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The Sin of Talking Bad of Others
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, 10.30am service, 7 Jan 2001)
Text: Matt 7:1-6
There is another passage of Scripture where we
are told to judge. To judge between brothers in dispute, than let
them go to court to be judged by unbelievers. This is recorded in I
Cor 6:1-8. The Church should be able to settle any disputes between
its members.
So, the Church has its own judiciary. The
Session may appoint a committee from its own members to judge a case
of adultery, for example, and excommunicate the guilty party. If
this is disputed, the disputing party may bring it to a higher
authority, the Presbytery. This is insofar as our Presbyterian
system is concerned.
The text for our message, titled, The Sin of
Talking Bad of Others speaks not of the act of a Church judiciary,
but rather of passing unjust remarks on some other Church members.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge,
ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again" (v.1, 2). Such private judgment is totally
uncalled for. We are all sinners. We have no capacity to judge our
brothers in anything, for when we judge others we ourselves are
being judged. We can see the sawdust in our brother’s eye but not
the big wooden beam in our own eyes. Rather, what we see wrong in
others is multiplied many times in our own. Calvin notes that
Christians are all agreed that adultery is sinful, but when an
individual is involved in adultery he thinks it is good. Let us
repent first before anything else.
There were eighteen people killed by the falling
tower in Siloam. Remarks were passed judging them as sinners above
others. Such talking bad of others was rebuked by none other than
our Lord Jesus Christ (Lk 13:4,5).
To judge from the pulpit is even worse. When a
preacher passed judgment on someone killed in a road accident to be
God’s punishment, it was the most unkind remark that could be made.
Rather, the preacher had come under Jesus’ condemnation immediately
himself. If he did not repent, he would suffer the same fate.
Talking bad of others from the pulpit is talking bad five hundred
times if the Church attendance that day was 500 and a thousand times
if the 500 would tell their friends.
Our Lord’s teaching on the sin of talking bad of
others is we should keep our mouth shut. To backbite a brother is
character assassination. The IX Commandment says, "Thou shalt not
bear false witness against thy neighbour." Even if what is repeated
is true, it is an act of evil against your neighbour because what is
uttered is from a sinful heart. It is so sinfully human to exalt
oneself and to put others down.
To talk bad of others comes under the category
of gossip. The trouble with unspiritual Church members is instead of
extending the Gospel they engage in gossip. This will result in
counter evil speaking, resulting in hatred and quarrels. It is
observed one hurt party may leave the Church. It is observed that
from a quarrel between children the matter would lead to an
altercation between the parents.
Let us not speak horizontally against our
neighbours but vertically, praising the Lord. There was a Church
worker who had a high esteem of himself. He had the gift of the pen
as well as of the gap. He would cast aspersions against his
colleagues but put himself up above all the others. One day I
confronted him, "How is it I have never heard you say once, ‘Praise
the Lord’ during all this time you work with me?" He was speechless.
The sin of gossip is observed to be practised
more by the fairer sex. Whether female or male, here is wisdom from
King Solomon: "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but
he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Prov 10:19). There is an
English saying, "Silence is golden." Solomon echoes, "The tongue of
the just is as choice silver" (Prov 10:20). A loving Christian will
not say anything that hurts but everything that heals.
Let this sermon on The Sin of Talking Bad of
Others be further enlightened by the Epistles of James, Chapter 3.
"My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the
greater condemnation. 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. 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."
And let this sermon conclude with Jesus words,
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and
turn again and rend you" (Matt 7:6). How will destructive critics of
others receive Jesus’ teaching? If they repent from gossip, from
talking bad of others well and good. If they persist in this bad
habit, leave them alone. They will suffer for their evil speaking.
They are like pigs not deserving to wear pearls and dogs not worthy
to receive things that are holy. This is how our Lord will cast away
those indulging in speaking bad of others.
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