A reviler in the Bible refers to someone who uses abusive, contemptuous, or insulting language toward others. The act of reviling involves speaking in a reproachful, scornful, or contemptuous manner that intentionally causes emotional harm or offense. Several verses in Scripture address reviling and condemn it as sinful behavior that is displeasing to God.
Definitions of Reviling
The Hebrew word translated as “revile” or “reviling” in the Old Testament is חָרַף (charaph). It means to taunt, defy, or dishonor through reproachful or insulting speech. The Greek word translated as “reviler” in the New Testament is λοίδορος (loidoros), which refers to an abusive person who insults or berates others.
Some key definitions of reviling include:
– Speaking words that are intended to insult, offend, humiliate, or wound another person.
– Uttering abusive or contemptuous language that maligns someone’s character.
– Verbally abusing another person by mocking, taunting, disparaging, defaming, or slandering them.
– Treating someone with extreme disrespect, contempt, and verbal hostility.
So a reviler refers to someone who speaks in an abusive, demeaning, and offensive manner toward others with the intention of causing harm or expressing contempt. The words they use are meant to reproach, disparage, belittle, and mistreat the recipient through verbal attacks.
What Does the Bible Say About Reviling?
The Bible contains several verses that address reviling and condemn it as a grievous sin. Here are some key passages that deal with revilers and reviling speech:
– Leviticus 19:16 – “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.”
– Psalm 44:16 – “All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the sound of the taunter and reviler.”
– Proverbs 18:6 – “A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.”
– Matthew 5:22 – “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
– Luke 6:28 – “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
– 1 Corinthians 5:11 – “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:10 – “Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
– Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
– Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
– 1 Peter 3:9 – “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
Based on these verses, we can see that the Bible consistently portrays reviling in a negative light and associates it with sinful attitudes like anger, wrath, slander, and obscene or foolish talk. Followers of Christ are urged not to repay reviling with more reviling but to respond with blessing and prayer. The wicked act of reviling springs from corrupt desires and stands opposed to the godly virtues of patience, love, grace, and self-control that should mark believers’ speech.
Why Does the Bible Condemn Reviling?
There are several reasons why reviling is viewed as sinful and inappropriate behavior for Christians according to biblical principles:
1. **It is abusive and inflicts harm** – Reviling involves speaking words that are intentionally insulting and humiliating. The purpose is to hurt or offend through vicious verbal assaults. But Scripture calls believers to build others up with their words and not tear them down (Eph 4:29; 1 Thess 5:11).
2. **It reflects a hateful heart** – Hateful, contemptuous speech toward others reveals a sinful attitude of arrogance, malice, and pride in the speaker’s heart. But we are called to love others, including our enemies (Matt 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36).
3. **It is often slanderous** – Revilers will frequently slander and defame their targets with false accusations and misrepresentations. But the Bible condemns slander and false testimony (Ex 20:16; Prov 6:16-19).
4. **It incites conflict and strife** – Reviling provokes quarrels and dissension between people. But Scripture encourages peaceful, gracious speech that pursues harmony (Rom 12:18; 2 Tim 2:24).
5. **It fails to build others up** – Reviling is the opposite of constructive, edifying speech that can encourage and strengthen others. But our words should aim to build up others, not tear them down through verbal abuse (1 Thess 5:11).
6. **It grieves the Holy Spirit** – Since reviling conflicts with godly virtues like love and self-control, it grieves the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers (Eph 4:29-30).
7. **It is unworthy of Christ** – As followers of Jesus, we are to reflect His character. Since reviling is completely opposed to Christ’s nature, practicing it is unworthy of the name “Christian” (1 Cor 3:16-17).
So according to biblical values, reviling has profoundly destructive effects that contradict the standards of morality and ethics that God calls His people to live by. That’s why Scripture consistently condemns this sinful behavior.
Examples of Revilers in the Bible
There are several examples of revilers recorded in the pages of Scripture. These instances reveal the nature of reviling in practice and demonstrate why it is at odds with biblical values:
– **Simeon and Levi** – After their sister Dinah was raped, these brothers sought revenge and slaughtered all the men of Shechem. But in their dying curse, the men of Shechem condemned Simeon and Levi as cruel revilers for the way they had deceived them (Genesis 49:5-7).
– **Peninnah** – She was one of Elkanah’s wives but regularly mocked and provoked Hannah, his other wife, because Hannah was unable to have children. Peninnah’s intention was to humiliate Hannah (1 Samuel 1:4-7).
– **Shimei** – When King David was fleeing Jerusalem to escape Absalom, Shimei followed them and shouted curses, insults, and false accusations at David and his men (2 Samuel 16:5-14).
– **The crowd at Jesus’ crucifixion** – As Jesus hung on the cross, the Jewish leaders, Roman soldiers, and crowd reviled him by mocking, taunting, and insulting him (Matthew 27:39-44).
– **Alexander the coppersmith** – Paul says this man did him great harm and strongly opposed the gospel message. He warns Timothy to beware of him because he was a malicious reviler (2 Timothy 4:14-15).
These examples illustrate how people engaged in reviling by verbally abusing, insulting, disparaging, and slandering their targets. Their words were intentionally used as weapons to inflict harm through demeaning and contemptuous speech.
How Should Christians Respond to Revilers?
Based on biblical principles, believers should respond to revilers and reviling speech in several appropriate ways:
– **Do not repay evil with evil** – Followers of Christ should refrain from retaliating against reviling with more reviling. Instead, they should seek to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:14, 17-21; 1 Pet 3:9).
– **Bless and pray for revilers** – While revilers attack with curses and insults, Christians are called to respond by blessing and praying for them. This reflects Christlike love (Luke 6:28; Rom 12:14).
– **Flee from strife and quarrels** – Believers should avoid engaging in verbal disputes and conflicts stirred up by revilers (2 Tim 2:24-26; Titus 3:1-2).
– **Guard against anger or malice** – Being reviled can provoke anger and bitterness if we aren’t careful. But Christians must not harbor sinful attitudes toward revilers (Eph 4:26-27, 31-32).
– **Be quick to forgive** – Following Christ’s example, believers should be ready to forgive revilers when they repent, just as God forgives our sins against Him (Matt 6:14-15; Eph 4:32).
– **Respond gently and respectfully** – If a reply to reviling seems necessary, it should be done with utmost gentleness and respect (Prov 15:1; 1 Pet 3:15-16).
– **Trust God for justice and vindication** – Rather than seeking personal vengeance, Christians should trust God to deal justly with unrepentant revilers in His timing (Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19).
Above all, believers must remember that they have been saved and transformed by Christ’s grace. Therefore, they should not return insult for insult but overcome evil with good in the power of the Holy Spirit. This reflects the true nature of God’s kingdom.
Ways Believers Can Avoid the Sin of Reviling
Since reviling is clearly portrayed as inappropriate and sinful behavior in Scripture, here are some practical things Christians can do to avoid engaging in reviling speech:
– **Pray for a spirit of love, patience, and self-control** – Ask God daily to produce His fruit in your life so you can avoid lashing out verbally at others (Gal 5:22-23).
– **Think before you speak** – Develop the habit of pausing to consider your words. Don’t speak out of raw emotion or retaliation (Prov 15:28; James 1:19).
– **Consider your motives** – Examine your heart and make sure your intention is to build others up, not tear them down through your speech (1 Cor 10:31-33).
– **Strive for peace and harmony** – Seek to live at peace with others as much as it depends on you by avoiding unnecessary quarrels (Rom 12:18; Heb 12:14).
– **Limit time with revilers** – If certain relationships consistently stir up your sinful anger and reviling speech, creating some distance may be prudent (Prov 22:24-25).
– **Be quick to forgive** – Don’t hold grudges over past incidents of reviling. Forgive others as God has forgiven you (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).
– **Fill your mind with Scripture** – Meditating on Bible passages about speech and the tongue can help you avoid reviling speech (Ps 19:14; James 3:1-12).
– **Be accountable** – Invite other mature believers to lovingly confront your sinful speech and help you grow in Christlike communication.
Making these kinds of intentional efforts can help protect followers of Jesus from adopting the destructive sin of reviling into their lives. With the Spirit’s help, believers can overcome this temptation.
The Bible Encourages Edifying, Constructive Speech
While clearly prohibiting abusive speech like reviling, the Bible also provides many exhortations for how believers should speak in a righteous, edifying manner:
– **Speak truthfully and honestly** – Christians should be earnest about speaking the truth in a reliable way that builds trust (Eph 4:25; 2 Cor 8:8).
– **Speak in a wholesome, beneficial way** – Followers of Christ should avoid filthy or foolish talk and instead speak in a way that imparts blessing and benefit to others (Eph 4:29; Matt 12:36).
– **Speak with grace and wisdom** – Seasoning our speech with grace enables it to minister God’s favor, while wisdom ensures our words are judicious and suited to the occasion (Col 4:6; Prov 15:2).
– **Speak to encourage and strengthen others** – As believers, we should make it our aim to build up and strengthen others through our speech (Rom 14:19; 1 Thess 5:11).
– **Speak God’s truth in love** – While addressing important matters or confronting sin, we must do so with loving hearts that seek others’ good in meekness (Eph 4:15; Gal 6:1).
– **Speak gratefully** – Cultivating thankfulness enables us to speak in a way that honors Christ and builds up those who hear us (Eph 5:3-4; Phil 4:8).
So the Bible encourages Christians to speak in a way that brings life through truth, wisdom, grace, love, and gratitude. This provides a sharp contrast to the destructive speech of revilers.
The Danger of An Unbridled Tongue
Scripture uses vivid imagery to illustrate the incredible power of the tongue and the great danger that comes from failing to restrain it:
– It is a fire that can ignite a great forest blaze through mere careless words (James 3:5-6).
– It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison that infects the whole body (James 3:8).
– It is a dangerous weapon that can inflict terrible damage (Prov 12:18).
– It is a spark that sets one’s own life ablaze through sinful speech (Prov 18:21; James 3:6).
So the Bible compares reviling, gossip, slander and other sinful speech to a dangerous, uncontrolled fire raging through a forest. Speech has power to inflict immense harm. Therefore, as Christians we need God’s help to bridle our tongues so we can use them to build others up rather than tear them down through reviling.
Jesus Offers Forgiveness and Grace to Repentant Revilers
Though reviling is clearly portrayed as a serious sin, the Bible also offers hope and forgiveness to revilers who repent and turn to Christ:
– On the cross, Jesus prayed for God to forgive those who were reviling Him, demonstrating His merciful heart even toward His enemies (Luke 23:34).
– Jesus forgave and transformed Saul of Tarsus, even though Saul had previously reviled followers of Christ and opposed the gospel (1 Tim 1:12-14).
– In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul reminds the Corinthian church that while revilers will not inherit God’s kingdom, they can be washed, sanctified, and justified by the Spirit through Christ.
– Peter himself had reviled Jesus, denying Him three times at His trial. Yet Christ forgave and restored Peter, enabling him to become a great leader in the early church (John 21:15-17).
So if revilers sincerely confess and turn from their sinful speech, Jesus offers mercy, cleansing, and new life through His redeeming work on the cross. No one is beyond the reach of God’s amazing grace if they will humble themselves and believe.
Conclusion
In summary, the Bible clearly identifies reviling as sinful, inappropriate speech that is unworthy of Christ’s followers. As Christians, we are called to build others up with our words in a loving, edifying manner rather than tearing others down through insulting verbal assaults. Scripture provides many exhortations for righteous, grace-filled communication that should mark believers’ speech. With the Spirit’s help, we can overcome the temptation to revile others and instead use our words in a way that reflects God’s love and promotes true peace.