Slander: The Biblical Response

This is part two of my thoughts on what slander is and how a Church can biblically deal with slander and the slanderer. You can read part one here.

Slander is a deeply harmful sin condemned throughout Scripture. It involves speaking false or malicious statements with the intent to harm someone’s reputation. This behavior is contrary to the gospel, undermines love and unity in the church, and often stems from a heart of malice (Lev 19:16, Ps 101:5, Eph 4:31).

While slander may sometimes be unintentional, its effects are destructive, creating division and mistrust within the Christian community. Malicious slander, however, reveals an intentional desire to harm others, violating God’s commands to love and speak truthfully.

What can the church do when this evil is found in their midst?

First a word to the slanderer

1. Can you not, see? Can you not see the corruption in your heart? Can you not see how this is wicked? Do you not know that without sight of sin, there can be no repentance? According to Watson, “a man must first recognize and consider what his sin is, and know the plague of his heart before he can be duly humbled for it.” Why are you not seeing the evil here? Why do you think lightly about it?

2. Why are you not confessing the sin? You may have acknowledged that “some people said you slandered them.” But have you, according to the Puritans, accused yourself (2 Sam 24:17)? It was Watson who said that “the humble sinner does more than accuse himself; he, as it were, sits in judgment and passes sentence upon himself.” Has this happened yet? Why are you not convinced you have done something that should be considered shameful and grievous? Confession is saying it as God said it. Even Origen acknowledged that “confession is the soul vomiting.” Has this happened?

3. 1 John 3:8 says, “The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (emphasis added). This is the confidence we have in approaching Jesus; He came to destroy the works of the devil. You can turn to him for help. He came into the world to save sinners. You can turn to him. But you must turn to him confessing your sins. You must defenselessly admit and say, “Lord, I am a slanderer, and my slander is only a manifestation of the hatred that dwells within me.” Christ is more than able, indeed happy, to cleanse you from all sins.

However, since slander is such a sin that robs people of their friends, their good name, and community trust, you ought to make restitution. Zacchaeus did (Luke 19:8), and you should too. In this case, an unforced, genuine communication should go out to correct the record, stating the true facts as verified. This retraction and apology should be public, ensuring that those who heard the false statements are informed of the truth. The goal is to restore the reputation of the one you slandered and publicly undo the harm caused by the slander.

But I must warn you of counterfeit repentance. Having gone long in this sin and now caught, the anguish you feel, if any, should not be quickly mistaken for repentance. “If pain and trouble were sufficient to repentance,” said Watson, “then the damned in hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish.” Perplexing thought of sin is not necessarily evidence of a good condition. Mortification is what you’re aiming for, so tell your conscience that it cannot accept any evidence, wherever else you’re getting it from, that you are free from the condemning power of sin since you’re not able to mortify your sin. After all, you are only here because, in the past, you said you were free from the condemning power of the law only to allow slander to live in your heart. On what gospel grounds are you finding evidence of security? Why are you so quick to speak peace to yourself? Do you now,suddenly, have a deep hatred for slander? 

You’ve been caught in sin; you’re now looking to Jesus’ blood for mercies and cleansing, good! But since there isn’t any evidence yet of any hatred of slander, shouldn’t you be slow in healing yourself? Shouldn’t you wait for God’s healing? Shouldn’t you wait for God to be the one to speak peace to your soul by filling you with deep shame for all the ways you’ve separated yourself from him? Shouldn’t you wait to see if you’re only concerned about the trouble this sin has brought you or if you’re concerned about the pollution it has brought you?

This brings me to specifically address the pastor who is caught in slander. Shouldn’t you now look to 1 Timothy 3:2 and see that you’re not above reproach? Instead, there are so many serious misconducts tarnishing your reputation. Can’t you see now that your malicious slander, which reveals a heart that is hateful and divisive rather than gentle and peaceable, is incompatible with 1 Timothy 3:3? Titus 1:8 (NIV) says a pastor must be upright, holy, and disciplined. Slander contradicts this, as it stems from malice and deceit. Your repentance- and the evidence of said repentance- must be given some time to show. And it must include resignation from the office, sad but simple.

Second, a practical guide to the church rocked by the slanderer.

I’ll make this section short.

1. Investigating the matter thoroughly (1 Timothy 5:19). You should Involve other elders in the local church if you have any or other elders from other local churches and or an external council.
2. Communicating transparently with the congregation to prevent gossip and division.
3. Don’t think this is an issue of forgiveness. By that I mean, the slandered should not just be expected or pressed  to forgive or turn the other cheek. Being able to put things in the right category theologically can be hard- but try. By God’s grace, nobody should hold another in unforgiveness. But the church should also know that:
   1. This is about a little leaven that has leavened the whole lump. This is about cleaning out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump (1 Cor 5:6–7).
   2. This is about Matthew 5:14-16. When a leader engages in malicious slander, it damages the church’s credibility and undermines its testimony to the community. It also dishonors Christ, whose name is associated with the church. 
   3. This is about Proverbs 16:28: “A perverse man spreads strife, And a whisperer separates close companions.” Malicious slander often causes deep harm within the congregation, creating divisions and undermining trust, making the members take sides, resulting in discord.
   4. This is about 1 Kings 18:17–18. The church is on “trial”. Can the church see who truly is “the troubler of Israel”? It isn’t the ones who were slandered and are presenting the case, but the pastor who has slandered– he is the “troubler of Israel”. The church must take sides with the Lord who condemns slander as grievous (Psalms 101:5). The church’s loyalty must always be with God, His Word, and the word about His Word.
4. Then, you need to further prove your love for the pastor. Christians shouldn’t find it strange that an expression of love toward a habitually sinning pastor is exposing the sin. The Bible is replete with stories of this kind of love. Prov 26:5–6 tells us that an open rebuke and wounds from a sincere friend are a good thing. Love and exposing sin are not incompatible. Nathan loved David. The Holy Spirit loves us, yet He exposes our sins. 1 Timothy 5:20 says, “Those (referring to pastors) who continue in sin, reprove in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful” (emphasis mine). A pastor who has committed a public and grievous sin like slander must be held accountable. That accountability is asking him to resign. Accountability reinforces the church’s commitment to holiness and integrity, showing that leadership is not immune to correction and giving the pastor a chance to receive counseling or spiritual guidance to address underlying issues. Don’t see this as punitive but restorative, prioritizing the pastor’s spiritual health and the well-being of the church of Christ. Removing a pastor caught in grievous sin, which renders him unqualified per 1 Timothy 3, is not an act of cruelty but obedience to God’s standard. You cannot be more merciful than God, who established these qualifications and requires unqualified leaders to step down. Allowing him to remain in office is not only unmerciful to him but also dishonors Christ, the Lord of the Church.

The sin of slander is especially grave when found in church leaders, as it contradicts the biblical qualifications for pastors (1 Tim 3:2-3, Titus 1:8). Persistent slander often becomes a “bosom sin,” entrenched in the heart and difficult to overcome. This requires deep repentance and mortification of sin, going beyond mere apologies to genuine heart change.

The church must respond decisively when slander occurs, especially within leadership. Slanderers must confess their sin, make restitution, and take necessary steps to restore the harm caused. Pastors caught in slander should resign from their office to preserve the integrity of the church and seek restoration through repentance.