Key Verse: Verse 1 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;”
Key Words: the gospel which I preached unto you
Are you aware that the word gossip is not found in the Word of God? But its meaning has a spiritual significance, or maybe I should say a lack of spiritual significance. The word gossip comes from the old English god-sibb. The word god is a false god and the word sibb means akin to, so then a gossiper would be someone who is akin to a false god. Now, isn’t that interesting?!!
After three years of research, Indiana University Sociologist Donna Eder, identified an important dynamic involved in gossip. Eder discovered that the initial negative statement was not the starting point for gossip. The critical turning point was found in the response to the initial statement. “She’s a snob” is not the starting point of gossip. It is when someone else agrees that “She’s a snob” that the gossip first begins. Eder found that the key is whether or not a negative statement is seconded. If a second is provided, then gossip ensues. If the second is not provided, then the conversation changes directions. No one ever challenged an evaluation that had been seconded. Now no matter how cutting the opening remark, an immediate quibble from a listener could send the talk into a less critical direction.
The moral of all this is “gossip isn’t any fun if you aren’t willing to agree.” Moral number two: we have the power either to incite or defuse gossip.
But primarily I need to know that when I gossip, I’m akin to a false god and helping to promote the work of Satan. So let’s not gossip, but rather let us spread the gospel. Amen!
Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞ Let’s spread the gospel, not the gossip.
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