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The Court of Public Opinion


          If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
        The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. (I Corinthians 6:1-8)

          I’m not aware that this sort of thing is taking place in a real legal arena. It probably does, but I tend to live in my own little world. What I do notice, however, is that individuals are going to social media and the public to “try” others in the court of public opinion. A simple example is support for Mr. Trump. It is legitimate to ask whether a Christian should support Mr. Trump. That leads to a discussion. However, it seems as though a large number of Christians who think Christians shouldn’t are questioning the Christianity of those who do support his policies. And, it seems as though a large number of Christians who think Christians must are questioning the Christianity of those who find the man unsupportable.
          Perhaps more significantly even than that, they are not going to the Christian(s) involved and discussing the issue with them. They are effectively getting on their high horses and calling the world to judge them – in order to force them to submit to the mounted folk’s judgment.
          Jesus taught us that if we catch a fellow-Christian in sin, we are to go to that fellow-Christian one-on-one. If the fellow-Christian does not repent, we’re to bring a couple more Christians into the conversation. If the fellow-Christian is still not convinced to repent, we’re to take it to the Church, and if he still won’t repent, we’re to exclude him/her from fellowship. At no point does Jesus grant us the right to do as the Pharisees and/or Sadducees did to the woman caught in adultery.
To put this in rhetorical terms – we are to publicly debate the issues, and privately correct the erring person.

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