“Let All… Slander … Be put away from you.” -{Eph 4:31}
“SLANDER”- {Blasphemia from blapto = hinder, injure, hurt, from “phemi” to speak..}
It refers to verbal abuse that seeks to wound, hurt someone’s reputation, through evil reports, speaking… that which is hurtful to the reputation of others!
A slanderer speaks with intent to harm!
Using their Speech they seeks to Defame, disrespect others.
It is Abusive Language against a person’s reputation! Insulting speech. When used against God it is Blasphemy. When used against another person it is Slander! It comes froth from a bitter heart! Some passages uses the words, “gossip, whisperer, tale bearer” when using and describing the nature and activity of the slanderer!
“Blasphemia means literally to speak to harm and in general therefore means to bring into ill repute and so to slander, to defame (to harm the reputation of by libel or slander), speak evil of, to rail at (revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language and rail stresses an unrestrained berating), to speak calumny (noun form = a misrepresentation intended to blacken another’s reputation = the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to damage another’s reputation), to calumniate (verb form = to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about – calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions) “- {preceptaustin}
Some Characteristics Of A Slanderer;
1. A Slanderer Separates Close Friends;
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip {slanderer. whisperer} separates close friends.”-{Prov 16:28}. A Slanderer gets in between the best of friends, separates them with words seeking to harm, hurt another seeking to get to their mind and in turn influence their conduct…and brings about a rift! A Slanderer is destructive to relationships, even the closest of them! It sows discord!!
2. A Slanderer Is A Fool;
“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” -{Prov 10:18}. The word “Fool” is ‘Thor,” not speaking of godless, but “dull, stupid,” It brings a bad report seeking to injure someone else by it. Note, it comes forth from hatred. A hateful person revels their heart with… lying lips, spreading slander, seeking to injure others with their report!
3. A Slander Reveals Secrets, Is Not Trustworthy;
“A slanderer {Gossip} walks around revealing secrets, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.” – {Prov 11:13 CEB} – “No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret..,” {Good News Bible}
“tale-bearer — (Compare Margin), one trading as a peddler in scandal, whose propensity to talk leads him to betray confidence.”- {Jamieson, Fausset, Brown,}
Just remember the person who is often gossiping to you will be gossiping about you!
4. A Slander Is A Bitter Person;
In this context in Ephesians 4:31- Slander comes forth from a bitter heart! “Let all bitterness… slander be put away from you.” – {Eph 4:31}
5. A Slanderer Is Doing The Work Of The devil!
Did you know the word “devil,” { diabolos), means, a slanderer!.., the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev 2:10; Zecheriah 3:1} In Revelation 12:10, he is called also “the accuser of the brethren.” So he is a slanderer, accuser ad a foe to the spiritual well-being of others. Is that who you want to be? Whom you want to follow, mimic? When you choose to slander you are acting the devil! A Slanderer Reflects The Character Of The devil!
” Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night.” -{Revelation 12:10}
“The word devil comes from the word “diabolos“. It refers to one who is a “slanderer, a false accuser”. It pictures him as a creature who stands before God accusing the saints of God. This is just what the Bible says he does in Job 1-2. When we fail, he accuses us before the throne of God. He slanders our name and he slanders our Savior too.”-{Alan Carr}
A Slanderer Reflects The Character of the devil. A Slanderer is DOING the work of the devil!
6. A Slanderer ” … Do not associate with a Gossip.” -{ Prov 20:19}.
Why not? Consider what is mentioned in the above verses! They separate close friends, are fools, reveal secrets, cant be trusted, are bitter people! Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:33 warned, “Do not be deceived, bad character corrupts good morals.” A slanderer, talebearer, gossip, is bad character and has a corrupt effect on good morals, behavior!
How Are You To Deal With Slander, If You are the one doing the slandering?
Good news there is hope, Jesus said in Matthew 1:21″… and you shall call His Name Jesus and He shall SAVE His people from their sin.“. if its a sin issue, and slander is, Then the Good news is Jesus can save, rescue, deliver you from it, and being such a person!
Recognize it is sin.
Repent of it and
Replace it by choosing to “Be being Kind, Be being tenderhearted, Be forgiving… just as God in Christ has forgiven you.”-{Eph 4:32}. New Pattern of a New Attitude, New Practice in living and dealing with relationships, so that people may see your good works and glorify Your father who is in heaven.”-{Read Matt 5:16}. Realize THIS IS YOUR POTENTIAL IN HOW YOU CAN LIVE because of the Power of Christ and His Word reveals. Be coming more and more… Kind, which speaks of being useful, Be tenderhearted, compassionate. BE giving… FORGIVENESS AND THE MOTIVATION? “… Just as God in Christ has forgiven you.”-{Eph 4:32}
The word “Be” means “Become… Bring into existence…” It is a verb, more and more you choose to practice this thinking and lifestyle! RENEW your mind, by seeing God’s view, choosing God’s way REPEATEDLY and rejecting the old way of a life that lived in rebellion to God and resisting his authority! When a follower of Christ slanders they are living in rebellion to God! You do not have to live under the bondage of sin which slander is. You have been set free to love others not defile others with damaging speech which springs forth from bitterness!
“God is at work IN YOU both to desire and to empower according to Hid good Pleasure”- {Phil 2:13} We come to HIM , depending upon Him and choosing to do what He commands us… “Be Becoming….”
- ” Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ” – {James 4:11}
- “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD. ” -{Leviticus 19:16}
- “He who goes about as a slander reveals secrets. Therefore do not associate with a gossip.“- {NASB} – ” A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” – {NIV} -{Prov 20:19}.
” With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. OUT OF THE SAME MOUTH come blessing and cursing, my brothers this should not be…!”– {James 3:9-10}
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it “- {Prov 4:23}
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear”-{Eph 4:29}.
In Ephesians 4:31-32, Paul is using as it were two garments, one of the self life which is not energized by the Spirit of God and that which is… He says “LAY ASIDE” “ALL…SLANDER”-{v 31} the Dirty, SIN DEFILED, “GRAVE CLOTHES – A LOVELESS GARMENT AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW GARMENT , “NEW VIRTUES” of KINDNESS, TENDERHEARTEDNESS, FORGIVENESS! This is the NEW You “In Christ” and God has provided you with His Word to guide you, His SPIRIT TO EMPOWER YOU AS YOU CHOOSE BY FAITH TO EXERCISE these attitudes and actions!
Slander is devoid of..Kindness…Tenderheartedness… Forgiveness… Lay aside that old garment and put on the new when tempted to slander of kindness, that which is useful to the other person and tenderheartedness, compassion and forgiveness because He says so and because you can choose to say “No” to slander and “Yes,” to God! Choose to respond with the new ability God has given you to!