Jesus, just before His death on the cross, gave a clear directive to His disciples: “Love one another” (John 13:34). This was to be a token to the world that they were His true followers. Today, the same principle is presented to us who claim to be Christ’s representatives.

This principle starts at home, beginning when we are children—but it does not end there. It is to endure for a lifetime and be carried over to the larger sphere outside the home:

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).

“Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person. God Himself, who has placed upon them a responsibility for the souls committed to their charge, has ordained that during the earlier years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children. And he who rejects the rightful authority of his parents is rejecting the authority of God. The fifth commandment requires children not only to yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents but also to give them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation, and to succor and comfort them in old age. It also enjoins respect for ministers and rulers and for all others to whom God has delegated authority.”1

It all boils down to love, honor, and respect for others—especially to those having some type of authority. Without love, we tend to lose respect for our fellow-erring mortals. We see their shortcomings and become discouraged as a result. But to have such a harsh, unforgiving attitude is not in harmony with Christianity.

Satan—knowing how powerful the church can be if united—uses all his sophistry to bring the church into a situation of chaos. Among the many weapons he uses are evilspeaking and suspicion. Many are led to find faults in their brethren and/or sisters, defaming the character of those with whom they associate. Envy, strife, evil surmising, and backbiting are widespread among in Christian communities. These have become so common that a great number do not even realize the enormity of such a satanic act.

Many do not make a good use of their tongue, yet the holy scriptures teach, “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” (James 1:26). Can we engage in the work of evilspeaking with safety? Is there any danger if we deliberately take our time to dwell on the defects of character of our brethren or sisters, and even speak to others about them? What do we do when we engage in this work? Can this be considered a serious matter? What consequences will fall upon those who practice this pernicious habit? What is its bearing upon the church? Let’s see.

The Bible says, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). But a very effective weapon that is used in this realm is the tongue. Speaking against the prophet Jeremiah, the Israelites declared, “Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words” (Jeremiah 18:18). Other passages of the sacred scriptures describe the tongue as a sword (see Psalms 57:4, 64:2, 3). The apostle James compares this member to a flame of fire (see James 3:6). Many, though claiming to be the followers of Christ, are engaged in a work of verbal homicide. By the wrong use of the tongue, much damage has been caused in families, in society, and—most sadly—in the church.

There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration regarding this fact. Those who profess to be the chosen people of God, separated from the kingdom of Satan, honoring God’s name, confessing Christ, and in whom the Spirit of God dwells, should be very careful of what use they make of their words. The Lord plainly describes what happens when we engage in the work of evilspeaking:

Uniting with Satan: One of the ways a person ends up identifying himself or herself with the devil is by doing the very work that is the enemy’s specialty. Jesus frankly told the religious leaders of His day, “Ye are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). These words were pronounced because those men were filled with the thought of killing Jesus—they were contemplating an act clearly driven by the spirit of Satan. Therefore, all those who engage in the work of evil surmising identify themselves with Satan and are working with him.

“Whoever lends himself to this work of evil surmising, reproach, and accusation is rendering service to Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren, accusing them before God day and night.”2

Blaspheming the name of God: The Bible says, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Romans 2:24). But Christians should realize that the same thing can happen whenever they practice the work of evilspeaking and criticizing. The servant of the Lord was constrained to write: “My brethren and sisters, when you have nothing better to speak of than something about the faults of others, remember that ‘silence is eloquence.’ Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another; for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God’s holy name as verily as you would were you to swear. I am instructed to present these things before you, that you may see how you dishonor the name of Christ Jesus.”3

Denying Christ: Christ promised to confess before the Father all those who would confess Him before the world. (See Matthew 10:33.) This act of confessing Jesus does not consist only in preaching the gospel or professing a Christian faith. It also includes refraining from the wrong use of the tongue, especially in speaking against the subjects of His love. The inspired word says, “There are many ways wherein we may acknowledge our Lord and many ways wherein we may deny Him. We may deny Him in our words, by speaking evil of others.”4

Grieving the Holy Spirit: The apostle Paul, referring to the use of speech, explains, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Then he brings a link to these words by saying, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (verse 30). This makes it clear that the Christian—by the wrong use of words—causes the Holy Spirit to be grieved.

Further, we read that “Those who think and speak evil of their fellow laborers, opening the mind to false reports, and taking up a reproach against their neighbor, grieve the Spirit of God, and put Christ to open shame.”5

“If you open your heart to envy and evil surmising, the Holy Spirit cannot abide with you.”6

Losing sight of Jesus: We read about the experience of Joseph and Mary who lost sight of Jesus for three days by the simple act of neglecting communion with God (see Luke 2:41-46.) We can suffer the same loss by engaging in evilspeaking. The word of God explains, “By one day’s neglect [Joseph and Mary] lost the Saviour; but it cost them three days of anxious search to find Him. So with us; by idle talk, evilspeaking, . . . we may in one day lose the Saviour’s presence, and it may take many days of sorrowful search to find Him, and regain the peace that we have lost.”7

How many professed Christians today have lost the presence of Christ by backbiting about their brethren and/or sisters? How many days, months, or even years will it then take for them to restore their communion with Christ?

Unfit for the kingdom of heaven: David, under Inspiration, declared that those who will dwell in God’s holy hill—namely Heaven—are only those who do not backbite with their tongue (see Psalm 15:1–3). So “those who are filled with envy, jealousy, and evil surmising, and who indulge in evil speaking, make it manifest that they are unfit for the kingdom of heaven because they are not peacemakers.”8 “Malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, and evilspeaking are things which God abhors, and no one who reveals those fruits in his life will enter the kingdom of heaven.”9

Many take it as a light matter to engage in these practices. But there are great consequences that follow this evil work, such as are not esteemed by those who engage in them. Its consequences bear not only upon the individuals but also upon the church as a whole.

Upon the one speaking: Regarding the slanderers, God declares, “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off” (Psalm 101:5). And describing His hatred against this grievous sin, the Lord says, “Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. . . . Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver” (Psalm 50:20, 22).

There is no safety for those who do not have control over their tongue. It will work disaster in those who help Satan in this work. God will not tolerate such an attitude. There is a curse attached to this work. The inspired pen says, “Evilspeaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon the speaker than upon the hearer.”10

“God says to them, ‘Thou hast left thy first love. . . . Repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly.’ I will not bear long with your perverse spirit, which leads you to cherish envy and evil surmising. ‘I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent’ (Revelation 2:4, 5).”11

Upon the person that listens: Even when we are not the author of the act, if we indulge those who commit this sin by giving ear to such talk, we, too, are in danger! “There are those who go up and down as talebearers, accusing and condemning, blackening character, inspiring hearts with maliciousness. They carry false reports to the doors of their neighbors, who, as they listen to the slander, lose the Spirit of God. Not even the messenger of God, who bears to the people His truth, is spared.”12

“Many, eternally lost, will then, in their despair, look reproachfully upon those who sowed bitterness in their hearts and planted suspicious thoughts in their minds.”13

“Those whose hearts are right with God will say: I cannot hear these evil reports.”14

Upon the church: After their victory over Jericho, the Israelites had a very sad experience. They lost God’s protection against their enemies and had not sufficient strength to defeat them. This was caused by the sin of one man: Achan had taken something that has been forbidden—yet the entire nation was held accountable for it (Joshua 7:11).

But in our churches, “there are those who cherish a spirit of envy and hatred against their brethren . . . There are those who go up and down as talebearers, accusing and condemning, blackening character, inspiring hearts with maliciousness. . . . This sin is worse than the sin of Achan. Its influence is not confined to those who cherish it. It is a root of bitterness, whereby many are defiled. God cannot bless the church till it is purged of this evil that corrupts minds and spirits, the souls of those who do not repent and change their course of action.”15

“The Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working.”16

Many church members make it a habit to defame the reputation of God’s servants, but there are plenty of lessons in the Bible to warn us against this practice. The case of Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1, 4, 9, 10) and that of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16:1–32) should be studied carefully by those who are actuated by the same spirit. Korah and his sympathizers perished as a result of their evil actions. Miriam, who herself was a prophet, was not spared when in a moment of selfishness and pride she engaged in a grievous work of evilspeaking against the Lord’s appointed messenger. Yes, the one defamed may have indeed been her “little” brother, but that familiarity in no way excused her conduct in the sight of God.

“The Bible specially teaches us to beware of lightly bringing accusation against those whom God has called to act as His ambassadors. . . . He who has placed upon men the heavy responsibility of leaders and teachers of His people will hold the people accountable for the manner in which they treat His servants. We are to honor those whom God has honored. The judgment visited upon Miriam should be a rebuke to all who yield to jealousy, and murmur against those upon whom God lays the burden of His work.”17

“The peril of speaking against the servants of God is also made manifest in the story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”18

In the event that a leader does commit a mistake, the Bible teaches us how such should be dealt with. We read, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19). This does not include evil surmising, nor evilspeaking. But the principles established by Christ must be followed.

We saw that because of the sin of Achan, God’s displeasure rested upon the entire congregation. In order to eradicate the evil, Achan—and even the members of his family—were stoned to death (Joshua 7:24–26). If this sin had to be dealt with in such a manner, how much more severely must we deal with that of evilspeaking, since it is worse than the sin of Achan? In Matthew 18:15–18 and Titus 3:10 are laid out the principles that should be followed:

“Let busybodies and accusers be visited and rebuked. If after thorough labor, they do not hold their tongues in check, they should be suspended from church membership.

“There are those members who are busybodies, speaking evil, sowing the seeds of doubt and infidelity, who pay no heed to the light God has given them in His Word. If we have but one church member who by his spirit, words, and influence seeks to counterwork the influence of the minister of Christ, labor with that one faithfully; and if after taking the steps required by Christ, he will not hear, will not change his course of action, then separate him from the church, and let him know the reason why the church cannot hold him in her fellowship. . . .

“If there are those who sympathize with him, who will not discern the right from the wrong, who, after patient instruction has been given them, choose to keep on the wrong side, let them also be suspended. God’s name must not be dishonored by murmurers, faultfinders, and those who are continually sowing seeds of disaffection.”19

“Evilspeaking should be dealt with as a misdemeanor that is subject to church trial and separation from church membership if persisted in; for the church cannot be set in order in any other way.”20

God gives a clear admonition to us today: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31, 32). Knowing our sinful nature and tendencies toward evil, we need to pray as did Job, “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred” (6:24). How terrible it is to engage in this work! We need the presence and the help of God in this regard.

“When you are almost ready to yield, to lose patience and self-control, to be hard and denunciatory, to find fault and accuse—this is the time for you to send to heaven the prayer, ‘Help me, O God, to resist temptation, to put all bitterness and wrath and evilspeaking out of my heart. Give me Thy meekness, Thy lowliness, Thy long-suffering, and Thy love. Leave me not to dishonor my Redeemer, to misinterpret the words and motives of my wife, my children, and my brethren and sisters in the faith. Help me that I may be kind, pitiful, tenderhearted, forgiving.’ ”21

“Instead of finding fault with others, let us be critical with ourselves. Everyone should inquire, Is my heart right before God? Am I glorifying my heavenly Father? If you have cherished a wrong spirit, banish it from the soul. Eradicate from your heart everything that is of a defiling nature. Pluck up every root of bitterness, lest others be contaminated by the baleful influence. Do not allow one poisonous plant to remain in the soil of your heart. Root it out this very hour, and cultivate in its stead the plant of love. Let Jesus be enshrined in the soul-temple. . . . ‘If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us’ (1 John 4:12).”22

“My brethren and sisters, . . . let there be among you no accusing. This is the work of the enemy. If he can lead professing Christians to accuse and condemn, he is served as he desires to be. Let no one, by yielding to feelings of envy, weaken the hands of his brother, so that the work entrusted to him is marred.

“Be very careful how you carry reports. Often what you tell to others, though seeming to you to be truth, is misrepresentation. Thus false conclusions are formed. Thread after thread of misrepresentation is woven into the web, until the pattern is spoiled. Oh, how many hearts are grieved and wounded because of statements made by those who do not really know that what they report is true! How much pain is caused by cruel handling of reputation! The course of those who utter the slander would be just as dark if represented as they represent the course of the one whom they are accusing. . . .

“Often, when the Lord works upon a certain man’s mind to do certain things for the advancement of His work, another man thinks that he can see defects in his fellow worker’s efforts. Let him keep to his own work. The Lord, who sees the end from the beginning, will fulfil His purposes. He will unite with the one to whom He has entrusted His work and will bring about its accomplishment. He knows just what is needed.)”23

If we keep Christ always before us, seeing every human being as His exclusive property, we will, by His grace, keep our thoughts pure. And our words will always be “with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).