if . . . .” Heb. 3:6. In these days God’s house is not buildings made with hands; it is people who are willing to be saved and transformed; in other words, it is the church of the living God. We are, at the same time, the house and the individual people who live in the house. It is therefore of vital and necessary interest to receive as much light as possible about how we should walk in this holy house, and faithfully live according to this increasing light: 1) Always judge ourselves by agreeing with the increasing light. 2) Never judge or criticize the others. “Judge not!” 3) Compete in honoring one another. “Honor to whom honor [is due].” Rom. 13:7. “Honor all people.” 1 Pet. 2:17. This is often largely neglected, resulting in dire consequences. 4) “Do not speak evil [slander] of one another . . . .” Jas. 4:11. David wanted to destroy the slanderers. Ps. 101:5. In the new covenant, we are commanded to put out of the church those who slander (1 Cor. 5:11-13), those who engage in this nasty, subversive, demonic habit. They shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10. They do not belong in this precious house of God which we are, the church, the body of Christ. Slander is to speak disparagingly about someone who is not present. It is the exact opposite of honoring each other. We are supposed to compete in honoring one another. Slander, on the other hand, is the perfect contrast to exhortation and rebuke, since the person concerned is not present! One is decidedly evil. “Put away from yourselves that wicked person,” that is, after he has been warned a few times. Either / or! Either out with slander (finish with it completely), or out of the church with everyone who either does not want to or cannot be finished with this disastrous ruination. 5) Titus 2:3. Older women, elder sisters, are to be exhorted not to be slanderers. That is their sinful inclination, one of their worst inclinations. Paul says to speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. V. 15. In other words, it shall be relentlessly destroyed. It is not without reason that words such as “chatterboxes” and “gossips” have come into use. Talkative women who go around talking about this person and that person and criticizing this and that, who cannot bridle their tongue, are dead while they live, causing an unimaginable amount of harm. 1 Tim. 5:5-6. In 1 Timothy 5:10 it is written about the chaste women who have washed the saints’ feet, but slanderers have soiled their feet (their conduct) with their evil judgment and criticism. This is in stark contrast to what is proper in God’s house. What a shame! Going from house to house gossiping, saying things they ought not to say, Paul calls this turning aside after Satan. 1 Tim. 5:13-15. It is not anything else, even though one tries with superb oratorical skills and much cheekiness to make it sound nice. “Things they ought not to say,” as Paul puts it, is the same as what Peter calls “a busybody in other people’s matters,” which he very aptly classifies together with murderers and thieves. 1 Pet. 4:15. This is something else than loving and serving one another or competing in honoring one another, or seeking each other’s best and bearing each other’s burdens. Slanderers pollute; they do not refresh! 6) “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.” 1 Tim. 2:11-12. How marvelous are God’s wisdom and goodness!!! This is the most excellent help for women; it is for their own best for time and eternity. By being obedient to this word, they avoid many, unnecessary temptations, dangers, and snares, which benefits the church and the upcoming generation in every way. This beneficial truth has particularly and with the utmost clarity been brought to light and established by the exceedingly great apostles Paul and Peter. She is to “be in silence.” 1 Tim. 2:12. There she is protected. There she does the least amount of harm. There she can best keep the peace and joy and a good conscience. “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” V. 14. She took the lead and it went badly. Imagine if she had kept silent and left it up to Adam? Things go well when there is self-control. V. 15. Adorning themselves with a quiet spirit. 1 Pet. 3:4. Then they are beautiful! Then it is pleasant and sound and good! 1 Peter 3:1: Being submissive, winning their unconverted husband without words!!! Oh, the wisdom of God! What a help and what a remedy that is! What a preserving power! What salvation! James 1:26: “And does not bridle his tongue . . . this one’s religion is useless.” Therefore: all other things that are good, profit nothing if you do not bridle your tongue. In other words, then you have no chance at all of entering the kingdom of God. You remain outside; you are rejected. Sirach says that the sword has killed many, but the tongue has destroyed even more. 7) Filthy [shameful] language. Col. 3:8. The worst of all shameful talk is criticism or speaking disparagingly about your fellow brothers. “Corrupt communication.” Eph. 4:29. The most corrupt and appalling thing is to criticize and slander your brother. It is terribly wrong for a person to think badly about his fellow brother, and if he expresses such ungodly thoughts to others, he is a carrier of the plague. If weak or unestablished souls are present and hear such things from older sisters or brothers, then such a person is guilty of manslaughter, even though he, by God’s great grace, should survive the use of such a murderous weapon. 8) Psalm 101: Every man is lord and in charge in his own house. He must absolutely not permit any slander in his house. No criticism of people who are not present. No disparaging words; not a single word! He must put a stop to it immediately! It is put down right away. This is how the evil is destroyed! Such evil people ought not to be in one’s house! Either / or!!! Either such behavior has to stop, or out of the house! 9) Leading brothers must be aware of their great responsibility. They must keep watch over His house, which is the church. Shepherd the flock of God! Oversee it! Slanderers must be put out if they do not want to be radically converted!!! In Jesus’ name, out with them, so that the others can prosper and grow, and that they (if possible) can take time for reflection and be converted and saved. May it be so!Your friend, brother, and fellow worker— Elias Aslaksen