Or the talk may be subtle, refined, intellectual, even couched in Christian terms. If you know something bad about a person, or you suspect something, do not share it with anyone unless that person has a direct hand in the solution of the problem. Sins of the tongue are a sign of the believer's reverting to the old way of life, the condition of the carnal man. In fact, the believer who indulges in sins of the tongue cannot be distinguished from an unbeliever. The believer is warned in Ephesians 4 not to fall into the life patterns of the unbeliever.
Verbal sins can destroy a family or a congregation.
Things like gossip, slander, maligning, judging, backbiting, and boasting are malicious, venal, and destructive. Troublemakers are always characterized by sins of the tongue. It is the duty of the pastor to warn against these things. And believers are commanded to separate themselves from such troublemakers. This separation may be just a turning away or refusal to comment or to reply in a conversation.