The Bible speaks about backbiting transmitters of treachery. We all know someone who gossip’s with great pleasure, finding other cowards to gather with; growing more convinced of their perceived notion of a common offender. A venomous concoction of falsehoods that poisons the one who says it, the one who listens, and the subject matter of the gossip. As they share the supposed offense with one another becoming more persuaded of a person’s fabricated evil.
Left unbridled, the tongue of tale bearing busybodies can wreak havoc on the self-confidence and productivity of its victims. In a crowd of thousands, like-minded strife sowing workers of iniquity can easily identify and find one another.
So often engaged in this type of corrupt communication, to them it appears harmless, an unavoidable component of their personality. There is one big problem with listening to gossip, we see and hear with our hearts, which can become wounded. Disparaging conversation about other people involves betraying confidence and/or spreading sensitive information or vindictive assumptions.
The leading causes of gossip are pride and self-exaltation. In some strange way, the act of gossiping makes the gossiper feel better about who they are. Because they cannot be trusted, never even realizing how unpopular they really are, by making others problems seem bigger than their own. Spreading painful negative information reflects badly on the gossiper, while impairing their understanding of the impact of rumors and gossip.
We can find ourselves immersed in the slander of others simply by paying attention to those who engage in the practice. Paul said that “gossipers and utterers of slander were in the same league as murderers, sexual perverts, and God haters—and such sins were worthy of a death.” A few passages below provide God’s view on such behavior.
2 Corinthians 12:20
20 “For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:”
Ephesians 4:29
29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Exodus 23:1
23 “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”
James 1:26
26 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”
James 4:11
11 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”
Leviticus 19:16
16 “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.”
Proverbs 10:18-19
18 “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
Proverbs 11:9
9 “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”
Proverbs 16:28
28 “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”