Bible Questions Answered:
“...(name withheld. ed.) in our
church just about knocks everything or person she knows. It is though
she lives to tear everything and everyone. I know this certainly is
not right, but don't know what to call this....”
Charlotte/ Knoxville, Tennessee U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
The Word Of God,
calls this “busybodies,” people who have nothing better to do but
to go around and stir up trouble.
Busybodies:
II Thessalonians 3:11 KJV
For we hear
that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at
all, but are busybodies.
I Timothy 5:13 KJV
And withal they
learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only
idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they
ought not.
I Peter 4:15 KJV
But let none of
you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a
busybody in other men's matters.
Fault Finders:
Matthew 9:11 KJV
And when the
Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, Why eateth your
Master with publicans and sinners?
Matthew 12:2 KJV
But when the
Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, thy disciples do that
which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Matthew 15:2 KJV
Why do thy
disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not
their hands when they eat bread.
Mark 2:7,16 KJV
7 Why doth this
man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
16 And when the
scribes and Pharisees saw Him eat with publicans and sinners, they
said unto His disciples, How is it that He eateth and drinketh with
publicans and sinners?
Mark 7:2 KJV
And when they
saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say,
with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
Luke 15:2 KJV
And the
Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This Man receiveth sinners,
and eateth with them.
Luke 19:7 KJV
And when they
saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with
a man that is a sinner.
John 6:41 KJV
The Jews then
murmured at Him, because He said, I am The Bread which came down from
heaven.
Vain talk, Talebearers, evil
whispering, slander, false accusations, etc. etc.
Psalm 5:9,10 NLT
9 My enemies
cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy
others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their
tongues are filled with flattery.
10 O God,
declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive
them away because of their many sins,
for they have
rebelled against you.
Psalm 10:7 NLT
Their mouths
are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the
tips of their tongues.
Psalm 15:1-3 NLT
1 Who may
worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your
holy hill?
2 Those who
lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking The Truth from
sincere hearts.
3 Those who
refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their
friends.
Psalm 31:13,14 KJV
13 For I have
heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took
counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
14 But I
trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
Psalm 34:13 KJV
Keep thy tongue
from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psalm 36:3 NLT
Everything they
say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.
Psalm 50:19,20 NLT
19 Your mouth
is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.
20 You sit
around and slander your brother—"
Psalm 55:21 NLT
His words are
as smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as
soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers!
Psalm 101:5 NLT
I will not
tolerate people who slander their neighbors..."
Proverbs 11:13
NLT (Does not apply to exposing and warning of false religious
teachers. Matthew 23)
A talebearer
revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the
matter.
Proverbs 12:18,19 NLT
18 Some people
make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.
19 Truthful
words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.
Proverbs 16:28 NLT
A troublemaker
plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
Proverb 21:23 KJV
Whoso keepeth
his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Proverbs 21:1,2 NLT
1 Don’t envy
evil people or desire their company.
2 For their
hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.
Proverbs 25:23 NLT
As surely as a
north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!
Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 NLT
12 Wise words
bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.
13 Fools base
their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be
wicked madness;
14 they chatter
on and on.
Matthew 12:34 KJV
O generation of
vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Romans 1:28-32 NLT
28 Since they
thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their
foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
29 Their lives
became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy,
murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
30 They are
backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They
invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.
31 They refuse
to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no
mercy.
32 They know
God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to
die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do
them, too.
Romans 3:13 KJV
Their throat is
an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the
poison of asps is under their lips:
II Corinthians 12:20 NLT
For I am afraid
that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my
response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger,
selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.
Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
19 When you
follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:
sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry,
sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties,
and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before,
that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of
God.
Galatians 5:19-21 KJV
19 Now the
works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies,
21 Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 4:31,32 NLT
31 Get rid of
all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all
types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be
kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God
through Christ has forgiven you.
Titus 1:10 NLT
For there are
many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive
others..."
Titus 3:1,2 NLT
1 Remind the
believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should
be obedient, always ready to do what is good.
2 They must not
slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be
gentle and show true humility to everyone.
James 1:26 KJV
If any man
among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
James 3:1-18 KJV
1 My brethren,
be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
2 For in many
things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we
put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn
about their whole body.
4 Behold also
the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce
winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whither
soever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the
tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how
great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our
members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the
course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every
kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the
sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the
tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith
bless we God, even The Father; and therewith curse we men, which are
made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the
same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things
ought not so to be.
11 Doth a
fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig
tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no
fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a
wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a
good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye
have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against The Truth.
15 This wisdom
descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and
easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the
fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 4:11,12 NLT
11 Don’t
speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you
criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging
God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it
applies to you.
12 God alone,
who gave the law, is The Judge. He alone has the power to save or to
destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
I Peter 2:1 NLT
So get rid of
all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and
all unkind speech.
I Peter 3:10,16 KJV
10 For he that
will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from
evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
16 Having a
good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of
evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ.
II Peter 1:5-7 NLT
5 In view of
all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence,
and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge
with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and
patient endurance with godliness,
7 and Godliness
with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for
everyone.
Every church has it's challenges! Gossip, slander, etc. is one of the
enemies plans to destroy any church, and often it has.
Many books have been written on this subject, and how true it is,
that the Pastor cannot do the job alone, in the church!
If a problem like this exists in your church follow the plan that our
Lord gave us in….
Matthew 18:15-17
KJV
15 Moreover if
thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast
gained thy brother.
16 But if he
will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more(
your pastor), that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he
shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he
neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man
and a publican.
Many a dear child of God, has been rescued from faults, they were
not even aware of.
Galatians 6:1,2
KJV
1 Brethren, if
a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such
an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also
be tempted.
2 Bear ye one
another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Do all in deep humility, and much prayer, our God hears and answers
prayer!
Isaiah 58:9 KJV
Then shalt thou
call, and The Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say,
Here I am..."
