What Does The Bible Say About Gossip As Sin
The Apostle Paul included gossip along with the sins of murder and hating God. Obviously, its serious business and something that we should not take lightly.
Few of us would tolerate a person thumping a helpless person on their melon with a stick. Far too many of us permit a person to assassinate the character of a helpless person without a second thought. We silently watch and occasionally participate in the verbal assault of a helpless victim.
Gossip is sin. No sin is acceptable. We must take it as seriously as God does. Its time to kick gossip out of our hearts and churches.
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
In Closing Bible Verses About Gossip Overcome The Habit Right Now
We need to fill ourselves up with these Bible verses about gossip. We need to fill up with His word so we dont speak slanderous words! Gossip may seem harmless, but thats not true!
Let your speech ALWAYS be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know, how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6
Whether you spread it or just listen in, you are hurting others but you are also hurting yourself. If you get the urge to LISTEN IN OR CANT TAME THE TONGUE pray and ask God for the courage to walk away, and separate yourself from it.
Remember what King Solomon wrote, The words of a gossip are like choice morsels they go down to a mans inmost parts
I want to leave this post, with one final bible verse about gossip:
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips! Psalm 141:3
Examples Of Gossip In The Bible
While the Bible does not offer examples of individuals who gossiped, it does offer teachers and disciples telling Christian groups to avoid gossiping. For example, James tells Christians to bridle their tongues and not to speak evil against one another . In addition, Paul spoke about expecting to find inappropriate behavior such as gossip or slander at the church in 2 Corinthians in verse 12:20.
Titus admonished the people to avoid gossip as well in verses 2:2-3, focusing on the people who held a position in the church and acted as an example to others. Both Proverbs and Psalms mention the necessity of avoiding misspeaking about others throughout their books, lamenting the necessity to keep our tongues bridled to honor God.
Finally, in Romans 1:28-32, Paul tells the church what a person going against the will of God looks like, And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know Gods decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
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The Biblical Difference Between Gossip And Slander
King Solomon was known for his unsurpassed wisdom, granted by God. By the inspiration of God, some of those jewels of keen insight are recorded in an ancient document known as the Book of Proverbs.
Here are two practical statements:
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends .
Five years ago a guy named Rick Renner was reviewing Scripture concerning a lesson he was about to teach. As he sat at a Starbucks in Moscow, he recorded a video of himself sharing his discoveries, and posted them on YouTube. He emphasized how horrible gossip is, and even said some believe it its worse than murder. Because his video was so powerful and relevant, it went viral among Christians. He summed up the Biblical reality that gossip is the worst of all abominations.
Not all of us would agree, but we know gossip is bad. Even so, we find it all too prevalent in society. Worst yet, its in our churches.
There are many reasons people struggle with this horrible, divisive, and destructive sin. One of the more flagrant ones is justifying it because the gossiper believes what he or she is spreading is true. This is a basic misunderstanding many of us have, so lets clear it up.
Biblically, gossip is sharing information that ought not be shared. It may or may not be true.
True or not, dont share others personal and/or private things. Thats gossip.
What Does The Bible Say About Gossip
Gossip may seem like an innocent form of communication but can sever relationships and cause division in a church. While people may believe they are simply sharing information, if their intent is to tear a person down, then they are not following the will of God. The Bible even lists gossip as one of the most depraved acts. Lets take a closer look at gossip and how to avoid spreading the wrong information.
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What The Bible Says About Turning Your Back On Someone
The Bible favors forgiveness and reconciliation, but it also upholds the principle of repentance. If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over . In other words, if someone repents after sinning against us, we are to forgive them.
However, if someone refuses to repent after hurting us, we are free to walk away from that relationship. The Bible says, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? . So we are not obligated to remain in relationships with those who refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways.
Which Is Worse: Gossiping Or Listening To It
You might think the person who speaks and spreads gossip is worse than the person who listens to it. You might be surprised to know that according to the Book of Leviticus, the person who listens to gossip is worse than the person who tells it.
Spreading gossip and listening to it are both forbidden by scriptures. Listening to gossip does the most harm because it would be stopped if no one heard it. Power is given to gossip when people listen. It would die out if no one listened to gossip.
Gossip essentially kills three people.
The person who speaks it The person who listens to it The person about whom it is told
Don’t let others pull you into their gossip. You can stop people from gossiping to you by refusing to listen to it. If no one listens, the gossip will stop.
Stop destroying people’s reputation by spreading gossip with your mouth and listening to it with your ears.
Spreading gossip is like opening a pillow full of feathers on a windy day at the top of a tall mountain. The feathers will blow away. Once words are out of your mouth, they are like feathers on a windy day.
You will never be able to find all of them and put them back into the pillow. Neither will you be able to retrieve all the words you have said about someone. As soon as negative words are spoken, they become like feathers in the wind.
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How Should The Church Deal With Gossip
Churches need to keep their community tight-knit by taking every opportunity to prevent or stop gossip. The person being gossiped about needs to guard their heart and pray for those speaking against them. While its not fun to think that the burden of acting correctly falls on the victim, this is sometimes the only way to break negativity for someone to be the mature party.
Next, churches need to define gossip along with rumors and slander. Third, pastors and other leaders need to make a concerted effort to prevent or stop ungodly behavior in the church family. Leadership sets the town and can elevate the rest of the community by leading by example. Lastly, those in the church should not participate in gossip, even if that means leaving a conversation and refusing to take part in the activity. Make sure to tell the gossiper you are leaving because you do not wish to be a part of gossip and redirect them to the word of God.
37. Matthew 18:15-16 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Character Of Those Who Will Be In The Kingdom Of God
Psalm 15 discusses the character required to dwell with God. This psalm has been called an entrance liturgy , with a would-be worshipper asking the conditions for entering a relationship with God: LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? .
Believers today can understand the two questions of Psalm 15:1 as follows: Who is truly in Gods Church and who may dwell forever in His Kingdom?
David answers these questions by telling us to add three righteous characteristics to our lives and to remove three evil characteristics from our lives . These characteristics that we are to remove include or can relate to gossip: He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend .
The Hebrew for backbite means to be a talebearer or slanderer, who does evil to a neighbor and reproaches friends .
Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible adds: The word backbite means to censure slander reproach speak evil of. The Hebrew word râgala verb formed from the word foot, means properly to foot it and then go about. Then it means to go about as a talebearer or slanderer to circulate reports unfavorable to others .
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Scripture Has A Lot To Say About Spreading Gossip
The Bible speaks often warning people to avoid gossip as it can cause a myriad of problems. According to the word, gossip can separate friends , cause quarreling , keeps people in trouble , can lead to ungodliness , and can lead to bitterness and anger . Many other verses expound on gossip, focusing on avoiding spreading rumors, lying, and slander. Scripture makes it clear that gossip should not be part of a Christian repertoire.
Although many believe gossip to be harmless, the point of gossip shows the true nature of the act. Gossip cause harm because of the underlying purpose of tearing someone down. True Godly love does not dishonor others but helps to build them up and encourage them . When people take part in rumors, they choose to dishonor someone and cause strife which is inherently against the nature and will of God.
1. Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
2. Proverbs 26:20 Without wood, a fire goes out without gossip, a conflict ceases.
3. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
4. Proverbs 26:22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels they go down to the inmost parts.
5. Leviticus 19:16 Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbors life. I am the Lord.
6. Luke 6:31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise.
What Does The Bible Say About Gossip Gossip In The Bible
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! James 3:5
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. James 3:6
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind. James 3:7
But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. Titus 3:10
For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. Proverbs 26:20
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy, The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure. Psalm 101:5
And the second, like it, is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
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Is Gossip A Sin
While gossip may seem normal, its of this world and not the heavenly kingdom. Romans 12:2 states, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Christians strive to follow Gods will, which is not possible while gossiping, making gossip something that can separate you from God. For this reason, gossip is a sin.
Furthermore, gossip can cause complications in relationships with friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, and more. Romans 14:13 says, Therefore let us not pass judgement on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. Sharing rumors or slander causes distrust and can quickly ruin a relationship that causes others to react with inappropriate behavior and could cause them to stumble.
12. Proverbs 6:14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil he continually sows discord.
14. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
16. Proverbs 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
18. James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
What Is The Spirit Behind Gossip
Answer: There are two things at work when it comes to gossip: judgment and a desire to be first. When we engage in gossip, we are passing judgment on another person. Furthermore, we often want to be the first to share juicy details about someone elses life because it makes us feel important.
The spirit behind gossip is both harmful and hurtful. It Is Important to remember that words can break someones spirit just as easily as they can build them up. Next time youre tempted to engage in gossip, take a step back and consider the impact your words might have. Instead of tearing someone down, try building them up. Thats the true spirit of love.
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Direct Them To The Person About Whom They Are Speaking
Matthew 18:15-16, says, If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. As Christians, we are commanded to go to a person directly who has hurt us. Direct them to the person to whom they are speaking. If the meeting will end in conflict, volunteer to be a mediator to help them air their grievances in a healthy manner.
Gossip is prevalent in the Church. But that doesnt mean you need to be a part of it. Nipping gossip in the bud will help not only improve your reputation as a Christian but also contribute to the health of the church as a whole.
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Michelle S. Lazurek is an award-winning author, speaker, pastors wife, and mother. Winner of the Golden Scroll Childrens Book of the Year and the Enduring Light Silver Medal, she is a member of the Christian Authors Network and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Her first book with Leafwood Publishers, An Invitation to the Table, came out in September 2016. She also teaches at various writers workshops, such as the Montrose Christian Writers conference. She and her husband live in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Caleb and Leah. For more information, please visit her website at michellelazurek.com.
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Does The Bible Talk About Homosexuality
This is one of the most controversial and personal topics people are exploring right now.
And we know many people have used the Bible to demonize and exclude others. To those whove felt excluded, we invite you to watch this apology.
Of the more than 31,000 verses in the Bible, fewer than 10 specifically reference homosexuality. We invite you to check them out in the links below. But instead of just reading individual verses and forming your ideas in isolation, we also suggest getting a bigger picture.
As you do this, youre likely to find a wider sexual ethic running through the Bible: that God is a fan of sex and all that it brings. Because of this, we find protections and prescriptions for sexual expression in the Bible. In fact, the New Testament offers several lists of barred behaviors that can hurt our relationship with both God and othersand two of these lists include references to certain homosexual activities. But even these descriptions are accompanied by a deep awareness of the gracious invitation of God.
You can find the prohibitions against specific homosexual acts in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20, among the many laws given to the ancient Jewish people. And in the New Testament, Romans 1 paints a big picture of broken relationships running amok, with certain acts again singled out. Yet Romans 2 offers a larger picturewith a clear caution to people who judge others negatively.
To learn even more about Gods compassion, grace, and love, Look Inside.
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