Watson v. Jones was an 1871 Supreme Court case that deliberated a church property dispute in Louisville, Kentucky. Both groups wanted control of a church building. One had control of the church authority structure; the other claimed to have the more historical doctrine. The latter group also had the majority of people in the church, and they wanted the court to give them the building.
The Supreme Court’s verdict, in essence, lines up with some popular cliches: “Not my circus; not my clowns.” Or, “I don’t have a dog in this fight.” To sum it up, it’s not the job of the federal (or state or municipal) courts to decide doctrinal disputes. That’s the domain of the church, not the state. There are lots of things the government can do well, but doctrine is not one of them. So the court deferred to the authority structure in the church. This precedent became known as the Watson rule. I first learned about it in a college class on the Supreme Court and religious issues – and it still holds today. There is diversity in our court system – but everyone (from Clarence Thomas to Sonia Sotomayor) would go along with the Watson rule. This came to mind while I was studying Acts 18:12-17 recently. Paul was taken to court before Gallio, the newly-appointed Roman governor of Achaia (southern Greece) who was also brother of the famous philosopher Seneca. The charge against Paul was essentially one of defection from Judaism (18:13). The Jewish religion was recognized and protected under Roman law. But Paul had led a split from the synagogue in Corinth, and had set up his base of operations next door – even drawing one of the synagogue leaders and his family into the Christian movement (18: 5-8). No doubt Paul was angering the religious locals. Institutional splits can lead to a lot of acrimony, even when you’re just trying to be faithful to what’s God called you to do. The Lord encouraged Paul in the midst of this hostility with a night vision (18: 9-10), so he persisted. Think about the hostility you’ve faced and how you’ve responded. Sometimes it happens when you make a mistake – and we all make mistakes. Learn from it; try to apologize and mend up things where you can, but move on. Sometimes it’s not because of your mistakes though; sometimes other people are bent on conflict. Whatever the case, it’s good to remember: You can’t always control other people’s dispositions, but you can control how you respond. I know I haven’t always responded well when I’ve faced hostility. It’s easy to get dragged into all the negativity instead of providing a Christ-like alternative. So I studied the Bible with this in mind, and two things stood out from the narrative of Gallio’s court…
God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church
0 Comments
|
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
Categories |