From a “Buddy Christ” question that was addressed in a newsletter.
Dear buddy, what does God say about gossip?
Another good question this month. I love that you are willing to ask the tough questions. I am going to get a little technical on you first, so that we can come to a fuller understanding. When you ask about gossip, you are asking using the English word “gossip”. Let’s first look at the history of the word its self.
A gossip was originally a rather more serious and worthy person than they are now. In Old English the word was spelled godsibb and meant ‘godfather or godmother’, literally ‘a person related to one in God’; it came from sibb ‘a relative’, the source of sibling. In medieval times a gossip was ‘a close friend, a person with whom one gossips’, hence ‘a person who gossips’, later (early 19th century) ‘casual conversation about other people’.[1]
Today, gossip is defined as;
■ noun
1 casual conversation or unsubstantiated reports about other people.
2 chiefly derogatory a person who likes talking about other people’s private lives.[2]
Now let’s look at what the Father has to say in the Bible.
In Leviticus 19:16 is says; “ ‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”[3] The Father tells us that to speak in such a way, to slander, (derogatory remarks and/or unsubstantiated reports) is prohibited.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 36” … I [Buddy Christ] tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”[4] I died for all the sins of the world, even those done in gossip. Remember the words from Proverbs, which say; “The words of a talebearer [gossip] are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”[5] Gossip is not life-giving but life-taking. Yes, I died for even the life-taking sin of gossip but I still want more for you and I still want more for all of My brothers and sisters, all of the children of the Father.
Often gossip is born out of some hurt of some wrong that was done. This wrong that was done may be perceived or real but needs to be dealt with in a life-giving way. Follow my words in Matthew 18, when I tell you, 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ d 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church [church council]…”[6]
I hope this answered your question about gossip. The Father and I love you and all of My brother and sisters. We want no harm to come to any of you. “…love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”[7]
[1] Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, eds., Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
[2] Ibid
[3] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Le 19:16.
[4] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 12:36–37.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 18:8.
[6] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 18:15–17.
[7] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Jn 13:34.