Gossip
This is in response to a situation that came up. The details are not important but, the subject is very important to me. Almost all of the information came from: Yochanan יהוה-הוא-אדיב Lilley, I really appreciate him taking the time putting the info together.
I will attempt to show why God according to His word hates gossip…
Proverbs:
8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
10:11-14 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. 13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
11:12-13 12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace. 13 talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
12:23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
15:28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
16: 28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.
17:27-28 He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 3:1-12 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh
Ok you get the idea. I have to make it clear that I have participated in gossip also, and I don’t want anyone to get the idea that I have put myself on a pedestal here. I have had to ask the Lord to forgive me too many times. But
I am coming to realize more and more how much of this goes on in the church. As the body of Christ we have an obligation to be diligent in our ways.
If your participating in this type of behavior please think of the damage it causes.
Exposing false teachers and gossiping are not the same thing. Exposing false teachers and false doctrine if righteous is done in the open. Gossip is usually done behind peoples backs.