“You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people … You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him” (Leviticus 19:16–17).

A tale-bearer is a person who repeats gossip. Gossip hurts three people. The person who repeats it, the person who hears it and the person who’s the subject of the gossip. Whether something is true or false, we are by this Word of God, forbidden to repeat it. The reputations of the Lord’s people should be very precious in our sight, and we should never help Satan dishonor a saint, the Church, and the name of the Lord.

God’s law concerning how we should treat others is summed up as, “just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise”, so if you’ve ever been a victim of gossip, you’ll kill it before it goes further.

Little people enjoy bringing people down to their level. Make it your family rule, and your personal bond to “speak evil of no one” (Titus 3:2). God hates lies and gossip, and will judge men for it. “Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Every time you don’t stop someone from repeating a slander, by your silence, you participate in their sin, and make a covenant of darkness. You’ve agreed with him by not rebuking him, and he’ll believe you’re as corrupt as he is. Then, at the very least, He can gossip about you, that you participated in his evil.

Love the person who gossips enough to rebuke him as soon as you realize what’s going on. An affectionate warning has helped many a saint to stop sinning.

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