Is the Majority Always Right? —

Let’s face it. We live in a world in which it’s very easy just to follow the crowd. And with mainstream media, social media, pop science and the like it’s easier than ever to become conformed to the world’s thinking without even realizing it. Mainstream opinion can certainly be a powerful manipulator, and it can easily and unknowingly shape our thoughts to the point that we blindly accept it as truth. But is the majority as right as they claim to be? According to the Bible the answer to that question is a resounding no! And to show you what I mean let’s look at a few examples in Scripture when the majority was very wrong.

The Flood (Genesis 6-8)

In Noah’s day most of the world didn’t believe that a worldwide flood was going to happen. They thought it was fake news! But Noah—a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5)—along with his family knew it would come to pass as God had said. And it did! Sady, those who bought into mainstream ideas got washed away. Interestingly, the majority of people today still deny this global catastrophe despite the strong Biblical, historical, and scientific witness to its reality.

The Israelite Spies Bring a Bad Report (Numbers 13)

In Numbers 13, just after the Exodus, twelve Israelites were sent into Canaan to spy out the land God had promised them as an inheritance. But 10 out of the 12 spies brought back a negative report because they were afraid to fight the inhabitants of the land even though God had guaranteed them the victory. Unfortunately, Israel listened to the majority opinion and refused to enter the land. For their unbelief God subjected them to a grueling 40-year journey in the wilderness until all the adults from that unbelieving generation died (except for Caleb and Joshua, the 2 spies who brought a positive report).

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

In 1 Samuel 17 all Israel (including King Saul) was petrified of the Philistines and their champion Goliath who stood over 9 feet tall. As with the 10 spies, most (if not all) of Israel thought they were doomed. But one man—David—begged to differ. He believed God would deliver them from the hands of the Philistines and He did. With a single stone from David’s sling the giant was brought down before the God of Israel.

Ahab Dies in Battle (1 Kings 22 & 2 Chronicles 18)

In 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18 four hundred prophets confidently told King Ahab that he would be successful in his war against Ramoth Gilead. But one prophet by the name of Micaiah, who had actually heard from the Lord, knew better and warned the king not to go. Ahab, however, followed the majority opinion and it cost him his life.

Job’s Friends (Job)

Job’s three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—thought Job’s extreme suffering was divine punishment for sin in his life. However, they couldn’t have been more wrong and at the end of the book, God corrected this popular opinion.

Jesus Christ

I could go on and on but the best example of the majority being wrong is regarding the identity of Jesus Christ. Most people do not believe or recognize Jesus as God—as the way, the truth, and the life. As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7(:13-14), “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

So as we can see from this very brief Scriptural survey, the majority opinion can be and is often very wrong. I’m not saying that it’s always wrong. But we need to be careful not to allow our thinking to be warped by the world. Instead, we need to learn to think critically and to test everything by the Word of God (the ultimate fact checker). The Apostle Paul warned us in Romans 12:2 to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”