More About Gossip

This afternoon, I posted a short note about the sin of gossip. I got kind of fired up about it and want to say something else about the topic.

Last time, I mentioned 1 Timothy 5:13 – “And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not”

What I didn’t point was that Paul went on to tell Timothy that these women who got into gossip and the things related to gossip were in danger of “giving the adversary the opportunity to speak reproachfully.” Further, that “some have already turned aside after Satan” (5:14-15).

Now it doesn’t matter much who Paul was referring to as the adversary, though it doesn’t seem like he means Satan since he then says some have “turned aside to follow Satan” (NASB uses the word follow). In other words, when gossips get going, they give people who hate God and hate Christians a platform to do what they do, which is to blaspheme the name of Christ.

There are a couple of ways I could proceed from here, but let me begin with this: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph 4:29). We are told specifically here and in several other places that when we talk it needs to be grace-filled, lovely, without guile, for edification and for building up. And in other places, we see that if we can’t say “somethin’ nice, we shouldn’t say nuthin’ at all.” James has a whole chapter on being very careful to watch what how we use our tongues and I’m pretty sure he meant our blogs, Facebook pages and web sites as well (Jas 3).

Here are a few proverbs that we should take absolutely seriously:

A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. (Pro 16:28)

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross. (Pro 26:20–23)

He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself; When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart; Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. (Prov 26:24–26)

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin. (Prov 26:27–28)

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips. (Prov 20:19)

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Cor 15:33)

I few things I take away from these passages is that someone who is a gossip, listens to gossip, or is thrilled by gossips (a gossip is someone who reveals secrets, passes along information for the purpose of destroying people’s lives, listening to, believing, and acting on this gossip) is in danger of being damned to Hell.

This is because gossip destroys lives. It destroys reputations. It destroys families and livelihoods. It impacts the Kingdom of God and you know what? God is not pleased when people attack his people by telling stories about them in order to “bring them down.” This is true even if there is some truth in the story being told (there is some truth in every lie).

But someone might say, “If I don’t advocate, spill, share, confer what I know on the public or even a small circle of close friends, the person I’m talking about will get away with their slimeball behavior.” Well, that’s just a lie straight from the pit of Hell. God is an avenging judge (Rev 6:10; 19:2). He will not let injustice go. He said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” (Deut. 32:35; Ps. 94:1; Rom 12:19 1 Thess. 4:6; Heb. 10:30). For us to think that by gossiping we are helping God, shows us to be ignorant at best and ugly sinners at worst.

The Bible says that if someone sins against us, we can go to them and ask them about it. If they blow us off, we can take the issue to two or three witnesses (the witnesses may be witnesses of the actual event or they may be wise advisors who can have the situation explained and make a judgment about the event). If this doesn’t settle the matter, we can take the issue to the whole church and if the person who has sinned still won’t admit, confess, and repent of the sin, they may be put out of the church and proclaimed to be a non-Christian (Mt. 18:15-20). There are other places in the Bible where other means of how the church is to minister to these kinds of situations, but this is the one most people think of first.

I am happy to say that I minister and am a member of a church that deals with this kind of sin. So, members of our church have confidence that if there is sin in the camp, it will be dealt with. Sometimes, we don’t go as quickly as some would like, sometimes we go faster than some would like. But we are very consistent and conscious about obeying God in this area of church life.

Here’s one of the reasons I’m bringing this up now. In the past 15 years or so, our church and pastor have been attacked by people sniping from the shadows. Filled with vile and evil, they have attacked us from the bushes through gossip and gossipmongers. Now the evil gossips, I understand, they are evil. That’s what evil people do. But what I’m talking about now are members of the church of Christ who entertain this evil gossip without even a hint of shame about joining in with this evil.

When I google our church’s name, I see all the good things our church is involved in throughout the world. But I also see the gossip web sites that invite the saints and the aints, to join them in hating us for no real, godly, or biblical reason. In every event they go on and on about, there are Biblical things we have done, both regarding the event being misreported and in the aftermath of these events. But the gossipmongers don’t check with the other side, they don’t ask for witnesses, they simply believe the lies, the gossip, the slander, and the blasphemy and then act on it by joining in with the gossip, etc.

I would like to say this as an encouragement to the saints out there to notice when the “news” they are reading is gossip and not news. If what you are reading isn’t edifying, loving, kind, sweet, winsome don’t read it and certainly don’t react to it on social media. Even if the author is writing about how they’ve suffered, if they are gossiping, don’t respond to their pleas. There are Biblical ways for them to approach these things and going public and “sharing” isn’t even close to any of them. Responding (liking, smiley face, sad face, etc.) joins in with the slander, the reverse abuse, gossip, and sin that the writer is trying to get you to join them in.

If you respond, share, or anything else, you join them in their gossip and thus in their sin.

Instead, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4).

Image by Barbora Franzová from Pixabay