James 4: 11a – Slander

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.

What do you think of when you hear the word “slander?” Does it jump out at you as a bad thing? Do you know anyone who has ever been slandered? Have you ever been slandered?

Slander is a difficult word in English. If it is used at all it is either used in its legal sense which is very formal, or in a very casual sense that carries very little weight.

The Greek word, “katalaleō,” translated as slander, is a very strong word. It suggests that one person is opposing another. Moreover, to win, the one who opposes does it in a way to attack the other person by any means possible. Would it help to make up a false charge against that person? Do it! Would it cut them down to size if rumors were spread to embarrass them? Do that too!

False accusations and false rumors are ungodly behavior. Because you can lie about someone and think you can get away with it doesn’t mean you should.

I am reminded of a story about a church woman who was prone to look down on others. An old man she despised owned an old red pickup truck and one day she spotted the truck parked on the street outside of a disreputable bar. She gleefully spread the rumor that the old man was spending his evenings in sin. Eventually, the story got back to him.

The next day, the whole town was talking about the old man again. He had parked his truck on the street outside the house of the woman who started the first rumor about him and left it there all night. Now, of course, there were more rumors. Only this time they were started by her neighbors, and she was the one who was being maligned.

There are a lot of reasons not to spread lies and rumors about people. The most important might be that such behavior doesn’t honor God. Instead, it honors the author of lies, Satan.

Application: Be careful about what you say. Be intentional about the words you use.

Food for Thought: Why would slander be an issue in a Christian community?