by Coleen Sharp | Mar 15, 2018 | Resources
Gossip
Bible Dictionary- The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it.
Webster’s dictionary gossip- casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways. What is being shared and why it’s being shared.
Slander
Bible dictionary -properly, a slanderer; a false accuser; unjustly criticizing to hurt (malign) and condemn to sever a relationship
in secular Greek means “backbiter,” i.e. an accuser, calumniator (slanderer). 1228 (diábolos) is literally someone who “casts through,” i.e. making charges that bring down (destroy)
Webster’s dictionary – the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation.
Verses About Gossip and Slander
Proverbs 11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babble
Proverbs 10:18 He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool
Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends
Proverbs 11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered
Ephesians 2:8&9 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Exodus 23:1 Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
James 4:11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
I Timothy 5:13&14 At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 14 Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;
Titus 2:2-5 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
For further reading;
Slander in the Camp by Tim Lane
Godless Gossip by Max Dover
The 5 Gossips You Will Meet by Tim Challies
Resisting Gossip by Tim Challies
How to Shut Down Gossip by Erik Raymond
by Coleen Sharp | Mar 14, 2018 | Blogs, Resources
With all of the acronyms and abbreviations used in Reformed Christian circles, we’ve put together a reference list as we often get questions about what these things mean. Not everything on here is specifically Reformed, but are things which may be used in various theological discussions and writing.
2C 2nd commandment
2CV 2nd commandment violation (3CV and so on depending on the commandment violated)
2K two kingdoms
3FU Three Forms of Unity
3PC/4PC three point Calvinist/four point Calvinist
AACC American Association of Christian Counselors
AALC The American Association of Lutheran Churches
ACA Anglican Church in America
ACBC Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
ACE Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
ACNA Anglican Church in North America
Amil Amillennialism
AoG/AG Assemblies of God
APA Anglican Province of America
APC Associated Presbyterian Churches
APM A Puritan´s Mind
ARBCA Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America
ARP/ARPC Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
AV Authorized Version, Bible (same as KJV)
BCF Belgic Confession of Faith
BCO Book of Church Order
BCP Book of Common Prayer
BCT Baptist Covenant Theology (1689 Federalism)
BoT Banner of Truth
BPC Bible Presbyterian Church
BPS Book of Psalms for Singing
BT Biblical Theology
CanRC The Canadian and American Reformed Churches
CARPC Covenanting Association of Reformed and Presbyterian Churches
CB Credo Baptism
CBMW The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
CCCC/4C’s Conservative Christian Congregational Conference
CELC Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
CmL Ceremonial Law
CofC Church of Christ
CoG Covenant of Grace
CoR Covenant of Redemption
CoW Covenant of Works
CREC Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (formerly the confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches)
Credo credoBaptism (believers baptism)
CRC/CRCNA Christian Reformed Church in North America
CRPC Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church
CT Covenant Theology or Critical Text
CTS Covenant Theological Seminary
CvL civil law
Dispy dispensationalist
DPW Directory for Public Worship
DoG Doctrines of Grace
EFCA Evangelical Free Church of America
ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELS Evangelical Lutheran Synod
EP Exclusive Psalmody
EPC Evangelical Presbyterian Church
EPCA Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia
ERLC The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention
ERPC Evangelical Reformed Presbyterian Church
ESS: Eternal Subordination of the Son
ESV English Standard Version, Bible
ERQ Eglise Reformee du Quebec (Reformed Church of Quebec)
FACA The Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas
FCC Free Church of Scotland, Continuing
FCS Free Church of Scotland
FoG Form of Government
FotF/FOTF Focus on the Family
FPCNA Free Presbyterian Church of North America
FRCNA The Free Reformed Churches of North America
FV Federal Vision
GA general assembly (the highest court of presbyterian polity)
GPTS Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
GSB Geneva Study Bible
HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible
HNRC/HRC Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation/Heritage Reformed Congregation
HRC The Heritage Reformed Congregations
ICRC International Conference of Reformed Churches
IFB Independent Fundamental Baptist
HC head covering
IHOP International House of Prayer
IRBS Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies
KPCA The Korean Presbyterian Church in America
kirk Scot word for the church
KJV/KJB King James Version, Bible
KJO King James Only
KTS Knox Theological Seminary
LBCF/1689 LBC Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)
LCMS Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
LD Lord’s Day
LS Lordship Salvation
MDiv Master of Divinity Degree
MERF Middle East Reformed Fellowship
ML moral law
MLJ Martyn Lloyd Jones
MOS Mortification of Spin (podcast)
MT Majority Text
NAPARC North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
NASB New American Standard Bible
NCT New Covenant Theology
NGSB New Geneva Study Bible
NIV New International Version, Bible
NKJV New King James Version, Bible
NLT New Living Translation, Bible
NPP New Perspective on Paul
NPW normative principle of worship
NRC Netherlands Reformed Congregations
NRSV New Revised Standard Version, Bible
OCRC Orthodox Christian Reformed Church
OPC Orthodox Presbyterian Church
OPCGA Orthodox Presbyterian Church General Assembly
Paedo paedobaptism (infant baptism)
PB Puritan Board or paedobaptism
PC presbycurious
PCA Presbyterian Church in America
PCAGA Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly
PCUSA Presbyterian Church USA
PSA Penal Substitutionary Atonement
PRCT Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology
PDM Psalms of David in Metre
PreMil Premillennialism
Presby Presbyterian
PresRC The Presbyterian Reformed Church
Presup presuppositional apologetics
PostMil Postmillennialism
PRC/PRCA Protestant Reformed Church in America
PRTS Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
PTL Praise the Lord
R2K Reformed two kingdoms or radical two kingdoms
RB Reformed Baptist
RCA Reformed Church in America
RCC Roman Catholic Church
RCJ Reformed Church in Japan
RCM Reformation Christian Ministries
RCUS Reformed Church in the United States
RE Ruling Elder
REC Reformed Episcopal Church
RES Reformed Episcopal Seminary
RPCA Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia
RPCGA Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly
RPCHP Reformed Presbyterian Church (Hanover Presbytery)
RPCNA Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
RPCS Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland
RPCUS Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States
RPTS Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
RPW regulative principle of worship
RSC R. Scott Clark (for TG listeners)
RSV Revised Standard Version
RT Received Text
RTS Reformed Theological Seminary
RUF Reformed University Fellowship
SBC Southern Baptist Convention
SBFA Salvation by faith alone
SD Sabbath Day or Savoy Declaration
SDG Solo Deo Gloria
ST Systematic Theology
SWRB Still Water Revival Books
TE Teaching Elder
TEDS Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
TG Theology Gals
TGC The Gospel Coalition
TR Textus Receptus or Truly Reformed
TT TableTalk
TFoU Three Forms of Unity: Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort
TULIP Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints. (The 5 Points of Calvinism)
URC/URCNA United Reformed Churches in North America
VT Van Til
WELS Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
WCF Westminster Confession of Faith
WHI White Horse Inn (radio show/podcast)
WLC Westminster Larger Catechism
WPCUS Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States
WRF World Reformed Fellowship
WRS Western Reformed Seminary
WSC Westminster Shorter Catechism or Westminster Seminary, California
WTS Westminster Theological Seminary(PA) or Whitefield Theological Seminary or Western Theological Seminary
YRR Young, Restless and Reformed
*If I’ve missed something or need to make any corrections, you can either comment on this post or email me. Some things may be more specific to Theology Gals listeners than the Reformed community as a whole.
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