“A certain preacher's secretary told my wife ---- The story often originates with a third party; to sound authentic, and to remove (?) responsibility from the talebearer. Nurses, secretaries, the maid, or anyone likely to come upon confidential information will do. You know, he's been out of town a lot lately---- Give it an element of truth. Fit it in with a few known facts to make it just plausible enough to swallow. I dislike telling this, but I know it is my Christian duty By all means, do your duty. The scriptures say, "rebuke before all" -- and by taking them one at a time you can have a whole juicy week of it. Clearly, your duty to "tell all" outweighs your duty to (1) check for accuracy; (2) go to the party involved and offer genuine assistance in making correction; (3) consider the effect this publicity will have on many innocent people…”

 What is gossip?  Romans 1:29-30, “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God…”  II Corinthians 12:20, “For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances”  I Timothy 3:11, “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”

 I Timothy 5:13, “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.”  II Timothy 3:3, “unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,”  Titus 2:3, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good”

 Strong: “whispering, i.e. secret detraction”  Zodhiates:“A whispering, particularly of slander and detraction”  Vincent:“Secret slanders.”  In English:“a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others…[or a] rumor or report of an intimate nature” (m-w.com).  Consider:II Timothy 4:14-15 I Corinthians 1:10-11 Galatians 2:11-14 III John 9-10

The sharing of personal or negative information, either true or false, about someone else without righteous intent.  “Have you heard about ______? He did ______, …but I’m only telling you so you can pray for him!”  “I don’t mean to gossip, but…”  “I wouldn’t tell this to just anyone, but…”  “This isn’t gossip because it’s the truth…”  “He’s a nice guy, but did you know…”  “I’m just telling you this because I want to see what you think…”

What’s so dangerous about gossip? 1. It severs our relationship with God. 2. It is an attractive sin. 3. It hurts relationships. 4. It becomes something that you can’t fix. The sharing of personal or negative information, either true or false, about someone else without righteous intent.

How do we stop gossiping? 1. Apply the muzzle. 2. Stop listening to gossip. 3. Change your thinking about others.

The sharing of personal or negative information, either true or false, about someone else without righteous intent. A special warning to women:  I Timothy 3:11, “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips”  I Timothy 5:11,13, “younger widows…learn to be idle…also gossips and busybodies”  Titus 2:3, “Older women…not malicious gossips”

Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.