When you think about the worst sins, does gossip make your list? I didn’t make my list either. Gossip is one of those acceptable sins that I tend to ignore, probably because it is a sin I struggled with for so long. Understanding gossip in the Bible helped me learn how to stop gossip as a sinful habit in my life.
Understanding gossip in the Bible helped me learn how to stop gossip as a sinful habit in my life. Click To TweetWhat Is Gossip in the Bible?
Gossip is a sin I struggled with most of my early life and at times it rears its ugly head! It wasn’t until I began to understand gossip in the Bible that I was able to stop this ugly, relationship-destroying habit!
So, this article is part of how to stop gossip in your life and how to have peace in understanding what does God say about gossip in the Bible.
Gossip Steals Peace
First, let’s put this into the context of our bigger study on Philippians 4:8. We are told to think about certain types of things to keep the peace of God that passes all understanding.
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NASB)
This study is helping us deal with the anxiety that plagues most of us in the 21st century. Today our challenge is to think on whatever is of good repute or good report. What does that mean?
What Does Good Repute mean?
Good repute in Greek means – kind or of a good report as a true friend.
The opposite of good repute would be gossip, not kind, and not reporting well like a true friend would report on something.
Can thoughts be considered gossip? Well to answer that let’s see the meaning of gossip in the Bible.
Define Gossip in the Bible
What is considered gossip in the Bible? There are several types of gossip in the Bible to consider. GotQuestions defines gossip in the Old Testament this way.
“One who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.”
Rather than seeing a clear definition of gossip in the Bible, Scripture talks about gossip in different categories.
- Gossip – sharing things about a person or situation that are not yours to share.
- Slander – sharing information to hurt others.
- Backbiting – using that information to argue pointlessly and hurt others.
- Taleberrer – someone who shares all the things for a good story.
- Scandal-monger – sharing information to hurt others by stirring up fear and hatred leading to group hurt or scandal.
As we see Bible verses about gossip and drama we will see each of these laid out.
What Does The Bible Say About Gossip and Backbiting?
As we look at Bible verses about gossip, we will see words that seem interchangeable. Slander, backbiting, false report, etc. Just know they are all talking about ways to use information that is not originally yours.
What Does God Say About Slander and Gossip?
Gossip and slander were so common in BIblical times that there are a myriad of verses about them!
“You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people; and you are not to jeopardize the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:16 NAB)
“You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.” (Psalm 50:20 NASB)
“He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with a gossip.” (Proverbs 20:19 NASB)
“One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
But one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13 NASB)
“One who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18 NASB)
“people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,” (Romans 1:29-30 NASB)
“For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, selfishness, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;” (2 Corinthians 12:20 NASB)
More On Slander and Gossip in the Bible
What I find fascinating is that gossip is not a new sin problem, but rather something we have always struggled to overcome! It is throughout the Scriptures. Interestingly enough, often it revealed prejudice or religious intolerance.
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;” (Psalm 101:5 NASB)
“A perverse person spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates close friends.” (Proverbs 16:28 NASB)
Related Post: Religious Intolerance in the Bible and What to Do About It
Gossip As A False Testimony
“…For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements.” (Matthew 15:16-19 NASB)
“You shall not give a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked person to be a malicious witness.” (Exodus 23:1 NASB)
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16 NASB)
What Does the Bible Say About a Gossiping Woman
“At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.” (1 Timothy 5:13 NASB)
I can testify that it is more tempting to gossip when I am bored or idle. Now, I can’t agree that it is primarily a woman’s issue. Honestly, the worst gossips I know are men. But having said that, I can see why the text singles out women.
At the time, it was more common for women to lack information. Uneducated and undervalued, it was easiest to gather information from what other women had heard or overheard. Not to justify the sin, but I can see why it would become a habit.
Related Post: Learning How To Cope with Autism and Family Stress God’s Way
Bible Verses About Gossiping Friends
“The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.” (Proverbs 18:8 NASB)
“One who conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter separates close friends.” (Proverbs 17:9 NASB)
“Argue your case with your neighbor,
And do not reveal the secret of another,
Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not pass away.” (Proverbs 25:9-10 NASB)
Biblical Consequences of Gossip
Gossip is a sin. What type of gossip is a sin? All gossip. It all has drastic consequences that destroy relationships. Here are some consequences from the quotes about gossip in the Bible we just read:
- Reveal another’s secrets leading to shame that never dies.
- Separates close friends
- Quarreling
- Improper speech and idleness
- Wickedness and malice (hatred)
- Destruction from God?*
- Foolishness
- Broken trust
- Shame on your mother
- Jeopardize life
Examples of Gossip in the Bible
One of the best examples of gossip in the Bible is found in the Book of Nehemiah.
“Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. In it was written:
“It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports…” (Nehemiah 6:5-9 NASB)
Nehemiah chose to seek the Lord and keep doing what He knew the Lord told Him to do rather than panic over the gossip. He chose to not react to the instigators but instead to keep working on the rebuilding the wall.
I highly recommend reading the book of Nehemiah if you have time to see how to navigate gossip in a BIblical way!
Related Post: This is a good walkthrough Nehemiah and Gossip with Practical Applications!
How To Stop Gossip: What The Bible Says About Gossip
Circling back… Can a thought be gossip?
The truth is some days I wallow in negative, complaining, anxious thinking. When I let my thoughts run wild, they will come out of my mouth and hurt the people I love in some way. Can you relate?
So, yes, when we think on things that are gossip, slander, or backbiting they can lead to sin. They can hurt others. That is why we are told to think on things that are of good repute – NOT GOSSIP.
When I let the temptation to gossip spin in my head, I can begin to justify sin. I can justify why others need to hear this information even when they are not based on facts or worse they are a spin-off of something shared by a 3rd party.
Ask: What is the Root of Gossiping?
“Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3 NASB)
For years, I wrestled with the temptation to gossip, to share information that was not mine or about me. When I understood what the Bible said about gossip, I then began to ask what is at the root of this sin struggle.
To stop gossip I have to use what the Bible says about gossip to help me take every thought captive. Then I take every conversation and ask two questions.
- Would it hurt a friendship?
- Is it selfish?
Thought Check # 1: Would This Hurt A Friend?
If this thought left my mouth, would it hurt a friendship?
Gossip ruins friendships. I have to be sure that if someone tells me something in confidence, I can be trusted with it.
“One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
But one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13 NASB)
If it would hurt them or make them think twice before confiding in me again, it is not of good repute. So, when it crosses my mind to bring it up with someone else I need to capture that thought.
When the thought fails this check:
I have to take hold of it. Now, I can think about the issue and pray about the issue, but I can not share the issue. So I have to be careful with my thoughts so that it will not eventually come out of my mouth and wound a friendship.
Thought Check # 2: Is This Selfish?
There are times we find ourselves in possession of information that is tempting to share…
I don’t know about you, but I have the kind of face and quiet nature that draws people to share delicate things with me. They ask me to pray over things and at times that means I know stuff in advance. There was a time in my life when the enemy tempted me hard with that knowledge.
I need to capture any thoughts that are for these reasons – the root of most gossip:
- Sharing this 3rd party information could impress others.
- If others know that I know this it would make me look important.
- This information would prove a point at someone else’s expense.
- If others knew about this they would sympathize with me or feel sorry for me.
Don’t Hurt Others While Climbing Ladders
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB)
This verse could easily read, “Don’t try to get ahead by hurting someone else.”
I have messed up on this one; hurt people to climb the ladder, and used others while trying to impress a boss. Yes, I was even that person sharing gossip as prayer requests. (Yes, it is still gossip if it was shared confidentially or you know it would hurt them if word got back!)
Gossip seems good at the time (harmless even) but the long-term results are not worth it!
When life gets hard, a gossip will no longer be trusted; not by the person they betrayed nor by the people who heard the gossip.
Related Post: How to Create a Highly Effective Prayer Life
How To Stop The Gossip Before it Has a Chance to Start!
Okay, lets get practical. Let’s say you have been trusted with something in confidence. How do you actively work to NEVER gossip about that thing?
When You Feel Tempted to Gossip
- Pray
- Pray for them in that moment.
- Pray for them in your quiet time and whenever it comes back to mind (Matthew 18: 19-20).
- Encouragement
- Call or text them to encourage them in the issue.
- This will help remind you that there is a real person on the other side of this information (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
- Call or text them to encourage them in the issue.
- Be Safe
- If they are in danger or this is too big, be honest with them that another person needs to be brought into the conversation.
- Walk Away
- Do not share even a hint of the situation unless they ask me to.
- Just walk away from any conversation where you feel tempted.
Related Post: How to Read The Bible Daily in 4 Steps
When You Feel Sucked Into A Gossipy Conversation
Do you get sucked into gossip before you realized it was happening? Me too! Wham just like that we are speculating about the situation or person when it is none of our business.
How do you get out of the conversations?
These are some phrases I use to exit the conversation (but be warned people will act differently toward you for a while)
- “This sounds like gossip and I don’t want to talk about it.”
- “I’m not a part of that situation so I can’t say what is happening, let’s go talk to ‘so and so’ about it”
- “Have you asked ‘so and so’ directly, they would be the ones to know?”
They work like a charm and the people involved will think twice before including you in those conversations again.
At first, it feels weird, but then it becomes freeing. Sin avoided. Integrity and trustworthiness still in place! This technique has the added bonus of helping others recognize sin in their lives without being “That Christian”.
What Will Understanding Gossip in the Bible Change in You?
When we take our thoughts captive and work to avoid gossip we will have peace of mind. Period. The promise is real and yours to claim.
What will you do now that you understand gossip in the Bible?
It is amazing to me how quickly peace comes when I am intentional in thinking thoughts that are of good repute! You can have it too.
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
If you enjoyed this, you will love these articles:
- 14 Characteristics of a Godly Wife That Will Save Your Marriage
- 10 Easy Homemade Gifts Every One Will Love
- 40 Day Fast Guide: Be Still and Know God More
I coulpd nott rresist commenting. Exceotionally welll written!
I aam surte thyis pst has touche alll thhe internt people, iits
reakly reaqlly fastidioous piecfe off riting onn bilding uup new
weblog. Doess yoour site havee a contacht page? I’m haqving trouble locatring itt but,
I’d lime to shot youu aan e-mail. I’ve got solme sughestions foor yoour blkg youu might be intereested inn hearing.
Eithger way, gdeat blog annd I lkok fordward tto seeing itt improve
ovwr time. http://foxnews.co.uk
Hi Jason! I am so new to the bloggosphere. A Contact Page is on my list of things “to do”. I love the writing part of blogging, but the designing is hard to understand. I am learning and hope to have that piece up soon. You can reach me at tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com or reach me on twitter @HopeJoyInChrist. I’d love any suggestions as I am learning everyday how to make this blog easily accessible and helpful to anyone visiting.
thanks for reaching out Jason!
I’m extremely inspired along with your writing talents as neatly as with the structure for your weblog.
Is that this a paid topic or did you modify it yourself?
Anyway stay up the excellent high quality writing, it’s
uncommon to look a nice blog like this one today..
Thanks. I have no idea what a paid topic is so I am guessing no. This is just me sharing what I am learning. So glad you enjoyed it!
I am not certain where you are getting your information, however great topic.
I needs to spend some time studying more or figuring out more.
Thanks for fantastic info I was in search of this info for my
mission.
I use several free online Bible Commentaries. I love Matthew Henry’s Commentary – I use https://www.biblegateway.com/ to access it. I also love https://www.blueletterbible.org/. I can dig into the original meaning of words there and see where they are used in other places in scripture. You can also hear how the Greek and Hebrew would sound if it were read… which is so much fun (I tend to be a word geek that way). Both are free and easy to use. I love how the internet makes digging into the word of God so much easier!
Hope that is helpful,
Tiffany
It’s impressive that you aare getting ideass from this article as welll as from our dialogue made at this place.
I am thankful for the dialogue. Reassures me people are listening and engaging. I find we learn from each other when we all add to the conversation – weather we agree or disagree -when it’s done with kindness!
Tiffany
Having read this I belieed it was really enlightening.
I appreciate you finding the time and effort tto put this informative article together.
I oncfe again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving
comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
well thanks again!
I do not even kknow how I ended up here, but I thought
this post was great. I don’t know who you aare but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already ;
) Cheers!
Thanks for that. I am just starting out as a blogger and I found it is so much fun (the writing, not the technical stuff- that actually hurts my head!) But I am glad you enjoyed it! If you want to be sure not to miss a post, subscribe on this page. I try to post 2 times per week and this will send them direct to your email :o)
I needed to thank you for thhis very good read!!
I absolutely loved every little bit of it.
I have got you book-marked to look att neew things you
post…
I am so glad you enjoyed it! If you want to be sure not to miss a post, subscribe on this page. I try to post 2 times per week and this will send them direct to your email :o)
When I originally commented I seem to have
clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now
on whenever a comment is added I recieve four emails
with the same comment. Is there a way you are able
to remove me from that service? Kudos!
oh no, sorry for that. I’ll see if I can fix it. Let me know if you still gt that!
Tiffany
Good day! I simply want to offer you a big thumbs up for your great info you have right
here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your
blog for more soon. https://goo.gl/KV23W5
Thanks for encouragement! If you want to be sure not to miss a post, subscribe on this page. I try to post 2 times per week and this will send them direct to your email :o)
Pues no sé decirte, pero en mi anterior puesto de trabajo procuraron poner algo similar, creo que se llama fichaje biométrico (no fichas con huella sino más
bien con la forma de la mano) y después de tenerlo todo instalado y probado, jamás
entró en funcionamiento pues, conforme comentaron, los sindicatos afirmaron que aquello era ilegal.
Lucia,
Yo solo hablo un poco de español. Lo siento, pero no entiendo su comentario.
Gloria a Jesús solo,
Tiffany
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way,
how could we communicate?
Thanks for the encouragement. Feel free to email me at tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com
in HIM,
Tiffany
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now
each time a comment is added I get three e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Many thanks!
I have been searching and searching for the answer and finally found it. Follow this link. https://subscribe.wordpress.com/ you should see |Sites| Comments| Settings| You can unsubscribe under the comments.
In my newness I didn’t even realize there was an option to subscribe to comments. I have found it in the code and removed that option on my page so it wont happen to anyone else.
Please let me know if that doesn’t help. I am also disabling comments to this post because it is getting so much spam. Please email me directly to let me know if this doesn’t fix the problem. I know it can be frustrating getting spam in your email!
in HIM,
Tiffany (tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com)
It’s amazing in support of me to have a website, which is useful for my knowledge.
thanks admin
Thanks for the comment Frieda!
This is the kind of information I’ve long been in search of.
Thanks for posting this information.
So glad you enjoyed it Cherie!
Hola! I’ve been following your weblog for a long
time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and
give you a shout out from Porter Texas! Just
wanted to say keep up the great work!
Awe Jonnie! It’s so nice to meet you. THanks for the encouragement. Hope to talk again soon!
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you make this website yourself or did you
hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m
looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from.
many thanks
Hi Carmella. I designed what you see. WordPress is super easy to use. Id love to chat with you and answer any questions you have. Just shoot me an email. tiffanymontgomey@hopejoyinchrist.com
Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but,
I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some suggestions
for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way,
great site and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
Sure Tera. my email is tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com. I’d love to hear from you.
I like reading a post that can make men and women think. Also,
many thanks for allowing for me to comment!
Thanks Jacob. I can’t say what we would both enjoy, but I try to just write from an honest place. Hope to connect again soon!
I absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s
to be precisely what I’m looking for. Would you offer guest writers
to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind writing a
post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write related to here.
Again, awesome site!
Hi Antayla! I am actually working toward that. Shoot me an email when you have time. tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com
Thank you for writing this.
It was a pleasure Randal. Thanks for stopping by.
I just now discovered your blog post and now I’m one of
your followers.
Aw thanks! I can’t wait to connect again!
I just started reading and I’m glad I did.
You’re a fantastic blogger, one of the very best
that I’ve seen. This weblog undoubtedly has some facts on topic that I
just wasn’t aware of. Many thanks for bringing this stuff
to light.
So glad you enjoy ed it Monique!
Very descriptive post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?
Thanks Amit. It is actually part of an 8 week series. I have pulled it into my newest series here. HOpe you enjoy http://hopejoyinchrist.fistbumpmedia.com/marriage-monday-week-10-love-thinks-no-evil/
Can I just say what a relief to discover someone who genuinely understands
what they’re discussing on the internet. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to
light and make it important. A lot more people must read this and understand this
side of your story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular given that you definitely have the gift.
Thanks John. So glad you enjoyed it. I am a new blogger and hope to keep growing in my writing and designing skills. Can’t wait to connect again.
Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to
get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thank you
Hi Janelle! I don’t spend a lot of time on Yahoo… I’ll have to go check it out. I tend to focus on Google. But I’d love to chat about it anytime. shoot me an email. tiffanymontgomery@hopejoyinchrist.com
Hello there! This post could not be written any better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He constantly kept talking about this. I will send this article to him.
Pretty sure he will have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!
So glad it encouraged you F! Thanks for dropping by.
My brother recommended I might like this website. He used to be totally right.
This publish truly made my day. You cann’t consider just how so
much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
It is a topic we don’t talk much about. Many thanks to you and your bother! 😉
An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment.
I do believe that you should write more about this subject, it may not
be a taboo subject but typically people don’t discuss these subjects.
To the next! All the best!!
Hi Linette! We sponsor a little girl in Africa with that name so it is special to me. I’m so glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this about gossip you may also like http://hopejoyinchrist.fistbumpmedia.com/marriage-monday-week-10-love-thinks-no-evil/!
in HIM,
Tiffany
Hey! Someone inn my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to
check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be twesting this to my followers!
Terrific blog and superb style and design.
I’m so glad you dropped in Koby. Hope to connect again soon.
Hello! Someone in myy Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to look it over.
I’m definitely loving thhe information. I’m book-marking
and will be tweeting this to my followers! Fantastic blog
and wonderful style aand design.
After I initially commented I seem to have clichked the -Notify me whe
new comments are added- checkbox andd from now on whenever a comment is
added I receive 4 emails with the same comment.
There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service?
Kudos!
So sorry about that. I have turned off comments on this post… because it attracts to much SPAM. But I can’t turn off the notifications for specific users. You need to go to wordpress.com and navigate to “Manage Subscriptions”. You can turn it off there for your gravitar. Sorry again for the long work around.