“Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up . . .

How necessary, then, to be aware of the need for self-control, especially if the general atmosphere is easygoing, drawing no lines on funny stories and jokes, or choice of words when one is irritated. A “rotten saying” does not have to be obviously foul or obscene. It may be a clever play on words, something with a double meaning, like an apple that looks smart and polished outside, but is actually rotten to the core. Yes, it depends on what you are at heart. (Matt. 12:34) Such things belong to the old personality. They must be replaced by what belongs to the new, by what is “good for building up,” and the “giving of thanks.”