Evil Speaking: A Plague Of Sin

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Category: Holiness

Published on Sunday, 24 October 2004 06:00

Written by Ryan Hicks

EVIL SPEAKING: A PLAGUE OF SIN

By Ryan Hicks

Matthew 18:15-17
15 ¶ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

The above passage of Scripture is one of the most oft ignored in the Scripture, and it is one of the most abused when it is noticed. It is often used by heretics and blasphemers to excuse rebuking them publicly. The truth of this verse, as basic hermeneutics would tell anyone, is that if your brother trespasses against YOU then these verses give you the prescription on how to resolve the issue. It does not apply to heretics and blasphemers who would not even allow you to meet with them alone or those that shield themselves from being able to be met with.

When people do have their brothers trespass against them do they normally follow this passage of Scripture? They do not. Most tell everyone they know about the fault except the person that trespassed against them. They have no interest in restoring the brother back to themselves and the faith as may be required, they just want to speak evil of them. Speaking evil is forbidden in the Scriptures:

Titus 3:1-3
1 ¶ Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

How much this truth is ignored, and this command is disobeyed. Are you going to walk in lusts and pleasures, being foolish, and living in malice, envy, and hate? Why not walk in the love of God, which includes speaking evil of no man? I must clarify what it is to speak evil of a man, lest anyone give too weak and shallow a meaning so that they can excuse their backbiting and tale bearing. Speaking evil of a man does not have to be untruths. If you tell others about how you saw Mr. Smith cursing (telling such when he is not present), you are speaking evil of the man. "But, he did curse," you may say. That does not matter, you are not called of God to be some heavenly tale-bearer and backbiter. You need to confront him with the issue or keep it to yourself. If the man is not present to defend himself or receive any benefit from such rebuke, then you are speaking evil of the man. The truthfulness or untruthfulness or what you tell does not change whether it is speaking evil of the man.

Now, if I just stopped there, then you would be left impotent in speaking out against false teachers and blasphemers. This principle behind speaking evil of no man is because such is unprofitable and evil. What if Mr. Smith gets drunk a lot and offers to take Sister Johnson's children to school, would you be speaking evil in warning Sister Johnson of the potential danger that Mr. Smith poses to her children due to his drunkenness? I think not, and you would be in sin to do nothing, because "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). What about if you witness a crime, do you not have an obligation to testify of such a crime? Of course you do, and such is not what the law of speaking evil of no man refers to. This is a law about one's motives in the matter, and it is rare that one will have the need to tell of another person's fault to a third party. 99.99% of the time such is done with evil intentions. How many times have we all heard someone requesting "prayer" for another person by telling all their faults? Evil things like, "We need to pray for Brother Jones because I hear he beats his wife and is committing adultery." This is speaking evil of the person, and is wicked. What about those that pray long prayers in public chronicling the perceived faults of others? Such is wicked, and it is speaking evil of the person. It is sad that most of the conversations going on are infiltrated with some manner of speaking evil of another person. This should not be so in the church, among God's saints.

Psalms 141:3
3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

This should be our heartfelt desire before the Lord. We should seek God's guidance and grace to provide us assistance in avoiding this soul polluting sin. It may be very difficult because this is a sin that is at every turn. Preachers and ministers and laypeople all practice this evil with impunity. Have you ever heard anyone rebuked for speaking evil of someone else? If so, that is a rare occurrence and the person rebuking the wicked should be honored for their faithfulness. Do you dress up your sin of evil speaking by claiming to do it in righteous indignation against the sinners? You still commit sin in such actions. Do you profess to show forth your hatred of sin by committing sin in speaking evil? You are serving the devil every moment of your supposed zeal for the things of God when you speak evil. Children of God, put away evil speaking, tale bearing, whispering, and backbiting: speak only blessings and good things.

James 3:8-12
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

You say that you have the Spirit, but your words betray the fact that you actually have a devil. You speak curses and evil of men, and as such you are a sinner. Truly how few will be saved when this issue is presented and they are judged on it! Will we enjoin the devils and speak evil of men, or will we be joined unto the Lord and speak blessings?

With all that being said, I need to make sure that one does not confuse this issue with the needful warnings we may have to do to protect the innocent. If someone tells you they are studying under a teacher you know teaches false doctrine, you are not to stand idly by under the guise of speaking evil of no man and just let them persist in being taught error. You should graciously and prayerfully warn the person and compare the teachings of the teacher with the Scriptures. Such should be more about what the Scriptures teach then about the teacher. You would be a sinner to let a wolf in sheep's clothing come in and mislead a saint. You must speak out, and if the teacher is publicly teaching heresy, then you have an obligation to publicly speak out . This is the Scriptural way of doing things as is seen by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 23 and by the apostles.

Acts 7:51-54
51 ¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 ¶ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

1 Timothy 5:20
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Titus 3:10-11
10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

There is a clear Biblical precedent for publicly rebuking heretics and blasphemers.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5
1 ¶ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Do you see how the apostle Paul handled the sinful man in the Corinthians church? He did not see the sin, nor was he personally there to know of it; BUT he still passed a judgment down upon him and publicly rebuked him.

1 Timothy 4:10
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

2 Timothy 1:15
15 ¶ This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

1 Timothy 1:18-20
18 ¶ This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Galatians 2:11-14
11 ¶ But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Acts 13:6-12
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

3 John 9-11
9 ¶ I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

We see from the previous Scriptures that people were regularly named and rebuked publicly. Such rebuke needs to be done in prayerful consideration ensuring your only intent is to protect someone innocent from false teaching or blasphemy. Warning against such people to make yourself look better or get back at someone is wicked and evil. So if you want to warn someone, you must be sure before God that you are doing what is right and are not being used of Satan. Let me give you an example of a good situation to warn in. Someone mentioned publicly a man that I was aware of who had replaced the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with a self-help gospel (Cp. Galatians 1:8-9). I publicly rebuked such as heresy, dealing only with the actual heresy and not personally attacking the man. Such is the only way to warn. I have seen so many go off into evil and personally attack people, the way they look, how they speak, etc. all the while supposedly warning of the heretics. The reality is they are launching a personal campaign against the person, not warning of heresy. You must judge your motives. Are you warning because you do not like the person and want others to join you in not liking them? If so, then you are in sin. Are you warning because you sincerely fear others could be turned from the faith and because you grieve for the person teaching heresy? If so, then you are operating in righteousness. There is a fine line whereby you could say the same thing as another, but if your motive is impure then you would be in sin and they would not be. You must get the Lord's permission before acting in such situations.

1 Peter 3:8-12
8 ¶ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

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