Rumors and the Church
Dr. Roger G. Ford, Ph.D., P.E.
May 2018
Question: “What does the Bible say about spreading rumors?”
Answer: A rumor is an unconfirmed, widely spread story or statement. Rumors may or may not contain elements of truth, but their veracity is anyone’s guess and they have no factual certainty. Rumors are also known as gossip, and the Bible has a lot to say about that.
Nothing hurts a church more than the spreading of false rumors. Being honest with ourselves, all Christians must admit that at one time or another we have spread rumors. It might be something that is done quietly without serious intent, among just a few “close” friends. What may start off as a somewhat innocent statement can fast become something else as folks down the line add a little spin and/or twist when passing it on the next person. Sometimes the spin and/or twist is intentional … meant to drive home a point, tear down a reputation, or simply put someone’s integrity into question. Let me be quite frank, spreading gossip and rumors are a major tool of the devil.
Scripture warns against spreading rumors and those who engage in gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Words are powerful. They can build up or destroy (Proverbs 18:21). James 3:2–12 instructs us to control our words, stating in verse 5: “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Spreading “harmless” rumors, then, can cause great destruction. God desires that we use our words to praise Him (Psalm 34:1), to speak wisdom (Proverbs 10:13), and to encourage and edify each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 4:29). The Bible is absolutely clear on the subject. God thought enough about the topic to include it as the Ninth Commandment. There is absolutely NO room for misinterpretation. Rumors and gossip are sinful and do tremendous damage to the ministry and work of the church.
The Bible often includes gossip in lists of specific evils (e.g., 2 Corinthians 12:20; Romans 1:29). Spreading rumors is so repulsive in the Lord’s sight that He made a prohibition against it in the Law He gave to the Israelites (Leviticus 19:16). First Timothy 5:13 sternly warns against using idle time to spread slander. And Proverbs 17:4 implies that those who eagerly listen to gossip have low character.
Read these scriptures for yourself and then you decide if you are presently guilty of this sin and in need of repentance:
Exodus 20:16 – “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”
Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”
Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.”
1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”
Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
Even the life of Jesus was subject to hurtful rumor and gossip. Matthew records the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:18-19 as He recounts the nasty and sinful statements made about John the Baptist and the Lord Himself: “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners …”
Each of us needs to look deep into our lives and hearts. We need to ask, “Am I a gossip? Am I spreading rumors and gossip because of jealousy, vengeance, vanity, or self-justification. Am I quietly involved in this “secret” sin? Is my family, my friends, or my church suffering because I am passing along half-truths, rumors and gossip?” The Bible teaches us that spreading rumors and gossip is sinful. It is particularly harmful to the church. It is an unhealthy activity that can unnecessarily bring about unjustified harm to church leadership and the Lord’s mission for the church.
You can take immediate action to halt the “rumor mill” in church by stopping the spread of gossip in its tracks. If you make this a standard practice in your everyday behavior, others will follow your leadership. Kindly tell those spreading rumors that nothing good can result from such and that you don’t make a practice of participating in the rumor mill. Insinuations, gossip and half-truths when repeated often enough somehow become believable, even to the person responsible for initiating the information.
So why do we enjoy the rumor mill? Proverbs 26:22 gives one reason: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” Jealousy is often the root of spreading rumors. When we learn “the real reason” someone did something, we can alter our opinion of him or her and make ourselves feel better by comparison. We rarely hear rumors that exalt someone’s reputation.
In Christian circles, spreading rumors has an ally in the guise of the “prayer chain.” Prayer chains are ways that local churches inform other members of prayer needs within that body. They can be useful if the information shared is general knowledge and those informed will truly pray. However, many times prayer chains become excuses for speculation and rumor as the story grows with each telling. A prayer chain can become a real-life example of the party game “Telephone,” with the last person on the prayer chain receiving information that bears little resemblance to the original request. When this happens, it is nothing more than spreading rumors and can be destructive to individuals and churches.
Proverbs 26:20 gives us the antidote for spreading rumors: “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” We cannot stop all rumors, but we can refuse to participate in them. We can break the “telephone” chain and refuse to pass it on. When we hear slanderous news, we should go to the source and check it out. If we are not part of the solution, and the person we are telling is not part of the solution, then the news is not ours to propagate. Our sinful natures enjoy possessing a juicy morsel of information that would gain us attention in the telling. But when we are willing to recognize the selfishness of that desire, we can repent of it and dedicate our mouths to the glory of God (Psalm 19:14).
The following scriptures provide sound advice on how to personally avoid being involved in passing along rumors and gossip and how to stop it in its tracks. The list is in no way exhaustive, just representative:
Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.”
Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Proverbs 6:16-19 – “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
I Thessalonians 5:21 – “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” This verse convicts me. I am committed to doing what is right in the sight of God. Does it convict you?