Three Courts of Appeal: From Men to Conscience to Christ

The Corinthian church was fractured by the Greek vice of factional loyalty, with Paul, Peter, and Apollos elevated as rival champions. Yet these three apostles themselves stood in closest friendship, united as servants of one Master. This paradox illuminates Paul's doctrine of the three tribunals. First stands the lowest court: human judgment. Paul acknowledges its power—his letters crackle with evidence that he felt keenly the slanders and hostile criticism of opponents.…