Malicious Gossip and Murder

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John 12:46-48 NAS  46 “I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. 47 “And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

  1. What does the apostle Paul say we must do in regard to the motives of men’s hearts and things that are now hidden in the darkness that the Lord in His time will disclose and bring to light? See 1Cor 4:5.
  2. See 1Ti 3:11 and Tit 2:3-5 where the apostle Paul writes about the things that are to be taught in the Church “which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Tit 2:1), especially in regard to women.  Read these passages in several versions to see the different ways that they translate what the NAS translates as malicious gossips.
  3. See 2Ti 3:3 where Paul speaks of the nature of the difficult times in the last days, and note that this is the only other time the underlying Greek word is translated as malicious gossips (or the equivalent in other translations). 
  4. Use your favorite Bible research tool to discover what the Greek word is that is translated as malicious gossips.  Look that word up in a Greek Lexicon such as Thayers (the Blue Letter Bible App on a smart phone makes it pretty easy), and carefully read through its range of meanings. See below for an excerpt from Thayers.
  5. See the 34 other times that the same underlying Greek word for malicious gossips is used throughout the New Testament: Mat 4:1,5,8,11,13:39, 25:41, Luk 4:2,3,6,13, 8:12, John 6:70, 8:44, 13:2, Act 10:38, 13:10, Eph 4:27, 6:11, 1Ti 3:6,7, 2Ti 2:26, Heb 2:14, Jam 4:7, 1Pe 5:8, 1Jo 3:8,10, Jud 1:9, Rev 2:10, 12:9,12, 20:2,10.  See also Job 1:9-11, 2:4-5, Zec 3:1, and Rev 12:10.
  6. When we slander, criticize, gossip, or falsely accuse others based on our own perceptions before the Lord has brought to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclosed the motives of men’s hearts, whose name do we clearly bear? 
  7. Even though we may think that God is our Father, if we slander, gossip, and falsely accuse others, who does Jesus say is our real father?  See Joh 8:41-45. 
  8. The Ten Commandments are divided into two tables, the first five teaching us how to love God, and the second five teaching us how to love our neighbor; what commandment tops the list in the second table for how we are to love our neighbor?  See Exo 20:13.
  9. Is it with just a sword or bow that we commit murder?  See Psa 64:2-4, Pro 18:21, Jer 9:3,8, Mat 5:21-22. 
  10. From where does Jesus say that murder arises?  See Mar 7:21-23.  How does He say that it manifests itself?  See Mat 12:34, Luk 6:45.
  11. Although many people who say that God is their Father may suppose themselves to be more righteous than others and pride themselves for avoiding sexual sins like fornication, adultery, or homosexuality, from what we have learned about the way that people commit murder with their tongues, are those who gossip and falsely accuse others any less guilty or shameful than those who are sexually perverse?  See Jam 2:10-11, and note the order of God’s commandments in Exo 20:13-14 about how we are to love our neighbor.  See also Jam 3:6, 4:2.
  12. Although many suppose they are saved and recipients of the eternal life Jesus came to bring, what does John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, say about those who from the abundance of their heart express their hate for others by slandering, gossiping, or making false accusations about them?  See 1Jo 3:15.   

[Thayer] διάβολος

διάβολος, διάβολον (διαβάλλω which see), prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely, (Aristophanes, Andocides (405 B. C.), Plutarch, others):  1 Tim. 3:11; 2 Tim. 3:3; Titus 2:3; as a substantive, ὁ διάβολος, a calumniator, false accuser, slanderer, (see κατηγορέω, at the end) (Xenophon, Ages. 11, 5; (Aristotle, others)):  the Septuagint Esth. 7:4; 8:1.  In the Bible and in ecclesiastical writings ὁ διάβολος (also διάβολος without the article; cf. Winer’s Grammar, 124 (118); Buttmann, 89 (78)) is applied κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν to the one called in Hebrew הַשָּׂטָן, ὁ σατανᾶς )which see(, viz., Satan, the prince of demons, the author of evil, persecuting good men (Job 1; ; Zech. 3:1ff, cf. Rev. 12:10), estranging mankind from God and enticing them to sin, and afflicting them with diseases by means of demons who take possession of their bodies at his bidding; the malignant enemy of God and the Messiah:  Matt. 4:1,5,(8,11); 13:39; 25:41; Luke 4:2,(3,5 R L, 6,13); 8:12; John 13:2; Acts 10:38; Eph. 4:27; 6:11; 1 Tim. 3:6f; 2 Tim. 2:26; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jude 1:9; Rev. 2:10; 12:9,12; 20:2,10; (Sap. 2:24; (cf. Ps. 108:6(Ps. 109:6); 1 Chr. 21:1)).  Men who resemble the devil in mind and will are said εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου to be of the devil, properly, to derive their origin from the devil, tropically, to depend upon the devil in thought and action, to be prompted and governed by him:  John 8:44; 1 John 3:8; the same are called τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου, children of the devil, 1 John 3:10; υἱοί τοῦ διαβόλου, sons of the devil, Acts 13:10, cf. Matt. 13:38; John 8:38; 1 John 3:10.  The name διάβολος is figuratively applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him:  John 6:70, cf. Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33.  (Cf. σαταν at the end.)*

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