Articles
25 Sins of the Tongue
1. Accusation against an elder without two or more witnesses (1 Tim. 5:19)
2. Backbiting (Rom. 1:30). "To speak against someone, especially in their absence!” Note: People don't like to be talked about behind their backs! Try to speak about others so you would not be embarrassed or ashamed if they were in the room with you.
3. Blasphemy (Lev. 24:16, Col. 3:8). "Defamatory speech against the Divine Majesty."
4. Boasting or bragging (Rom. 1:30).
5. Crooked speech (Prov. 4:24).
6. Coarse jesting (Eph. 5:4) and filthy speech (Col. 3:8).
7. Complaining or grumbling (Num. 11:1, James 5:9).
8. Cursing (James 3:10). "Taking the Lord's name in vain (Ex 20:7), or simply uttering profanities." Note: To be profane is to treat sacred things as common, or holy things as unholy. Be on guard. The word "gosh" is just another word for God!
9. Deceit (Rom. 3.13)
10. Evil Speaking (Eph. 4:31) or maligning (Titus 3:2). "Words that tend to harm." Note: The statements may be true, but if unnecessary, hurtful, and unkind, to tell others is to malign another and to speak evil.
11. Evil surmising or evil suspicion (1 Tim. 6:4). "Assigning the worst possible motives to someone's actions." Note: Jesus warned us to "judge righteous judgments, and not according to appearances" (John 7:24). This is the opposite of being charitable and giving others the benefit of the doubt.
12. False Teaching (Titus 1:10-11).
13. Fault Finding (Matt. 7:1-2). "Harsh, caustic, vindictive criticism."
14. Flattery (Ps. 12:3, Prov. 20:19, 26:28).
15. Foolish talking (Eph. 5:4). "Fruitless discussions."
16. Harsh criticism (Matt. 5:22)
17. Idle words (Matt. 12:36) or idle chatter (2 Tim. 2:16). "Words spoken without any consideration for their soundness; without any thought as to the effect they might have on others."
18. Lying (Rev. 21:8).
19. Meddler or busy body (1 Peter 4:15).
20. Profane babblings (2 Tim. 2:16).
21. Reviling (1 Cor. 6:10). "To speak reproachfully, to abuse and get back at someone, rail against."
22. Slander (Ps. 15: 2-3). "Words of falsehood spoke with malicious intent." Note: Be on guard. The very word devil means "the slanderer." When we slander another we are doing the work of the devil! See John 8:44.
23. Sowing discord or spreading strife (Prov. 6:19). "Say things to gender strife and division."
24. Talebearing (Lev. 19:16, Prov. 11:13, Prov. 18:8). "Literally, to become an informant. To act as a disloyal betrayer to hurt another." Think of Judas when he betrayed Jesus and informed the enemies of Jesus where He had been hiding.
25. Whisperers (Rom. 1:29, 2 Cor. 12:2). The word is translated "gossip" in 2 Cor. 12:2 (NASU).
