What About Slander, Libel, Gossip, And False Accusations?
False Personal-Attack Doctrines That Permeate The Church
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, August 31, 2026 (Donate)
We live in a secularized world where God’s commands are
often set aside. As a result, the society at large tends to defy God’s Law and
pick and choose their own opinions and whims to which they follow.
It is a sad state of affairs and allows for many terrible
things to occur in our culture—you could probably attest to that! But what really
gets me is that some of these secular and unchristian like behaviors infiltrate
churches and grow freely in these some congregations.
This brings me to the sins of gossip, slander, libel, and false accusation. These false doctrines aren’t confined to the secular world. They can—and do—occur among professing Christians, within families, ministries, workplaces, and even churches. When Christians begin treating these sins as acceptable behavior or simply overlooking them, a false doctrine has effectively crept into practice.
The idea that God's commands are being shunned so easily concerning
truth, justice, and our neighbor should abhor us as Christians! But instead,
slander, gossip, and false accusations are often repeated without so much as
hearing what the truth really is.
The Slow Secularization Of The Church
Over the last two centuries, many Western churches have
gradually absorbed aspects of secular culture. Biblical authority has sometimes
been replaced by man's opinions, popular psychology, evolution and millions of
years type of thinking, sexual immorality, theological liberalism, and slowly
degrading cultural standards.
The same danger exists regarding how we, as Christians,
treat one another. The world's methods of personal attack, rumor,
character assassination, selective quotation, and trial by public opinion can and
does creep into the church—to our detriment, I might add.
Christians should operate differently—based on Gods infallible
and perfect Word. Scripture says:
"You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16, NKJV).
Truth should matter even when the truth is inconvenient. In
any situation where gossip, slander or libel are involved, kindly seek the
truth by hearing both sides as God commands (Proverbs 18:17).
What Are Gossip, Libel, And Slander?
Gossip involves spreading private, harmful,
unnecessary, or unverified information about another person. Gossip may contain
falsehoods, but it can also involve spreading true information that we have no
legitimate reason to spread (lack of discretion).
Slander normally refers to harmful false
statements spoken about someone. Libel, like slander, traditionally
refers to harmful false statements but in this case, it is put into writing or
published (e.g., internet, public letters, magazines, newspapers, etc.).
A false accusation is the broader practice of charging someone with wrongdoing that he or she didn’t commit. These sins often overlap. A person hears a rumor, assumes it is true, repeats it to others, adds his own interpretation, and eventually a distorted story can become widely accepted as "fact." Recall, that James warns that the tongue, though small, can cause tremendous destruction (James 3:5-10). The Holy Spirit in the book of Proverbs warns:
An ungodly man digs up evil, And it
is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, And a
whisperer separates the best of friends. A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good. He winks his eye to devise
perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil. (Proverbs
16:27-30, NKJV).
Why Are These False Doctrines Wrong Biblically?
God is a "God of truth" (Deuteronomy 32:4). Satan, by
contrast, is called "the father of lies" (John 8:44) and "the accuser of our
brethren" (Revelation 12:10).
Christians should, therefore, be extremely cautious about
accusations—especially in our secularized culture. Under the Mosaic Law,
serious charges required witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). A malicious false
witness could receive the penalty he intended to bring upon the innocent person
(Deuteronomy 19:16-21). And we saw that enacted by God using the King with
Haman in Esther (Romans 13:1).
The New Testament states that accusations shouldn’t be
accepted carelessly. Consider, Paul instructing Timothy (and churches at large):
"Do not receive an accusation
against an elder except from two or three witnesses." (1 Timothy 5:19,
NKJV).
Christians should investigate before condemning.
The first one to plead his
cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. (Proverbs
18:17, NKJV).
Jesus Christ Was Falsely Accused
Our Lord Jesus Christ understands false accusation
personally. That was the last straw as to what sent Him to the Cross if you
recall.
· His enemies repeatedly attempted to find accusations against Him (Matthew 12:10; Luke 11:53-54).
· Some accused Him of casting out demons through Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24).
· Others falsely portrayed Him as opposing Caesar (Luke 23:2).
During His trial, "the chief priests, the elders, and
all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death"
(Matthew 26:59, NKJV). False witnesses were finally brought forward, and His
words concerning the Temple were distorted (Matthew 26:60-61)—keep in mind
that these were the same evil people that Jesus drove out of the Temple who
turned the House of God into a money changing fiasco (John 2:14-21).
Jesus was perfectly innocent, yet false accusations helped
send Him to the Cross.
What Can Slander, Libel, And Gossip Do To The Victim?
The consequences of these false allegations can be devastating. False accusations can
destroy reputations, friendships, marriages, finances, families, careers,
ministries, churches, and businesses. They can cause enormous emotional and
financial suffering.
A particularly cruel feature of slander is that disproving a
rumor or false claim is much harder than spreading it. One person can make an accusation
in seconds, while the accused may spend years trying to correct the record.
Christians must therefore reject dangerous assumptions that an accusation equals guilt. When we seek the truth and want biblical justice, we have to hear both sides, be discerning, evaluates the reputations of each involved, evaluate the evidence in honestly, and in context. This helps us distinguish between false or embellished rumors and the truth. We need to be careful not to condemn merely because a story that sounds
believable from a single source.
Why Is It A Heart Problem For The Instigator?
Jesus taught that sinful words ultimately come from a sinful
heart:
“Either make the tree good and its
fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by
its fruit. “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things?
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. “A good man out of the
good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the
evil treasure brings forth evil things. “But I say to you that for 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 12:33-37, NKJV).
Gossip and slander may arise from jealousy, bitterness,
anger, hatred, revenge, pride, envy, the desire for attention, or an effort to
gain power over another person or what they stand for. These are not fruits of the Spirit! Sometimes, people spread
damaging information because it makes them feel important or special or looking
for pity. This is why the solution isn’t merely learning to speak more
carefully. The heart of the accuser(s) must be brought into submission to
Christ.
Before repeating an accusation, Christians should ask: Do I
know this is true? Have I heard both sides? Am I relying on firsthand witnesses
or merely repeating hearsay? Is there a motive for this accusation? Is sharing
this information necessary? Am I trying to restore someone or destroy someone?
Conclusion
Christians should never imitate a culture that condemns
people through rumors, social pressure, or unproven allegations. Gossip,
slander, libel, and false accusation contradict the character of the God of
the Bible.
When genuine sin occurs, Scripture provides methods for
addressing it truthfully and justly such as Matthew 18:15-17 (step-by-step procedure).
Also, Galatians 6:1-2 (NKJV) says:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in
any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
But Christians must never manufacture, exaggerate, carelessly
repeat accusations, or treat people poorly because of a false accusation.
Therefore, putting away lying, “Let
each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of
one another. (Ephesians 4:25, NKJV).
A church should be committed to biblical authority and the laws of Christ within. And in doing so, we must be committed not merely to defending true doctrine, but also to speaking truth about one another—this is how we show a godly love toward another as Christ commanded.
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending
6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working
at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as
well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head
of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
