Type of Doctrine: Primary
"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless."
-Romans 1:29-31 ESV
Why Does It Matter?
The Bible consistently speaks negatively about gossip, claiming that it is a sin. What is it? This article will explore what the Bible says about gossip.
This is typically thought of as a primary issue since Scripture is clear in denouncing gossip as a sin. I am not aware of anyone who argues in favor of gossip. (However, sometimes there are definitely gray areas when seeking to define gossip. See the "Application" section below for more on this.)
What Is It?
Gossip is sharing damaging information about someone else. It is typically done in a selfish manner or, at least, in a manner which isn't concerned about doing good to that person. It is typically done pridefully and confidentially (e.g., secret). The information shared may be true, false, or unknown (i.e., it may not be confirmed to be true).
John Piper defines gossip this way,
Derogatory information about someone that you have that is shared with others in a tone of confidentiality, that is not motivated by doing good to them, and that you are enjoying in a way that shows your heart is not humble. (John Piper, "What Is Gossip")Scripture uses another similar word: "slander." What is the difference between slander and gossip? Gossip can be true or false information. It often involves becoming a "busybody" who meddles in others affairs (1 Tim. 5:13). Slander, on the other hand, is sharing false information to ruin someone's reputation.
Here are a few key Scriptures on gossip:
[Rom 1:29 ESV] 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
[2Co 12:20 ESV] 20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish--that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
[1Ti 5:13 ESV] 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
There are also numerous Old Testament verses on gossip, especially in Proverbs.
Application
Gossip can be tempting. There is something about our sinful human hearts which enjoy having damaging information to share with others. Being prideful and unloving, sometimes we succumb to the temptation to gossip. Father, please forgive us on the basis of Christ's work.
I suppose one massive danger of gossip among Christians is that it can involve true information. In other words, we can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are doing good with our gossip. We must be careful about sharing information about someone, and then adding that it is a prayer request. Is it genuine? Is it loving? Are we actually concerned about the other person's well-being? Does the other person want it to be shared? Perhaps, then, it should be shared. Otherwise, we should withhold that information.
However, on the other hand, I've heard of abusive home and church environments accusing and labeling people as gossips who talk about the mistreatment and abuse. This is troubling and deeply warped. To silence the person who has been abused and cause shame by stating that he or she is the one sinning by gossiping is tragic. What is the person supposed to do? Not talk about abuse that is happening? In some of these cases, shouldn't a necessary, purifying type of division be happening in the church to deal with the abuse and work towards health?
Furthermore, here are a few other challenging areas to consider concerning gossip: (1) therapy; (2) accountability partners; (3) communicating challenging life transitions which are tied to the actions of another person (perhaps either with partial or full blame; e.g., divorce, parenting/child challenges, job changes, workplace issues, leaving a church, etc.); and (4) verbally processing a situation with a trusted person for prayer, wisdom, and support. Are these gossip or not? Can they become gossip at some point? I'm not suggesting these are gossip; in fact, I would argue that these are often not gossip. However, I hope it's clear that in certain situations sharing information about another person is a gray area.
This highlights the need for our discernment. We need discernment to know when gossip is actually happening and when it is not. I've heard of situations where well-meaning people have been significantly hurt by a church by being falsely accused of gossip.
Nevertheless, there are definitely times when we are guilty gossip. Surely all of us have been guilty of this sin at some point. Further, sometimes gossip really does lead to a divisive church environment. Perhaps the best way to end is to quote Proverbs 21:23, "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."
Where Can I Learn More?
Bibliography:
-Check out this interview on gossip with John Piper
-Check out this article from GotQuestions on gossip.
-Check out this article from GotQuestions on slander.