Romans 1:30 employs καταλάλους to describe those whom God has “given over” because they suppressed the truth. In the Berean Standard Bible the term is rendered “slanderers” within a sweeping catalog of vices: “They are gossip, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful” (Romans 1:30). Positioned between “gossip” and “God-haters,” the word intensifies the portrait of a society that has exchanged divine glory for unrighteousness. The singular appearance underscores its gravity; once is enough to establish slander as emblematic of a mind “depraved” (Romans 1:28).

Old Testament Background

The moral revulsion toward backbiting is rooted in the Torah and Wisdom literature. “You must not go about spreading slander among your people” (Leviticus 19:16). Psalms 15:3 declares that the one who “does not slander with his tongue” may dwell in the LORD’s sanctuary. Proverbs repeatedly links malicious speech to folly and destruction (Proverbs 10:18; Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 16:28). These texts reveal an abiding biblical ethic: speech that harms another’s reputation violates love of neighbor and the Ninth Commandment.

New Testament Parallels

Though καταλάλους appears only in Romans 1:30, its cognates widen the theme:
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 warns against “slander” (καταλαλιά) that fractures fellowship.
• James 4:11 commands, “Do not slander one another, brothers.”
• 1 Peter 2:1 urges believers to “rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.”

Together these passages contrast the works of the flesh with speech governed by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Theological Themes

1. Sin’s Social Dimension. Slander is more than an individual lapse; it corrodes community and mirrors humanity’s rebellion against God. Paul places it within a vice list that culminates in approval of evil (Romans 1:32).
2. The Heart-Tongue Connection. Jesus taught that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Slander exposes an inner hostility that first offends God and then neighbor.
3. Sanctification of Speech. Scripture envisions redeemed speech that “gives grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29) and that blesses rather than curses (Romans 12:14). The transformation of language testifies to the indwelling Spirit.

Historical and Cultural Insights

In the Greco-Roman world, defamation could incur legal action, yet rhetorical invective flourished in politics and theatre. Early Christians distinguished themselves by refusing reviling speech. Apologists such as Athenagoras countered false rumors by modeling honest discourse, demonstrating that allegiance to Christ reorients the public use of words.

Implications for Ministry and Christian Living

• Pastoral Oversight: Elders are to be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2), which includes being free from slander. Church discipline may become necessary when malicious talk persists (Titus 3:10-11).
• Congregational Culture: Small-group settings should foster confession and encouragement, not rumor. Teaching on Romans 1:30 can expose hidden patterns of verbal sin.
• Evangelistic Witness: A community that refuses to distort the truth about others stands in stark contrast to a culture saturated with online defamation, thus adorning the gospel (Titus 2:10).

Illustrative Examples from Church History

John Chrysostom likened slander to “a sword that pierces at a distance,” urging congregants to guard one another’s good name. The Reformers echoed this stance; Martin Luther’s exposition of the Eighth Commandment emphasized explaining a neighbor’s actions “in the kindest way.” Such counsel remains timely wherever speech is cheapened.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 2637 spotlights the sin of slander—speech that degrades others and defies God. Though attested only once in the Greek New Testament, it resonates through the canon, calling believers to honor both God and neighbor by sanctifying their tongues.