does it even matter what "they" say?

"What we ought to worry about is not so much what people in general will say about us but what the expert in justice and injustice says, the single authority and with him the truth itself."

This is a quote by Socrates in Crito, and it's one of my favorites. I think it captures the essence of this dialogue between Socrates and Crito, and it also presents a very important principle regarding justice. It does not matter what men consider just, so much as how the single authority regards justice. The single authority with whom resides truth: God. Not the gods, but God. He is the expert in justice and injustice because He is the only one who can define justice, just as Euthyphro shows that He's the only one that can define holiness. Socrates refused to bend to Crito's pleadings because he knew that justice and truth were on the opposite side of the argument. Socrates personified the Law later in the dialogue, and the Laws were also on the side of justice and truth. Nowadays I don't know if the same could be said of our laws, but as far as the law as an authority goes, God is pretty clear how we are supposed to view that in 1 Peter 2:13-15 the Bible says, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." Socrates realized that he would be giving the foolish people more to talk about if he escaped from prison, and he would not be upholding the good and right, no matter haw justified he might seem before his friends.

I think this is very applicable to our lives as well. How often do we measure our actions by what other people think instead of "what the expert in justice and injustice says"? If truth resides with God, then why would we listen to mere humans regarding what is right? Why not go to the authority on the subject? Personally, I am more concerned about the verdict of the One with whom reside truth and justice, rather than the opinions of men who have no control or grasp on the vast principle of justice.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

commented on Rebekah's "Euthyphro and Socrates battle it out!"