Talebearer
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Talebearer!
Leviticus 19:16
Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
The human brain only weighs about three pounds of soft, gooshy like tissue and yet it
houses more than 1.1 trillion cells.1 This
organ of the body is truly remarkable for it
“controls all the functions of the body,
interprets information from the outside
world, and embodies the essence of the
mind and soul.”2 Even though the brain
cannot perform calculations as fast as the K
computer by Fujitsu, which is four times
faster and can hold 10 times more data than
our brains, the human brain is still
impressive due to its efficiency of
consuming less juice than what is needed
to dim a lightbulb and nicely fitting within
3
our tiny heads! And unlike the K computer, our brains are capable of managing a wide range of
emotions such as anger, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness, surprise, love and is the source of our
creativity and artistic expressions. Upon examining the human brain how could one not agree
with king David that “we are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14)!
With such an amazing gift you would
think that humanity would use it to praise
God the Father in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-12)
and yet out of the between 10,000 to
60,000 thoughts we humans have per day,
research shows that about 80% of our
thoughts are negative and 95% are a mere
repetition from one day to the next.4
While we are all created in the image of
God and descendants of Adam and Eve
(Genesis 1-2), this does not mean that we
see nor appreciate the miracle of human
1
Taken from the following website: https://www.rickhanson.net/your-wonderful-brain/
2
Taken from the following website: https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm
3
Taken from the following website: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/computers-vs-brains/
4
Taken from the following website: https://faithhopeandpsychology.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/80-of-thoughtsare-negative-95-are-repetitive/
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life all around us! Ever since Cain became jealous and killed his brother Abel humanity has had
a love/hate relationship with one another. Even though it is only 1 % of people who commit
violent physical crimes,5 whom amongst us has not verbally assaulted another? While God gave
us the freedom to think as we please (1 Corinthians 6:12) this does not mean that our tongues are
to be a consuming fire that praises God while we curse humanity whom was made in His image
(James 3:6-10)! Living in a world where the average person checks their cell phone once every
12 minutes,6 talebearing and gossiping have become modern day weapons that cut just as deep
as any knife! This sermon is going to review the definition of talebearing, when it is a sin and
how to deal with those who spread lies about you.
Talebearing and Slander Defined
Slander is defined as “evil, malicious talk or lies intended to defame or destroy another
person’s reputation” 7 and talebearing is
defined as “idle, often sensational and
groundless talk about others.”8 In the
Bible it includes whispering (Romans
1:29), backbiting (Romans 1:30; 2
Corinthians 12:20), evil surmising (1
Timothy 1:4), babbling (Ecclesiastes
10:11), tattling (1 Timothy 5:13), evil
speaking (Psalms 41:5; 109:20),
defaming (Jeremiah 20:10), bearing false
witness (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy
5:20; Luke 3:14), judging charitably
(James 4:11-12), raising false reports
(Exodus 23:1) and repeating matters
(Proverbs 17:9).9 Since one cannot know
the thoughts, motives and deeds of another, rarely does an exchange of “secret” information10 or
“talebearing” concerning another (especially when not present) not misrepresent and therefore
also constitute slanderous talk. With approximately 80 % of the conversations people have
5
Taken from the following website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3969807/
6
Taken from the following website: https://nypost.com/2017/11/08/americans-check-their-phones-80-times-a-daystudy/
7
Tremper Longman III, Peter Enns, and Mark Strauss, eds., The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Books, 2013), 1551.
8
Taken from the following website: https://www.thefreedictionary.com/talebearing
9
R.A. Torrey, The New Topical Text Book: A Scriptural Text Book for the Use of Ministers, Teachers, and All
Christian Workers (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
P. Ellingworth, “Talebearing, Slander,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England;
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 1150.
10
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every day are made up of gossip,11 one can’t help but wonder when the sharing of information
concerning another is a sin and when it is not?
When is Talebearing a Sin?
Let’s start with the obvious: using our minds to think and speak slanderous talk is an
abomination unto God (Proverbs 6:16, 19), especially when it comes from evil intent (Matthew
15:19; Luke 6:45) and hatred for another person (Psalms 41:7; Psalms 109:3). In Mark 14:53-65
we are told of when Jesus was taken before
the Sanhedrin. The hearing took place in
the middle of the night which not only
suggests the priests were under time
constraints but also that the court
proceedings represented nothing more than
“kangaroo justice from a lynch mob.”12
“With all the chief priests and the whole of
the Sanhedrin looking for evidence against
Jesus” (verse 55) it is not surprising that
many “stood up and gave false testimony”
(verse 57). These God-fearing Jews were
so consumed with hatred for Jesus that
they were willing to lie to secure His fate
on the cross! Many times, we are like the Sanhedrin, a lynch mob perverting justice! With pride
in our own holiness and anger in our eyes, our lying tongues spread false reports about another
with the intent of destroying their reputation. Bearing false witness is a direct violation of the
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16)13 and as such is a sin that God hates seeing a person
commit (Proverbs 6:16; Leviticus 19:16)!
Despite most Christians knowing
that slander is a sin it has become the
“weapon of choice” in most church
confrontations! While almost all
Christians can safely say they do not hate
another person to the extent they are
willing to do them bodily harm, most feel
they are more than justified in expressing
their hostility towards another through
“character assassination.” A “cardinal vice
11
Taken from the following website: https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/gossip-80-percentconversations-experts-article-1.403005
12
David E. Garland, Mark, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House,
1996), 559.
13
Allen P. Ross, “Proverbs,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,
ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 935.
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of intolerance”14 of the differentiated others within the church has blinded many self-righteous
Christians and has left these “agents of reconciliation”15 impotent and accomplices of further
violence. To justify their aggressive and often false testimonies they tend to “demonize” the
other to make their false testimonies more palatable. What a shame it is that Christ’s hospital for
wounded souls would be filled with those who would try and win the “political battle for
supremacy” by tearing down others rather than becoming a servant to all by forgiving, loving
and building them up in the faith! Since hatred is part of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:20),16
make every effort to see others as Christ saw on them cross so that one might not be tempted to
go through a dreadful season (Ecclesiastes 3:8) of tearing down God’s children!
While most Christians would agree that slander is a sin, is it also a sin to think and use
our minds to repeat negative things about a person to defend our own reputation? Genesis 3 tells
us the story of the first-time humanity was caught in a sin. Eve and Adam both broke God’s
command to not eat from the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil. Instead of
accepting responsibility for the sin, Adam
chose to try and exonerate himself by
obliquely suggesting God lacked good
judgement in making Eve who had
deceived him.17 In response God
rightfully cursed Adam, Eve, the Serpent
and all of humanity for their sins (3:1319). Trying to destroy another person’s
reputation to defame their witness is a sin
for three reasons. First, in Matthew 7:3-5
Jesus states one is not to judge a brother or
sister until one has confessed the “planks
in one’s own eyes.” Second, in Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus sates instead of an “eye for an eye, tooth
for a tooth” mentality one should not resist an evil person but instead love and pray for them.
And third, despite how good one’s sources rarely are the “negative things” one speaks about the
other person the truth and therefore repeating them equates to outright slander!
When quarrels and fights become as normal and frequent as praying and worshipping,
such a church will soon close their doors! Our insatiable desire for retribution can keep even the
best of Christians caught forever in a cycle of violence.
14
Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 73.
15
Ibid., 36.
16
K. S. Ellis, “Hatred,” ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology
(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 535.
17
John E. Hartley, Genesis, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding
the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 68.
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In January 2006, Australian scientists discovered the cause of a mysterious disease
that had killed thousands of Tasmanian devils on the island state of Tasmania, off
the coast of Australia. The scientists initially believed the deaths were caused by
a virus; however, their research
ultimately uncovered a rare, fatal
cancer. They named it Devil
Facial Tumor Disease, or DFTD.
What is strange, according to
cytogeneticist
Anne-Marie
Pearse, is that the abnormalities in
the chromosomes of the cancer
cells were the same in every
tumor. That means the disease
began in the mouth of a single
sick devil. The ferocious little
animal facilitated the spread of
DFTD by biting its neighbors
when squabbling for food, which, according to Pearse, is a natural behavior of
Tasmanian devils. “Devils jaw-wrestle and bite each other a lot, usually in the face
and around the mouth, and bits of tumor break off one devil and stick in the
wounds of another,” Pearse said. Over the course of several years, infected devils
continued to inflict deadly wounds with their mouths. Consequently, DFTD
spread at an alarming rate, ultimately wiping out over 40 percent of the devil
population. A similar fate threatens the church if its members persist in the
devilish behavior of wounding their neighbors with their mouths.
Sam O’Neal,18
Retribution is the biting cancer that is responsible for many church splits, decline and eventual
dissolution! If our churches are to survive this “ME” generation then we need to teach the
members of the church how we as a body of Christ are interdependent and as such are to love,
support and build each other up in the faith (Romans 12:3-8)!
Three preachers were on a fishing trip, they weren’t catching many fish, so one
preacher said he thought it would be nice if they confessed their biggest sins to
each other and then prayed for each other. They all agreed. The first preacher said
that his biggest sin was that he liked to sit at the beach now and then and watch
pretty women stroll by. The second preacher confessed that his biggest sin was
going to the racetrack every so often and putting a small bet on a horse.
18
Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House, 2008), 154–155.
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Turning to the third preacher, they asked, “Brother, what is your biggest sin?”
With a grin, he said, “My biggest sin is gossiping.””
Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky19
While slander is unquestionably a sin what about using our minds to think and spread
sensational and groundless talk about others? In Paul’s letter to Timothy he warns him of the
young widows and their tendency to spread
nonsense and controversial words (1
Timothy 6:4) about others inside the
church (5:13).20 Whether their intent was
malicious or not their “gossip” or meddling
in other people’s affairs had the tragic
effect of not only wasting time but
disrupting peace within the body of
Christ.21 Gossip is not only a sin (Proverbs
18:8; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 1:29-30; 2
Corinthians 12:20) because the “facts”
spread are “absurd in comparison to the
truth” 22 and therefore slanderous, but also
because it betrays confidence in
relationships (Proverbs 11:13, 20:19) and
stirs up conflict in the church which God finds detestable in His sight (Proverbs 6:19)! As ones
whom will give an account for every word spoken (Matthew 12:36-37) the “prudent hold their
tongues” (Proverbs 10:10; Psalms 141:3), speaking only those words that edify and build up the
body of Christ!
How to Deal with Slander
I want to finish this sermon by giving some practical advice on what to do when
you are a victim of slander or gossip. First, let me say that my heart goes out to you for
deceitful words of another easily break these “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). While
there are no steadfast list of rules on how to handle a slanderer, I find the following seven
steps to be Biblical and helpful.
1.
In the face of lying lips and deceitful tongues pray to the Lord for protection
(Psalms 64:1-4; Psalms 31:14-20) and council (Psalms 120:1-2; Psalms 119:23).
19
Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House, 2008), 220.
20
Gordon D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 2011), 122.
21
Gordon D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 2011), 122.
22
Gordon D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 2011), 122.
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2. Through meditation and prayer (Psalms 1:2) invite God to examine one’s own
heart (Psalms 139:23) and confess (1 John 1:9) whatever words the perpetrator
says that truthfully point out your sin.
3. In the face of slander and gossip pray that God would enable one to continue to
love and not hate that person (Matthew 5:38-48; James 3:9-10).
4. If the words are minor overlook them (Colossians 3:13) and outright avoid foolish
and stupid arguments that are intended to produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23-26).
5. If possible, go to the person and point out their fault one on one and if they wont
listen take one or two others along and if they still wont listen tell it to the church
(Matthew 18:15-19).
6. Watch and pray that God will enable you to live “such good lives” that even
though they accuse you of doing wrong they might see your good deeds and
glorify God (1 Peter 2:12, 15, 3:9) and feel shame for having wrongly accused
you (Romans 12:20-21).
7. If the person is persecuting you because of your witness of Christ, then rejoice
and thank God for great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:41).
While this list is far from complete, I want to leave you with one final thought: our minds were
not fearfully and wonderfully made to slander and gossip about another but to build them up in
the faith as one body of Christ!
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