The opinion of one versus the opinion of all men

While reading the works of Plato this week not only did I get slightly confused, but also I found multiple portions which thankfully made sense.  There was one point in particular that Socrates made in Crito that I feel I really need to apply to my own life. While talking to Crito, Socrates asks the question,"And he ought to live and train, and eat and drink in the way which seems good to his single master who has understanding, rather than according to the opinion of all other men put together?" Crito obviously says that this is true, that instead of listening to the opinion of all men who have no understanding, man should live according to the one who has understanding.  Socrates goes on to point out that if we listen to the opinion of the many we will suffer evil, then we will have a corrupted body, and if we are evil and have a corrupted body there is no point to life if we aren't living the way we are supposed to.

I feel as Christians this is really strong and serious advice we all should heed.  Since God is the ultimate authority and the only one who understands our true purpose and calling, if we aren't following His will then what is the point in this life we are given? Why should we care or listen to the opinion of the world that has no true understanding of God's plan and wind up suffering evil and corrupting our bodies when we can just follow God's will and live our lives according to His opinions and judgement? Unfortunately, it's easier said than done.  Falling into the temptations of the world and wanting the approval of our peers is something the flesh craves. Thankfully, we serve a God who is also forgiving and has already paid the ultimate price for when we fail him. Fortunately also for Socrates, he was able to base his decision on what he thought was the will of  god or "gods" and not on the opinion of his friends who thought it would be okay to escape prison. I just find it so incredible that Socrates was able to pinpoint a problem that is clearly still found all over the world today. I think this portion of Crito can always serve as a reminder to Christians that following the will of God will result in a purposeful life rather than falling prey to the world and having purposeless life.


p.s. commented on For the love of the gods by emilylaforce