Things I Learned Growing Up That Maybe I Wish I Hadn't

That Terrible Talebearers Exist...Everywhere!

Is talebearing a sin? Webster’s defines a talebearer as “someone who spreads scandal or tells secrets; a gossip.” This is not just the telling of lies; it implies the irresponsible spreading of any information that should not be shared.

The Bible has a few references for us to consider. We will start with Leviticus 19:16 where God Himself tells Moses to communicate unto the nation of Israel that they “shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people…”

Proverbs 11:13 “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” From this verse we can see a juxtaposition of the talebearer and the faithful spirit. In Strong’s definition of the word talebearer, he implies that it is a leading or walking away. When we consider the verse above, I think it is more clear what the talebearer is walking himself away from—and there is application that he might also be leading others away with his actions. It is foolish to do anything that would lead us AWAY from that faithful nature we are called to have. I Timothy 1:16 “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

Proverbs 18:6-8 “A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” We will dig deeper into this text in a moment but notice that the words to do not cease with the talebearer. They go forward in their act of destruction. The innermost part of the belly, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is the Mucosa. “Mucosa is a mucus-secreting membrane that lines the body's organs and cavities. It performs many functions, including protection, absorption, and immunity.” They go on to say, “Mucosa protects against foreign particles by trapping them in mucus and defending against pathogens”. Pubmed.com tells me, “When a wound occurs in the mucosa, the body initiates a rapid healing process characterized by inflammation, cell proliferation, and tissue regeneration”. They even compare the rapid healing of this “innermost part of the belly” to the quick-healing found in the mouth.

God knew what He was doing when He designed the human body from clay, and He knew precisely what He was causing the writer of this proverb to say. I find a great significance here beloved friend. The tale is being born from the mouth, and the text says it is received as a wound that goes into “the innermost part of the belly”. Notably, God made them both to be among the fastest healing parts of the body.

Consider this: Proverbs 26:17-28 “He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” This text clearly describes the heart of a talebearer, but it also explains how quickly the issue of talebearing can be healed.

“So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour,
and saith, Am not I in sport [fun or play]?
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out:
so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”
Proverbs 26:19-20

Talebearing is not fun or playful; it is mean, hurtful, destructive and unhealthy for a church to endure. If this article has revealed that there is a talebearer in your church, then heed the counsel of the scripture: “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” Not only is there healing, but the healing can be swift, and the damage that has been done is designed by God to heal quickly.

Now, if this lesson (like Nathan in II Sam 12:7 ) has revealed that “Thou art the man”, then do as David did and repent—”I have sinned against the LORD” (II Samuel 12:13). Talebearing is a sin, and therefore, a trespass against the Lord our God. There is healing in the Lord and, as we have seen, the very instrument used to spread such gossip is one of the fastest to heal.

James 1:21-27 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 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. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

The writing of James might be the most convicting of the New Testament letters. Regardless of age, Bible students can easily relate to what he writes about the danger of the tongue. James 3:2-18 “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 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, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 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. 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: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 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. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 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. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

From his writings we know that the mouth can heal quickly, but it must be stopped in order to do so. It cannot be tamed; but that should not stop us from pleading for the Lord’s forgiveness when it is found to be unruly.

A true born-again believer cannot continue down the path of talebearing, letting this member run amuck with the “fire of hell” engaged in their testimony. It is not “sport”; it is wickedness, and it does great harm to the Lord’s local churches! If not repented of, it will result in a devastating breaking of trust between members, between the church and the community, and possibly even the pulpit and the rest of the congregation.

Proverbs 20:19 “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”

Do we find anywhere in the Bible a place where your misdeeds are measured against your good deeds? Would such a scale enable us to cancel out our talebearing? Of course not— there is only repentance. The same is true for the pastor, member, and visitor alike. We have quite a few churches today that have talebearers in their pulpits. There is great damage done while these tales trickle through congregations and the community. Talebearing preachers are not without hope unless they refuse to repent—just like any other saint of God. They are trespassing against God and His church. The text from our Lord in Matt 18:15-20 must be applied— repent!

A lie always runs in the opposite direction from the truth—just as the intention of a lie always runs contrary to the love of the brethren. If the ones amongst us who have apparent sin in their lives will not repent, “…let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17).

We cannot ignore sin, beloved. Going back to the mucosa as we close, if there is a wound in this part of the body that is not permitted to heal, “it can lead to complications like infection, tissue loss, further damage to the surrounding area, and in severe cases, may even indicate an underlying medical condition requiring further investigation, potentially including the risk of cancer”. The physician would tell you, “sir/madam we must investigate further what caused this wound and stop it from getting worse; the offending agent must be addressed”. I leave you with that same thought. You might be the final generation of your local church if you refuse to be accountable for the prevalent sin causing her harm.