Backbiting or Working Together With Christ

Backbiting or Working Together With Christ

There are two ways of speaking about others. One way is harmful, the other way is beneficial. The first is called backbiting; the second is dictated by love and care for the others’ well-being and comes from Christ’s fellow workers.

Backbiting is one of Satan’s bitterest and most poisonous biles. We ought to take note that backbiting doesn’t need to be premeditated evil. Generally speaking, that isn’t the case either, for it flows out thoughtlessly and because of habit. See Proverbs 19:2.1 Nevertheless, it is demonic in any case.

God-fearing souls hasten to depart from this evil. They avoid backbiting like the plague. In their child-like simplicity they are so zealous to stay away from that kind of discussion of their brothers that, when the time for them has come to be fellow workers of Christ, it is difficult for them to speak about others at all even though it is advantageous.

They have been burnt by talking about others, and therefore it is difficult for them to get involved in anything like that. Nevertheless, by being sufficiently mature in Christ, one should also in this area understand the difference between good and evil and can therefore become more zealous in speaking for the others’ benefit in the future, even though one has previously spoken to other people’s detriment.