(ChurchLeaders) On Wednesday (Oct 20), ChurchLeaders reported that pastor and former SBC president nominee Mike Stone filed a defamation lawsuit against Russell Moore, the former president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC). Since that time, considerable online debate has arisen regarding the ethics of one Christian leader suing another and whether Stone’s lawsuit is justifiable from a Christian perspective.
The conversation centers on how Christians should interpret Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, where he rebukes the Corinthians believers for bringing lawsuits against one another.
To some, this passage constitutes a universal prohibition against Christians suing one another. However, others interpret Paul’s words to mean that Christians ought not to bring frivolous lawsuits against one another.
In the suit, Stone claims Moore led a “malicious campaign” against him that was motivated by Moore’s desire to retaliate against Stone for conducting an investigation into the ERLC.