IS GOSSIP TALKING BEHIND PEOPLE’S BACKS?

I don’t think so. God is not gossiping when He told tales of Pharaoh and hundreds of others without their permission. The apostles and early disciples of Jesus were not gossiping when they started to spread the gospel. Jesus was not gossiping when he said "negative" things behind the backs of Herod ( Mark 8:15 ), the Pharisees, ( Matthew 12:38-40 , Luke 12:1-3 ) the Teachers of the Law ( Luke 20:45-46 ), and the Sadducees ( Matthew 16:6 ). Otherwise the Bible would have to be considered a book of gossips and that’s not true .

WHAT IS GOSSIP?

1)	Gossip is talking negative things about other people in an effort to tear them down or to cause others to think negatively about them.

Gossip is a "false witness" of slander. Slander is false charges, which defame and damage other’s reputation. So a slander is the lie, and gossip the spreading of lies. WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE SAY ABOUT GOSSIP? and WHY WE SHOULD NOT GOSSIP? Though the word “gossip” does not appear in the Bible, the concept does. Gossip is described by the biblical words “backbiting,” “busybody,” “evil speaking,” “slander,” “talebearer,” and “tattler.”

Mark 10:19 - The commandments: “Do not bear false witness...”
Leviticus 19:16 - “Do not go about spreading slander among your people…”
Exodus 23:1 - “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.”
Matthew 15:19 - “For out of the heart come evil thoughts... false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'…”
1 Peter 2:1 - “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
Ephesians 4:31 - “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander...”

Gossip is evil, hurts people, destroy institutions, etc. God’s people must guard themselves vigilantly against these sins. Gossip is extremely damaging. It can destroy a person’s image, it defames the character of people and organizations.

Check other scriptures on Gossip and Rumors:
Galatians 2:11 , Luke 22:24 , 1Corinthians 1:11 , Luke 22:55-62 , Mark 10:35-44 , Proverbs 18:8.

Answer the Questions Ref. Study Subject: GOSSIP

Thank You!

Name
Contact (Telephone/E-Mail)

1.	What are some of the gossips/rumors you have heard or you have made up?

2.	How hurt do you think gossip can make someone feel? What are the results of rumors?

3.	What should you do if someone tell rumors to others about you? What should you do if hear a gossip?

4.	Why do people gossip? Why don’t people tell good rumors about the people they know?

5.	Why do you think people want to be more popular?

English