire of conflict, creating a 'rhetorical lock-in' that makes de-escalation a sign of weakness.

4. The Ancient Blueprint: Pharaoh’s Defiance and the Multi-Level Response

The Provocative Word: Pharaoh’s declaration, 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey him? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go' (Exodus 5:2), is both a direct and indirect taunt.

The Heart Revealed: This was not just politics but a spiritual challenge, testing divine authority itself.

a. God’s Reaction

The Lord did not debate but demonstrated. By His mighty hand He compelled Pharaoh to submit through ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Egypt’s army. 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth' (Romans 9:17).

Later, through the prophet Ezekiel, God declared His final judgment on Pharaoh, exposing the futility of his pride:

'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself.” But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out… I will throw you into the desert… and you will not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky' (Ezekiel 29:3–5).

God’s word reduces Pharaoh’s boasting to emptiness: 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has passed his appointed time' (Ezekiel 30:18). The taunter becomes nothing more than a sound soon silenced by divine decree.

b. Human Reaction

When authority is taunted, rulers respond. Kings, leaders, and nations cannot let defiance go unanswered, lest silence be read as weakness. This is echoed in Efik/Ibibio/Annang culture where Akpede Ayok provokes open combat and Nseabunam demands calculated retaliation.

c. Village, Civilized, and Governmental Reaction

- Village: Insults often spark feuds or inter-village wars.
- Civilized Society: Taunts trigger lawsuits, reputational battles, or riots.
- Government: Nations, like Pharaoh, must 'save face' and respond through sanctions, military strikes, or alliances.

Thus, from village quarrels to global politics, taunts escalate conflict in predictable patterns.

5. Synthesis: Why International Peace Efforts Fail

1. It Treats the Symptom, Not the Disease: Diplomacy tries to quench violence but ignores the heart and tongue that ignite it.

2. It Cannot Tame the Tongue: UN resolutions can halt weapons, but not rhetoric. Hate speech continues underground, ensuring the next eruption.

3. It Repeats Pharaoh’s Error: Leaders rely on pride and power, saying in effect, 'Who is the Lord?'

4. It Is Proactive Yet Biased: UN resolutions often tilt toward powerful blocs. Some nations are repeatedly condemned while others are shielded by veto powers. This bias fuels resentment and entrenches taunts.

5. It Becomes Part of the Problem: Instead of peace, international institutions often inflame conflict by becoming rhetorical tools themselves.

6. Conclusion: The Path to True Peace – A Theological Imperative

The Iranian case, African taunts, and Pharaoh’s defiance converge to one truth: lasting peace is impossible without first addressing the human heart.

Acknowledgment: 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?' (Jeremiah 17:9).

Transformation: Only divine intervention offers hope: 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you' (Ezekiel 36:26).

The Primacy of Spiritual Peace: True peace begins with reconciliation to God through Christ, 'for He Himself is our peace… He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near' (Ephesians 2:14–17).

Just as Pharaoh’s proud words echoed through Egypt but were silenced by God’s mighty hand, so today’s taunts—whether from nations, governments, or international institutions—are but a noise, bound to pass at their appointed time (Ezekiel 30:18). International peacemaking will continue to fail because it builds on the unstable foundation of the human heart.

The Bible’s diagnosis is severe: the heart is deceitful, the tongue is a fire that no human can control. But God’s prescription offers true and lasting peace — beginning from the inside out, silencing the noise of human arrogance with the Word of His peace.

References

1. The Holy Bible, New International Version.
   James 3:6, 8; Exodus 5:2; 7:3–5; 14; Matthew 12:34; Jeremiah 17:9; Ezekiel 29:3–5; Ezekiel 30:18; Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 9:17; Ephesians 2:14–17.

2. Oral Tradition. Efik, Ibibio, and Annang Languages (Concepts of Akpede Ayok and Nseabunam).

3. Khomeini, Ruhollah. (1979). Speeches and Declarations. Islamic Republic of Iran.

4. Wolterstorff, Nicholas. (1983). Until Justice and Peace Embrace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

5. Ellul, Jacques. (1969). Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective. New York: Seabury Press.