An Outline Doctrine on Slander

Slander through Gossip is not Christian behaviour!
Especially the gossip between Ministers!

A tort is a wrong - a civil (not criminal) matter which concerns private persons. An act or omission constitutes an infringement of a persons legal rights. Breaches of a duty which is laid down by law to protect a person's body, reputation, goods, property and land. In most case it is necessary that damage (in the sense of an economic loss) be suffered.

Malice may take two forms:

1, an intentional doing of a wrongful act without lawful excuse or justification.

2, an improper motives for doing an act.

Defame: to attack the good name or reputation of; slander; libel. To spread by unfavourable report.

For example, the gossip of a wicked counsellor or carers helper to those who are in a position to disadvantage the one gossiped about.

Libel: the publication of defamatory matter in permanent form, as by a written or printed statement, picture, etc. the act of publishing such matter. Any defamatory or unflattering representation or statement. To misrepresent injuriously.

For example, a published prayer letter to be read by those in a position to best spread the gossip further and thus disparage the plaintiff in any office or occupation he holds.

Slander: defamation in some transient form, as by spoken words, gestures, etc. to utter or circulate slander.

For example, as between members of a Christian Leaders regular prayer meeting.

Scandal: malicious talk, esp. gossip. A libellous action or statement. From stumbling block.

Defamation is essentially an attack on the reputation of a person: mere abuse is not enough. A statement which exposes the plaintiff to hatred, ridicule or contempt in the mind of a reasonable man or one which tends to make the plaintiff shunned or avoided will clearly be defamatory. Similarly, a false statement about a man to his discredit or one which lowers him in the estimation of right thinking members of society generally will be equally defamatory. Libel is a crime as well as a tort whereas slander is a tort.

Slander, the Doctrine...

An abomination unto God.
Proverbs 6:16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Forbidden.
Exodus 23:1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it.

Includes...

Whispering.
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,

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Backbiting.
Romans 1:30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

Evil surmising.
1 Timothy 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions

Tale-bearing.
Leviticus 19:16 "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbour's life. I am the LORD.

Babbling.
Ecclesiastes 10:11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

Tattling.
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.

Evil speaking.
Psalm 41:5 My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"

Psalm 109:20 May this be the LORD'S payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.

Defaming.
Jeremiah 20:10 I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."

1 Corinthians 4:13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

Bearing false witness.
Exodus 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

Deuteronomy 5:20 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

Luke 3:14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."

Judging uncharitably.
James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbour?

Raising false reports.
Exodus 23:1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

Repeating matters.
Proverbs 17:9 He who covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Is a deceitful work.
Psalm 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.

Comes from the evil heart.
Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Often arises from hatred.
Psalm 41:7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

Psalm 109:3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.

Idleness leads to.
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.

The wicked addicted to.
Psalm 50:20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.

Jeremiah 6:28 They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.

Jeremiah 9:4 "Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.

Hypocrites addicted to.
Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbour, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

A characteristic of the devil.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

The wicked love.
Psalm 52:4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!

They who indulge in, are fools.
Proverbs 10:18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

They who indulge in, not to be trusted.
Jeremiah 9:4 "Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.

Women warned against.
Titus 2:3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Ministers wives should avoid.
1 Timothy 3:11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

Christ was exposed to.
Psalm 35:11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.

Matthew 26:60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward

Rulers exposed to.
2 Peter 2:10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;

Jude 1:8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.

Ministers exposed to.
Romans 3:8 Why not say--as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say--"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."

2 Corinthians 6:8 through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;

The nearest relations exposed to.
Psalm 50:20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.

Saints exposed to.
Psalm 38:12 Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.

Psalm 109:2 for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

1 Peter 4:4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

Disciples of Jesus; Christians...

Should keep their tongues from.
Psalm 34:13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

1 Peter 3:10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Should lay aside.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Should be warned against.
Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Should give no occasion for.
1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 3:16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Should return good for.
1 Corinthians 4:13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

Blessed in enduring.
Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Characterised as avoiding.
Psalm 15:1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbour no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

Should not be listened to.
1 Samuel 24:9 He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'?

Should be discountenanced with anger.
Proverbs 25:23 As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.

Effects of...

Separating friends.
Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Deadly wounds.
Proverbs 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice Morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

Strife.
Proverbs 26:28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Discord among Christians.
Proverbs 6:19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Murder.
Psalm 31:13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

Ezekiel 22:9 In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts.

The tongue of, is a scourge.
Job 5:21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.

Is venomous.
Psalm 140:3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. [Selah]

Ecclesiastes 10:11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

Is destructive.
Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbour, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

End of, is mischievous madness.
Ecclesiastes 10:13 At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness--

Will be punished by God...

Men shall give account for.
Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.

Punishment for.
Deuteronomy 19:16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, 17 the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, 19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Psalm 101:5 Whoever slanders his neighbour in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

Illustrated.
Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 25:18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbour.