My Karma Ran Over My Dogma

An ancient textual variant in Acts 15 reads, “That which is evil to you, do not do another.” This is another angle on the more famous passage from Matthew 7, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Together, these two rules of behavior constitute a comprehensive program for assessing our values. In order to follow them, I need to know both what I consider to be “evil” and how I would like to be treated (presumably, “good”). I’ve heard many people say, “Well, what about perverted people who want others to inflict pain on them? Is Jesus saying it’s OK for them to act violently?”

The context of Jesus’ statement provides the focus. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matt. 5) "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Mat 7)

The principle is most concisely captured in a phrase by the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Jesus is challenging us to evaluate our conceptions of “good” and “evil,” and to pay attention to how we behave toward those we encounter. Do we value mercy and honesty? Do we value condemnation and deceit? “God is not mocked,” Paul wrote. I.e., this is an immutable law.