By Bill Reeves
I guess he was guilty of “e-gossiping,” judging by what he wrote in some of his e-pistles! Why he criticized poor Hymenaeus and Alexander; he surely learned them a lesson, according to 1 Timothy 1:20! In his second e-pistle “ole” Paul continued to gossip, this time running down Phygelus and Homogenized, uh, Hermogenes. You can read about this in the second e-pistle, 1:15. He insinuated that they were deserters! And, what’s more, in that same e-pistle, chapter 4:14, Paul took on Alexander the coppersmith; he really put him down! (I even have read about the apostle John engaging in e-gossip. Did you read what he said in one of his e-pistles about brother Diotrophes?)
Things haven’t changed much since the first century. They told us down at the Florida College Lectures this year that some today are engaging in that “e-gossip” business, really putting down some good brethren of fame in the brotherhood. (Why, these e-gossipers have the nerve to even call “false teachers” some of our preacher brothers who have such wonderful attitudes and character). They said that some of these bad guys are out there on the Internet putting some well-known brethren in the “electronic mail chair”! Can you believe it? Where has love and kindness and sweet-spiritedness all gone to? I thought that gossiping is sin!
But, I don’t worry; these teachers are also sending out their e-mails, and making their speeches, really letting these gossipers have it!
Why not just e-quarantine them?