In chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians Paul addresses, the problem
with litigation in civil courts and moral laxity. In the
first 11 verses of chapter 6, Paul addresses the sinful
divisions of the Corinthians that have made their way into
public view in the civil courts. When these disputes are
taken before unbelieving judges, the world gets to watch
these Christians fight with one another in court. Instead of
taking their disputes into the civil courts Paul advises the
Corinthians to settle their grievances as privately as
possible within the church.
Addressing the problem with litigation and moral laxity Paul
asks a sequence of questions that indirectly expose the
pathetic conditions in the Corinthian church. Six times in
this chapter, Paul asks the question, “Do you not know.”
Paul begins his instructions with the question, “Do you not
know that the saints will judge world?” In verse 3, Paul
asks the question, “Do you not know that we will judge
angels? If the Corinthians are listening to Paul and not the
false teachers in their midst they would know the saints
will judge the world and angels. If they do not know, the
saints will judge the world and angels it is time they
reconsider their source of information concerning the
future.
Paul’s point is, if the saints will judge both the world and
the angels at the coming of Christ, why in the world do two
or more believers turn to the world’s judicial system to
settle their disputes. Since the judges in the civil courts
lack the ability to comprehend or appraise spiritual things,
the judgments handed down in the civil courts cannot solve
the problems of divisions in the church. If this were true,
why would church members turn to them for judgment in
spiritual things? They should be ashamed of themselves for
taking their disputes before unbelieving judges, as
unbelievers look on in amazement, or amusement.
Paul asks the Corinthians if there not one wise person among
them who is qualified to judge the disputes between church
members. What a blow to their pride. Paul asks those who
judge him and find him wanting. Where are these critics? Why
is no one able to judge such mundane matters? They are great
at being judgmental, however they are absent when there is a
need for judges.
In verse 7, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians, if they
take another believer to court, they have already lost.
Taking another believer to court is a no win situation. The
better way is to take the loss to keep unity in the church.
What keeps the Corinthians from taking the loss, from being
the victim? What keeps us from taking the loss, the same
thing that kept the Corinthians from taking the loss, pride?
We do not want to let the other person get the better of us.
We do not want to lose. If we are materialistic, we do not
want to lose money or possessions, which are more precious
to us than our relationships with fellow-believers. Those
who are self-centered and self-serving do not want to have
any of their rights violated. We protect and exercise our
rights, no matter what the cost to others.
We can only understand Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian
Christians in terms of the utterly different value system of
the Christian, as opposed to that of the unbeliever. When
Jesus invited men to follow Him, they were instructed to
“take up their cross daily” and follow Him. It was on the
cross of Calvary our Lord Jesus Christ was wronged and this
brought about our salvation.
This is the reason our Lord taught His disciples not to
retaliate, but to return good for evil (Matthew 5:43-48).
Jesus taught that if a man forces you to go a mile, you
should go two miles instead (Matthew 5:41). The one who asks
of us should receive from us (Matthew 5:42). Our goal in
life is not to accumulate possessions or to protect and
preserve them. We are to give all these things up, gladly.
Our attitude should not be to seek our own interests ahead
of others, but rather to seek the interests of others ahead
of our own (Philippians 2:1-8). This being the case, we
should be willing to go that second mile, especially for the
sake of the gospel and for the testimony of the church.
Paul urges the Corinthians to take their grievance to the
church and to suffer loss rather than damage the reputation
of the church and hinder the gospel by exposing the sins of
a brother to the world.
Why is Paul taking this situation in Corinth so seriously?
Why, in the light of his attitude in the first four
chapters, does Paul suddenly become agitated about lawsuits
between Christians? First, the issue is the unity of the
church, the body of Christ. The church is one body, and
believers are all brothers. The focus of each believer is to
build up the body of Christ, which means that he must build
up individual believers. Taking a fellow-believer to court
is not what building up the church is about. Generally, we
take another person to court to take him apart, not to build
him up. The church is a temple, the dwelling place of a holy
God. To destroy the temple, by attacking its members is to
invite divine destruction (3:16-17). Paul views lawsuits as
a denial of the gospel. To continue to act as we formerly
did, as sinners, denies the radical change the gospel makes.
As Christians, we cannot persist in thinking and acting as
we formerly did, apart from Christ.
Paul’s second reason for becoming agitated about lawsuits is
they have an adverse affect upon our worship, and there must
be reconciliation before we can worship in unity and
harmony, Jesus said, “If therefore you are presenting your
offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your offering there before
the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your
brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew
5:23-24).
Paul knows, as our Lord taught the process of litigation is
the opposite of the process of reconciliation, “Make friends
quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on
the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to
the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown
into prison. Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of
there, until you have paid up the last cent” (Matthew
5:25-26).
Reconciliation is the goal of the Christian. Retribution or
restitution is the goal of litigation. Reconciliation
commences immediately; litigation drags on endlessly.
Reconciliation is pursued privately, and becomes no more
public than is necessary. Litigation is public. Jesus
therefore instructs His followers to seek reconciliation
before, and instead of, litigation. Once the process of
litigation has commenced, it is nearly irreversible, and the
two litigants become irreconcilable.
From Paul’s attitude concerning lawsuits, it seems that the
Corinthians eagerly pursued the resolution of their disputes
in the law courts of that day. They purposely avoid taking
their dispute to the church. They do not want to deal with
this matter on a spiritual level. They do not wish to
reconcile. They did not want to be confronted with their sin
and challenged to repent. They did not want to run the risk
of being under church discipline. They wanted to protect
their rights and their possessions. They wanted to get ahead
of their opponent, not to take a loss. The civil courts
could force a person to act in a certain way. The church
only has spiritual authority, which to the worldly church
member is another form of weakness. They wanted to make
something happen, and so the process of seeking
reconciliation in the church was avoided, and the civil
courts chosen to settle disputes.
In these principles Paul set down governing our handling of
conflicts in the church, there are some difficult questions
that need to be answered. Is the Christian never to go to
court under any circumstances? Does this apply to civil
proceedings or to criminal proceedings as well, should a
Christian “press charges” against a fellow-believer?
What Paul seeks to forbid in our text is Christians looking
to the secular court system to resolve spiritual conflicts
between themselves. There are times when two Christians
appear in court when neither is attempting to harm the
other. For example, one Christian might accidentally run
into the car of another believer. His insurance company may
try to withhold payment, even though he admits guilt. In
such a case, the two parties might appear in court, but it
is the insurance companies seeking some kind of legal
judgment.
Some Christians get into legal troubles, troubles which
necessitate them going to court, because they did not seek
proper legal counsel before making agreements or
commitments. Sometimes we may get ourselves into trouble
because we want to appear spiritual, and so we agree to do
things without defining the details. Differences and
disagreements which result from such agreements are
unnecessary, and the result of our own carelessness.
The Corinthian Christians end up in the civil courts because
their conflicts were not dealt with in their early stages.
The sooner conflicts are addressed, the more likely the
cure. Parents, do not wait until it is too late to try to
heal broken relationships with your children. Believers, you
know who has something against you, or against whom you have
some kind of grudge. Seek out your brother, and heal that
relationship. It will be not only for the good of the
gospel, and the glory of God, but for your good as well.
