The Goss on Gossip ...
This is an article summing up some notes and thought I’ve had about gossip and why I feel it is among the worst of the sins that Christians can commit against each other.
These notes were originally in outline form from a Sunday morning class I taught a few years ago. I tend to fill in context during my classes from memory, so much of my presentation is not recorded in print. Which may be just as well, for the framework will likely allow for a more personalized interpretation for the reader than reading my comments and notes. I will attempt to keep my commentary to a minimum, and only present the barest application to the content provided.
Also, most of the scriptures are not reprinted here. I'm assuming a devoted reader willl be looking up the verses on their own as they go through this.
I think it is very clear that God has strong opinions about gossip, and to get to the heart of his feelings, one needs look no further than his earliest covenant with the Israelites, when he told Moses in Leviticus 19:16 (NRSV), “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.”
“I am the Lord” is the signature in the sacrificial law that declares supreme authority in a particular point of law, the fact that it is attached to this commandment should dissolve any doubts about how seriously God expected his followers to adhere to it.
But what is gossip? Let’s look at a few verses:
I. Biblical view of gossip.
A. PSALMS 101:5
“One who secretly slanders a neighbor” is guilty of gossip. God is sorely displeased with those who talk behind people's backs.
B. PROVERBS 11:13
A person who cannot keep a secret but runs around telling everything they know about others is a gossip. We should notice that here it does not say that the person is guilty of spreading falsehood (in American law, “slander”), but simply a person that tells secrets. Gossip and slander (“false witness”) are related, but are not the same sin.
C. MATTHEW 18:15-17
Here, Jesus lays out a path to reconciliation between people sinning against one another:
1. If I have something against my brother, I am to go to him privately.
2. If he will not accept what is said, then take 1 or 2 brethren with me.
3. If he will not accept these, then take it before the church.
4. If he will not accept the church’s judgment, then he is to “be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector,” (which incidentally, when one considers how Jesus approaches tax collectors and Gentiles, this means the church should minister to this person as a nonbeliever, not ostracize him or her).
If I do not follow the Bible pattern, it is GOSSIP.
If my brother repents of his sin and I tell others, it is GOSSIP.
And we should notice that these are the words of Jesus. Which leads me to my second section:
II. How does God feel about gossip?
A. LEVITICUS 19:16
God commands us not to gossip among his people.
God does not want us to be known as talebearers.
B. PROVERBS 6:16-19
God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren.
Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God.
C. PSALMS 101:5
God will cut off those who gossip and slander.
Gossippers will be destroyed.
III. WHY DO PEOPLE GOSSIP?
A. I CORINTHIANS 3:3
People gossip because they are not spiritually minded, but they are carnally minded. The reason we listen to gossip is because we are carnally minded. The carnally minded person insists on their own way, the spiritually minded person builds up the other person.
I think that gossip is very much an expression of pride and human arrogance, which is why we feel so justified when we engage in it.
B. I CORINTHIANS 13:4-5
People gossip because they do not have Christian love in them. People do not gossip (or exert their will upon) about those they love.
C. PROVERBS 10:18
People bear false witness because they HATE the one they speak about, and they are trying to hide that hatred. People spread gossip because they are fools.
D. I TIMOTHY 5:13
People gossip because they are idle and want to feel that they have some influence.
Normally if you look at a person who is gossiping, they are not doing anything in the spiritual work. Also, in my experience, those who routinely gossip, normally speak against those who are doing spiritual work.
IV. What are the effects of gossip?
A. PROVERBS 26:20
B.
In the same way that wood is necessary for a fire, a gossip is necessary for strife in a congregation. Anytime there is strife in a congregation, look for the one running around gossiping. If you stop the gossiper, you will stop the strife.
Christian love simply makes it impossible to hate one another, so strife that builds up between two Christians must be done so in secret isolation, since Christian love would eradicate 100% of personal conflicts before the first volley is fired.
B. A nonBiblical anecdote
The story is told of a woman who had gossiped about a certain man. When she realized what she had done, she went to him and apologized. She said she would do anything to make up for the cruel things that she had said. He told her to take a sackful of feathers and to go to a certain street corner and to cast the feathers to the wind. She did so and when she had finished came back and reported. The gentleman then directed her to go back and retrieve every feather. But she exclaimed that is impossible, the wind has scattered them everywhere. So it is with the things you have said, he replied, there is no way to repair the damage that you have done.
C. What are the real effects of gossip?
Gossip drives people away from the church, it causes our children to grow up and leave the Lord, it breaks up the spiritual family. It destroys the work of the Lord. If on the way home you discuss Brother or Sister So-and-so, is it any reason that many time children grow up not having respect for leaders in the church and why so many children leave the Lord. Gossip has probably done more harm to the church than anything else.
V. How should we deal with gossip?
A. I TIMOTHY 5:19
If someone will not say something in front of witnesses about another person (I believe the Elders are merely the beginning of the equation here), do not listen to them.
B. PROVERBS 6:16-19
God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren, SO SHOULD WE.
Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God, THEY SHOULD BE IN OURS.
Gossiping is one of the worst things that we can do
Many times we act like the person being gossiped about is the sinner, and the gossiper is just fine.
God hates gossiping. SO SHOULD WE.
C. MATTHEW 18:15-17
If a person gossips, they are to be withdrawn from.
Have you ever had someone gossip about you in a vicious manner? It hurts doesn't it?
But if it is being done to someone else, we often close our eyes or even take part in it.
Gossip is probably the sin that Christians are most likely to indulge in, and it is one that is definitely hated by God.
These notes were originally in outline form from a Sunday morning class I taught a few years ago. I tend to fill in context during my classes from memory, so much of my presentation is not recorded in print. Which may be just as well, for the framework will likely allow for a more personalized interpretation for the reader than reading my comments and notes. I will attempt to keep my commentary to a minimum, and only present the barest application to the content provided.
Also, most of the scriptures are not reprinted here. I'm assuming a devoted reader willl be looking up the verses on their own as they go through this.
I think it is very clear that God has strong opinions about gossip, and to get to the heart of his feelings, one needs look no further than his earliest covenant with the Israelites, when he told Moses in Leviticus 19:16 (NRSV), “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.”
“I am the Lord” is the signature in the sacrificial law that declares supreme authority in a particular point of law, the fact that it is attached to this commandment should dissolve any doubts about how seriously God expected his followers to adhere to it.
But what is gossip? Let’s look at a few verses:
I. Biblical view of gossip.
A. PSALMS 101:5
“One who secretly slanders a neighbor” is guilty of gossip. God is sorely displeased with those who talk behind people's backs.
B. PROVERBS 11:13
A person who cannot keep a secret but runs around telling everything they know about others is a gossip. We should notice that here it does not say that the person is guilty of spreading falsehood (in American law, “slander”), but simply a person that tells secrets. Gossip and slander (“false witness”) are related, but are not the same sin.
C. MATTHEW 18:15-17
Here, Jesus lays out a path to reconciliation between people sinning against one another:
1. If I have something against my brother, I am to go to him privately.
2. If he will not accept what is said, then take 1 or 2 brethren with me.
3. If he will not accept these, then take it before the church.
4. If he will not accept the church’s judgment, then he is to “be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector,” (which incidentally, when one considers how Jesus approaches tax collectors and Gentiles, this means the church should minister to this person as a nonbeliever, not ostracize him or her).
If I do not follow the Bible pattern, it is GOSSIP.
If my brother repents of his sin and I tell others, it is GOSSIP.
And we should notice that these are the words of Jesus. Which leads me to my second section:
II. How does God feel about gossip?
A. LEVITICUS 19:16
God commands us not to gossip among his people.
God does not want us to be known as talebearers.
B. PROVERBS 6:16-19
God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren.
Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God.
C. PSALMS 101:5
God will cut off those who gossip and slander.
Gossippers will be destroyed.
III. WHY DO PEOPLE GOSSIP?
A. I CORINTHIANS 3:3
People gossip because they are not spiritually minded, but they are carnally minded. The reason we listen to gossip is because we are carnally minded. The carnally minded person insists on their own way, the spiritually minded person builds up the other person.
I think that gossip is very much an expression of pride and human arrogance, which is why we feel so justified when we engage in it.
B. I CORINTHIANS 13:4-5
People gossip because they do not have Christian love in them. People do not gossip (or exert their will upon) about those they love.
C. PROVERBS 10:18
People bear false witness because they HATE the one they speak about, and they are trying to hide that hatred. People spread gossip because they are fools.
D. I TIMOTHY 5:13
People gossip because they are idle and want to feel that they have some influence.
Normally if you look at a person who is gossiping, they are not doing anything in the spiritual work. Also, in my experience, those who routinely gossip, normally speak against those who are doing spiritual work.
IV. What are the effects of gossip?
A. PROVERBS 26:20
B.
In the same way that wood is necessary for a fire, a gossip is necessary for strife in a congregation. Anytime there is strife in a congregation, look for the one running around gossiping. If you stop the gossiper, you will stop the strife.
Christian love simply makes it impossible to hate one another, so strife that builds up between two Christians must be done so in secret isolation, since Christian love would eradicate 100% of personal conflicts before the first volley is fired.
B. A nonBiblical anecdote
The story is told of a woman who had gossiped about a certain man. When she realized what she had done, she went to him and apologized. She said she would do anything to make up for the cruel things that she had said. He told her to take a sackful of feathers and to go to a certain street corner and to cast the feathers to the wind. She did so and when she had finished came back and reported. The gentleman then directed her to go back and retrieve every feather. But she exclaimed that is impossible, the wind has scattered them everywhere. So it is with the things you have said, he replied, there is no way to repair the damage that you have done.
C. What are the real effects of gossip?
Gossip drives people away from the church, it causes our children to grow up and leave the Lord, it breaks up the spiritual family. It destroys the work of the Lord. If on the way home you discuss Brother or Sister So-and-so, is it any reason that many time children grow up not having respect for leaders in the church and why so many children leave the Lord. Gossip has probably done more harm to the church than anything else.
V. How should we deal with gossip?
A. I TIMOTHY 5:19
If someone will not say something in front of witnesses about another person (I believe the Elders are merely the beginning of the equation here), do not listen to them.
B. PROVERBS 6:16-19
God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren, SO SHOULD WE.
Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God, THEY SHOULD BE IN OURS.
Gossiping is one of the worst things that we can do
Many times we act like the person being gossiped about is the sinner, and the gossiper is just fine.
God hates gossiping. SO SHOULD WE.
C. MATTHEW 18:15-17
If a person gossips, they are to be withdrawn from.
Have you ever had someone gossip about you in a vicious manner? It hurts doesn't it?
But if it is being done to someone else, we often close our eyes or even take part in it.
Gossip is probably the sin that Christians are most likely to indulge in, and it is one that is definitely hated by God.
8 Comments:
A
HELLO...thanks for this article.We've been having troubles in the church about some gossips and this article can help agreat deal. Keep it up and God bless
Maricar
Thanks for the article, it was confirmation to what the Lord had me do in front of our congregation years ago. I had to publicly ask a friend to forgive me for gossiping about her and this one act of obedience cause the whole congrega-tion to ask each other for forgiveness. It was a great learninglesson for me. God bless,
and thank you for confirmation on the evilness of gossip.
Any thoughts on what to do if the gossip has spread wide enough that no one can (or is willing to) pinpoint the source of the gossip in the first place?
Thank you for this article we have a lot of gossip in our church and it makes me so angry I don't even want to go anymore, but that is my service to the Lord and no devil is going to keep me from worshiping my Lord. Thank you for the encouragement to keep on keeping on.
I have been bullied for over one year now. Rumors and lies follow me at church but I will not leave. I believe God put me there for a reason and despite everything, I love my church. I know who is behind the bullying and yes, it hurts. It is painful and leaves its own kind of scars, but I am strong. The bullying consists of sending out emails that are filthy...spoofing my address so that church members actually believe I did this. My friends are being targeted and I am being isolated. It is okay. I serve a God who sees and hears. I trust He will use this for good.
My family and I started to attend a church some years ago. Some of the women slandered and gossiped about me. Apparently, I did not know that I should not be greeting or trying to greet or talk to the men in the church, which in my opinion is legalism. My gosh it's just a greeting , and by the way I greeted everyone, men and women the same. Anyhow, my salutation, smile and greeting was genuine in spirit, but was rarely acknowledge, instead ignored. Apparently, it gave the "appearance of evil" which in my opinion is relative and may be legalistic and something that will get a tongue wagging. Like you said, "People who slander others generally work on little to no actual
substance. The stuff that they say isn’t based on facts, but is often
based on perceptions. Or worse, it’s based off of their own opinions and actually ignores facts." Anyhow, I say - Only God can see the heart and know thoughts of man. Some people in the church need to focus on the cross and not what they think they see, or perceive. And only God knows the depth of grief and pain my family, my husband and I went through because of this experience. I was made out to be a leper, harlot, etc... We now attend another church, and as God continues to heal me, my eyes remain fixed on the cross and who He says I am. I pray that God would guard my tongue and thoughts that I might not sin against Him, my brother or my neighbor.
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One can rarely see themselves as the gossip. So often we justify our actions as expressions of ourselves or even opening closed eyes to the truth! I am so convicted! If I am to ever walk in the fullness of God, I must run from gossip and simply STOP trying to open others' eyes to the TRUTH! Repenting is not enough...I must turn and go another way!
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