What does the Bible say about gossip?

Connected with all such words are the words of a talebearer, which are like wounds that penetrate into the inmost body, that is, they deeply affect the feelings. For if one is given to tale bearing, he is almost certain to exaggerate, for he desires to put his victim in the worst light possible. This is bad work.

"An ungodly man digs up evil." He may pretend to be righteous in exposing evil, but his intention is to gloat over the wrongs of others, like a burning fire, with no desire for the recovery of those he accuses. If God should expose evil, it is with the desire that that offender might be brought to repentance and restoration; and if it is necessary for us to expose evil for what it is, we should certainly be honestly concerned for the restoration of the guilty. But the ungodly will continue to be perverse, his actions and his words sowing strife, wherever he has any influence. The "whisperer" in this verse is one who underhandedly speaks to others about the failures or imagined failures of a certain person, thereby seeking to undermine confidence, and of course this leads to separations between friends. What contemptible work!

Those who hide hatred have lying lips. This cannot continue long before it is evident to everyone. Such lips too will be guilty of spreading slander, thus bearing further witness to their own folly.

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking." This should speak seriously to us if we are given to much talk, for if talking incessantly, we give ourselves no time to consider what we say before saying it. Let us remember that we do have control over our lips, and if we are wise, we will restrain them.

"Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself; and discover not a secret to another; lest he that hears it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away." How guarded must be the doors of our lips! Now that disagreement, discord, ill-feeling has come between neighbors, is it to be settled by spreading it elsewhere? Let us have grace and honest courage of heart to face our neighbor in a spirit of meekness and true concern, that a proper understanding may be obtained. How painful the innumerable cases of offense that have never been settled, but only aggravated, by selfish, thoughtless gossip, when a word of simple apology might have dismissed it forever!

The very nearness into which the family of God is brought may become a snare unless there be watchfulness and a simple looking to Christ. But the Holy Ghost gives quarter to no evil feeling whatever. These are the breaches of our nearness.

"All bitterness," I think, denotes every form of the sharp, unsparing mood which repels souls instead of winning them, and makes the most of the real or imagined faults of others. The "wrath and anger," next following, refer to the outburst of passion, and the more settled vindictive resentment, to which the indulgence of acrimony gives rise, a "clamour and evil speaking" are their respective counterparts in words: all flowing from the deep-seated fountain of "all malice," which is finally condemned in our verse.

In contrast with the evil speaking and malice of the flesh, we are to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving towards one another in the consciousness of the way God has acted towards us in forgiving us for Christ's sake.

The Apostle has warned us against the pride of the flesh that seeks to exalt self. He now warns us against the effort to belittle others by speaking evil of them. To speak evil of others is an indirect attempt to exalt self. Thus evil-speaking is the outcome of self-importance. Love would not, and could not, speak evil. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Hence evil-speaking is the sure index that pride and malice, rather than love, have found place in the heart.

The one that speaks evil against his brother is not dealing with the evil and has no intention of doing so. He is simply speaking evil in order to disparage his brother.

"False accusers" or "slanderers". The one whose vindictive spirit is proof against every appeal will not hesitate to slander or falsely accuse those who cross his will.

"Incontinent" or "of unsubdued passions". The man that does not hesitate to slander others with his tongue will be one that easily loses control of himself and acts without restraint.

"Fierce" or "savage". The one who slanders others in speech and is unrestrained in actions will exhibit a savage disposition wholly lacking in the gentleness that marks the Christian spirit.

There were some who declined to work and had become mere busybodies in other people's affairs. They were marked by disorderly walk, refusal to work, and unprofitable talk.

From such we are to withdraw. As one has said, "Foolish talkers are maintained by the folly of hearers; and bread eaten without cost must find those ready to pay the cost." Foolish tongues would soon be quiet, if there were no foolish ears to listen.

Foolish talking and jesting were unknown to her, nor was she engaged in idle gossip or unprofitable conversation; but grace to others was ministered in her words of wisdom. There was nothing hard or stern about her, for kindness flowed from her tongue to all around.