I submit to the authority of Christ. He teaches that teachers are known by their fruits, that judgment requires prior self-examination, that mercy governs the use of law, and that love of neighbor is the measure upon which all Scripture hangs. I therefore cannot accept any interpretation that produces contempt or denies dignity, because such an application departs from the pattern Jesus commands.

1. Authority is measured by likeness to Christ

Gospel of Matthew 7:15–20
Jesus teaches that people are known by their fruits. The test of a teacher is not rhetorical certainty but the moral character their teaching produces.

Implication in debate:
If an interpretation yields contempt, exclusion, or harm, it fails Christ’s test of good fruit, regardless of how confidently it is asserted.

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2. Judgment is limited by Jesus’ explicit command

Gospel of Matthew 7:1–5
“Judge not, that you be not judged… first take the log out of your own eye.”

Say this:
Jesus authorizes moral discernment only after rigorous self-examination. A posture of condemnation without confessed fallibility contradicts His instruction.

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3. Mercy governs the application of law

Gospel of John 8:1–11
Jesus halts a legal condemnation and disperses the accusers by confronting their own sinfulness.

Tell them:
No appeal to Scripture licenses public shaming or punitive zeal. Jesus exercises authority through restraint and restoration, not humiliation.

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4. Love is the controlling principle of all commandments

Gospel of Matthew 22:37–40
On love of God and neighbor “hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Listen to this:
According to Jesus, every interpretation must be accountable to love as its governing norm. If an application negates love of neighbor, it contradicts the interpretive rule Jesus gives.

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5. The standard of discipleship is how one treats others

Gospel of John 13:34–35
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Show them:
Christian identity is publicly verified by love, not by severity. A manner of engagement that abandons love forfeits the mark Jesus names.

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6. Self-exaltation disqualifies; humility justifies

Gospel of Luke 18:9–14
The one who exalts himself is not justified; the humble supplicant is.

Shame them:
Claims of superior righteousness or exclusive insight stand under Jesus’ warning. Justification is associated with humility, not moral self-assurance.

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7. The “Golden Rule” constrains all moral enforcement

Gospel of Matthew 7:12
“Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Oppose them:
Any proposed treatment of another believer must pass the reciprocity test Jesus identifies as summative of Scripture.