Topical Bible: Slander: That he Was Seditious

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Slander, as a false and malicious statement, is a grievous sin condemned throughout Scripture. One particular form of slander is the accusation of sedition, which involves falsely charging someone with inciting rebellion against authority. This type of slander is especially pernicious as it not only harms the individual's reputation but also threatens societal order and peace.

In the Bible, Jesus Christ Himself was a victim of such slander. The religious leaders of His time, feeling threatened by His growing influence and teachings, sought to discredit Him by accusing Him of seditious behavior. In Luke 23:2 , they presented their charges to Pilate, saying, "We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a king." This accusation was a deliberate distortion of Jesus' teachings and actions, as He had clearly taught, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matthew 22:21).

The charge of sedition was a serious one, as it implied that Jesus was a political threat to Roman authority. However, Jesus' kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and His mission was spiritual rather than political. Despite the false accusations, Pilate found no basis for a charge against Him, stating, "I find no basis for a charge against this man" (Luke 23:4). Yet, the slanderous claims persisted, ultimately leading to His crucifixion.

The Apostle Paul also faced similar accusations. In Acts 24:5 , Tertullus, a lawyer, accused Paul before Governor Felix, saying, "We have found this man to be a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." This charge of sedition was intended to portray Paul as a disruptor of peace and a threat to Roman rule. However, Paul defended himself by asserting his innocence and clarifying his mission to spread the Gospel, which was not a political insurrection but a call to spiritual transformation.

The Bible warns against the sin of slander in various passages. Proverbs 10:18 states, "He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool." The New Testament echoes this sentiment, urging believers to "rid yourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2:1). Slander, particularly in the form of false accusations of sedition, is a tool of the enemy to sow discord and hinder the work of God.

In the early church, slander was a common tactic used by opponents to undermine the spread of Christianity. Believers were often accused of subverting societal norms and defying authority. However, the apostles encouraged Christians to live blameless lives, so that "those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander" (1 Peter 3:16).

The biblical response to slander, including accusations of sedition, is to trust in God's justice and maintain integrity. Psalm 37:5-6 offers comfort: "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun." Through faith and perseverance, believers can overcome the destructive power of slander and continue to advance the kingdom of God.

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Luke 22:65
And many other things blasphemously spoke they against him.
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Luke 23:5
And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
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Library

The Folly of Slander. Part 1.
... were charged with being pestilent, turbulent, factious and seditious fellows. ... text,
"He," it is said, "that uttereth slander" (not only he that conceiveth ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/the folly of slander part.htm

Thou Shalt not Bear False Witness against Thy Neighbor.
... are called heretics, apostates, yea, seditious and desperately ... evil concerning your
neighbor and slander him to ... but admonish him privately that he may amend ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/thou shalt not bear false.htm

Persecution Every Christian's Lot
... one; but to speak evil of and slander the disciples ... you also go away?" Again, How
was he stoned, thrust ... as a deceiver of the people, a seditious and pestilent ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/persecution every christians lot.htm

The Resurrection
... glances, your hands from bribes, your tongues from slander. ... factious; as Paul was
called a seditious man, the ... Christ will clear their innocence; he will bring ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the resurrection.htm

Articles vii and viii: of the Church.
... need here of a long defense against this slander. ... persons, according to Luke 10,
16: He that heareth ... and property, we hold that they are altogether seditious. ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 11 articles vii and.htm

To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem.
... a single jot or tittle of the slander unnoticed. ... was present, was nothing but this,
that he delivered his famous defence of the seditious tribune Cornelius ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/to pammachius against john of.htm

The Romance of M. Renan. By Napoleon Roussel.
... most striking proof of the determination to slander Jesus, is ... The death of the seditious
was certain; but death ... of impassioned partisans than when he began to ...
/.../the romance of m renan and the christ of the gospels/the romance of m renan.htm

The First Epistle of St. Peter
... Peter again, as in 19-21, recalls the roots as he appeals for the fruits ... which is
practicable at all times and in every place,' Johnson) and slander of every ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the first epistle of st.htm

English Version of the Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... Again, the selfsame Apostle to the Thessalonians: 'When,' says he, 'ye received
the word of us, ye received not the word of men, but as it was indeed, the Word ...
/.../english version of the second.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... an infant born in a stable, and laid in a manger, or beholding him when a youth
working with his father as a carpenter, could have conceived that he was the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm