Dragging a Brother to Court - Study 7/21/11
Dragging a brother to Court
Some of you may be following the family feud and drama at the Crystal Cathedral, a once mega Church in California started by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. The church organization is in a financial mess as income and membership has significantly dropped. “The longstanding family dispute has only become more acute in view of financial problems of the church, which last year sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. And this year in May, the church decided to sell the building and 40-acre campus for $46 million to an Orange County developer” The Church has declared bankruptcy and the family feud has intensified as Robert H. Schuller is reported to have been ousted from his post by the board. The Schuller sisters, brothers, father, mother and extended family are at each other joggling for positions, power and control. Please pray for this family for this should not be the case in the body of Christ. Pray that the love of Christ will rule their hearts and that they will resolve their differences and not end up in court.
In today’s study of 1 Corinthians 6, Apostle Paul has come to deal with the third major problem in the Corinthian Church. We are now keeping count. The first is division and strife, the second is sexual immorality and now the third is dragging fellow believers in Christ to court. Should a believer in Christ ever take another believer to the civil court to resolve matters? What is Apostle Paul actually saying to the Corinthians? Keep in mind that this a letter that was read to the Church at one sitting so we must peek towards the end of the Letter to completely understand what Paul is saying in these earlier chapters. When Paul wrote, there were no chapter divisions. Having said this, remember the great love chapter of 13. Love holds everything together in our relationships for Paul, for the Corinthians and for us today. Paul is saying apply and practice God’s love in the body of Christ before you drag another believer to court.
1 Corinthians 6
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”[b] 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body[c] and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Apostle Paul was well educated at least in the Jewish law and I will guess he was also well educated in the Roman/Greek laws of his time. We know this because Paul applied the civil judicial law to his advantage. In the book of Acts when Paul was arrested and his trial was delayed and manipulated by the governor, Paul appealed to Caesar. With this background, Paul was in a good position to give legal counsel to the Corinthian Church.
2. So what is Paul saying to the Corinthians? Is it that the Corinthians should not take anyone to the civil judiciary court? Not at all. Paul in no way is saying do not ever sue anyone in the court of law especially the unbeliever in Christ. To the Corinthians, Paul is saying resolve your matters but choose who should judge for you – the unrighteous or the righteous in Christ. “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?” This is the distinction that Paul was making. Basically he is saying that the Saints should offer a better judgment for all involved. It should be a win-win solution. The matter should be resolved but after the resolution, there should be cordiality and love for one another unlike the unrighteous court system where there are only winners and losers. The winner takes all and enmity is planted among the two parties forever in the “world” court system.
3. The Saints are qualified to judge among each other because as Paul put it, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” How is it that we the saints of God will judge the world and also even the “angels”? Paul is referring to the end judgment when Christ will judge the world. We are in Christ and in that regards, we will judge the world and angels as Jesus judges them.
4. Paul gives us guidance on administering justice in the body of Christ. “If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!” vs.4-6. Paul is saying, find esteemed or respected people in the body of Christ and appoint them to settle matters among believers. I do not believe this a permanent committee but one that is appointed as the situation demands. It does not even have to be a formal appoint but a functioning system where one believer who has made efforts to settle issue with a fellow believe and have not succeeded should bring another believer into the situation. Remember Jesus taught us to first go to our brother or sister who has offended us. 3 "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4
5. Paul now addresses the two parties that are involved in the dispute. He uses the same principle taught by Christ- go the extra mile and give the other the benefit of doubt. “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived". Paul also addresses the brother that is in the wrong. He is saying do what is right and do not forget that what you sow, you will reap. He is saying, are you a con artist in the church that is taking advantage of the grace and love of God? The unrighteous will be judged, please remember.
Do you have a case against a brother or sister right now? My experience is that usually it is often a money issue. A brother/sister borrows and promises to pay and years later no repayment and no apology and he/she lives as if it is business as usual. Is someone owing you right now in the body of Christ? Please go to the person first and ask to be settled. If not take someone with you and make another appeal. Let us exhaust all options in the Church first. Now if you really find that the person is a con artist and not truly a believer in Christ, take him or her to court. I believe Paul would agree with that but he would first say, “Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?” God will surely repay you and me when we act like fools for Christ’s sake. But keep away from the so called brother-con artist. He should be kicked out of the church.
Lord, help us to resolve our differences in the body of Christ with love as the foundation. Lord, help me to pray for the one who has wronged me in the body of Christ and even in my family. Lord, help me to forgive and be a fool for your sake. Amen
Some of you may be following the family feud and drama at the Crystal Cathedral, a once mega Church in California started by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. The church organization is in a financial mess as income and membership has significantly dropped. “The longstanding family dispute has only become more acute in view of financial problems of the church, which last year sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. And this year in May, the church decided to sell the building and 40-acre campus for $46 million to an Orange County developer” The Church has declared bankruptcy and the family feud has intensified as Robert H. Schuller is reported to have been ousted from his post by the board. The Schuller sisters, brothers, father, mother and extended family are at each other joggling for positions, power and control. Please pray for this family for this should not be the case in the body of Christ. Pray that the love of Christ will rule their hearts and that they will resolve their differences and not end up in court.
In today’s study of 1 Corinthians 6, Apostle Paul has come to deal with the third major problem in the Corinthian Church. We are now keeping count. The first is division and strife, the second is sexual immorality and now the third is dragging fellow believers in Christ to court. Should a believer in Christ ever take another believer to the civil court to resolve matters? What is Apostle Paul actually saying to the Corinthians? Keep in mind that this a letter that was read to the Church at one sitting so we must peek towards the end of the Letter to completely understand what Paul is saying in these earlier chapters. When Paul wrote, there were no chapter divisions. Having said this, remember the great love chapter of 13. Love holds everything together in our relationships for Paul, for the Corinthians and for us today. Paul is saying apply and practice God’s love in the body of Christ before you drag another believer to court.
1 Corinthians 6
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”[b] 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body[c] and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Apostle Paul was well educated at least in the Jewish law and I will guess he was also well educated in the Roman/Greek laws of his time. We know this because Paul applied the civil judicial law to his advantage. In the book of Acts when Paul was arrested and his trial was delayed and manipulated by the governor, Paul appealed to Caesar. With this background, Paul was in a good position to give legal counsel to the Corinthian Church.
2. So what is Paul saying to the Corinthians? Is it that the Corinthians should not take anyone to the civil judiciary court? Not at all. Paul in no way is saying do not ever sue anyone in the court of law especially the unbeliever in Christ. To the Corinthians, Paul is saying resolve your matters but choose who should judge for you – the unrighteous or the righteous in Christ. “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?” This is the distinction that Paul was making. Basically he is saying that the Saints should offer a better judgment for all involved. It should be a win-win solution. The matter should be resolved but after the resolution, there should be cordiality and love for one another unlike the unrighteous court system where there are only winners and losers. The winner takes all and enmity is planted among the two parties forever in the “world” court system.
3. The Saints are qualified to judge among each other because as Paul put it, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” How is it that we the saints of God will judge the world and also even the “angels”? Paul is referring to the end judgment when Christ will judge the world. We are in Christ and in that regards, we will judge the world and angels as Jesus judges them.
4. Paul gives us guidance on administering justice in the body of Christ. “If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!” vs.4-6. Paul is saying, find esteemed or respected people in the body of Christ and appoint them to settle matters among believers. I do not believe this a permanent committee but one that is appointed as the situation demands. It does not even have to be a formal appoint but a functioning system where one believer who has made efforts to settle issue with a fellow believe and have not succeeded should bring another believer into the situation. Remember Jesus taught us to first go to our brother or sister who has offended us. 3 "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4
5. Paul now addresses the two parties that are involved in the dispute. He uses the same principle taught by Christ- go the extra mile and give the other the benefit of doubt. “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived". Paul also addresses the brother that is in the wrong. He is saying do what is right and do not forget that what you sow, you will reap. He is saying, are you a con artist in the church that is taking advantage of the grace and love of God? The unrighteous will be judged, please remember.
Do you have a case against a brother or sister right now? My experience is that usually it is often a money issue. A brother/sister borrows and promises to pay and years later no repayment and no apology and he/she lives as if it is business as usual. Is someone owing you right now in the body of Christ? Please go to the person first and ask to be settled. If not take someone with you and make another appeal. Let us exhaust all options in the Church first. Now if you really find that the person is a con artist and not truly a believer in Christ, take him or her to court. I believe Paul would agree with that but he would first say, “Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?” God will surely repay you and me when we act like fools for Christ’s sake. But keep away from the so called brother-con artist. He should be kicked out of the church.
Lord, help us to resolve our differences in the body of Christ with love as the foundation. Lord, help me to pray for the one who has wronged me in the body of Christ and even in my family. Lord, help me to forgive and be a fool for your sake. Amen
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