.jpg)
Consider this: A person may possess extraordinary logos (profound knowledge, sharp intellect, and the rare ability to articulate truth with clarity and precision). They may also carry remarkable pathos (the emotional depth, sincerity, and charisma that can stir hearts and move people toward conviction).
Yet if their character (ethos) is successfully slandered, all of that power evaporates.
Their words, even if they were speaking the very oracles of God, will be rejected outright. The truth that could rescue a soul, revive a church, or even preserve a nation falls on deaf ears.
This is no accident. Scripture identifies Satan as “the accuser of the brethren,” and his very name means “slanderer.” From the very beginning in Eden, his strategy has been the same: undermine trust in the Messenger so that the Message is never received. “Has God really said…?”
This is why we must be extraordinarily careful. Before we lend any credibility to accusations against someone’s character (especially public accusations) we should demand clear, demonstrable, and widely corroborated evidence, preferably from their own words or actions. And even then, we should recognize in this day how easily words and situations can be twisted in an era of such group think.
Conspiracy theories, lingering bitterness, and reckless slander are slowing the advance of the Gospel in our day just as effectively as false teaching and wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Be slow to believe the worst about others, whether they stand on a national platform or sit in the pew beside you. The enemy is a master at poisoning wells. Don’t become his unwitting accomplices."
