The very first time gaslighting was used is definitely written within the Bible: Genesis 3, the autumn of Adam and Eve.
Now, the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the girl, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree within the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees within the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that’s in the midst of the garden, and you will need to not touch it, otherwise you will die.’”
“You won’t definitely die,” the serpent said to the girl. “For God knows that once you eat from it, your eyes shall be opened, and also you shall be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:1-5
One of my favorite Bible teachers used to say he could just picture Satan leaning against the tree – to prove his point that “you won’t definitely die” for those who touch the tree. Of course, too, God had not said, “You must not touch it.” His words and actions were enough to make Adam and Eve query God – they began to imagine Satan when he said, “You shall be like God, knowing good and evil.” Thus, they ate the fruit of which that they had been told to not eat, and the remaining is history.
While the Bible never specifically uses the term, it does provide some general guidance on coping with people who find themselves manipulative and dishonest:
A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works smash. (Proverbs 26:28)
Paul warns against what we now call gaslighting:
I appeal to you, brothers, to observe out for many who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you’ve been taught; avoid them. For such individuals don’t serve our Lord Christ but their very own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive. (Romans 16:17-18)
…in order that we may not be children, tossed from side to side by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:14)
Even in the primary century, there have been those that tried whatever method would work to drag people away from the reality that they had been taught by Paul. They would lean into intelligent-sounding messages that contradicted Paul’s message.
But what about today? In our modern times, there are indeed non-believers who employ the gaslighting technique to steer people away from the messages of the Bible, in addition to casual believers away from their Biblical faith. Even believers may begin to query what they thought was true – and maybe alter their stance on Biblical doctrine. But there are also those that discover as Christian who may unintentionally use gaslighting to divert from the grace of God by perpetuating such falsehoods which they’ve come to simply accept as truth.
