I am currently reading through 1 Corinthians and just read through chapter 6 today. I found it rather interesting.
1 Cor 6:1-11
“If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another – and this in front of unbelievers!
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters or adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
We will judge angels? I never remember reading that before. And I’m so used to reading that we should not judge others… is that talking about a different type of judgment (like judge of character vs. judging a committed act)?
That second paragraph is what really made me wonder a few things. Now I’ve never had a lawsuit against anyone, nor have I known anyone who filed a lawsuit against anyone else (to be honest, I think lawsuits are overdone). The bit that I wonder about is the “rather be” wronged and cheated. Is this just referring to a lawsuit? If we have “brothers in Christ” who are doing wrong or cheating us or another Christian, what do we do? I’m not suggesting a lawsuit of course. Do we bring it up? Do we tell them? And what if we try and they refuse to listen? Do we separate ourselves from them completely? Or do we allow it to continue? I don’t think the latter is quite right…
To “rather” be wronged or cheated… this doesn’t mean we should allow it to happen, does it? Even if we talk about it and the other party continues in their ways… do we then bring in another person (unrelated to the issue of course) to help us work out our differences? This is kind of confusing to me… probably because I’ve never had to deal with anything of the sort before… and I don’t recall seeing anyone else who has. I know 1 Cor 5:11-13 talks about dealing with a Christian who is living in sin (specific ones listed, same as the 3rd paragraph above) and that we should not associate with them (I believe this is for our own protection, to keep us from adopting similar principles and views of what is sinful, thus harming our own Christian walk).
What do you think?
1 Cor 6:1-11
“If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another – and this in front of unbelievers!
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters or adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
We will judge angels? I never remember reading that before. And I’m so used to reading that we should not judge others… is that talking about a different type of judgment (like judge of character vs. judging a committed act)?
That second paragraph is what really made me wonder a few things. Now I’ve never had a lawsuit against anyone, nor have I known anyone who filed a lawsuit against anyone else (to be honest, I think lawsuits are overdone). The bit that I wonder about is the “rather be” wronged and cheated. Is this just referring to a lawsuit? If we have “brothers in Christ” who are doing wrong or cheating us or another Christian, what do we do? I’m not suggesting a lawsuit of course. Do we bring it up? Do we tell them? And what if we try and they refuse to listen? Do we separate ourselves from them completely? Or do we allow it to continue? I don’t think the latter is quite right…
To “rather” be wronged or cheated… this doesn’t mean we should allow it to happen, does it? Even if we talk about it and the other party continues in their ways… do we then bring in another person (unrelated to the issue of course) to help us work out our differences? This is kind of confusing to me… probably because I’ve never had to deal with anything of the sort before… and I don’t recall seeing anyone else who has. I know 1 Cor 5:11-13 talks about dealing with a Christian who is living in sin (specific ones listed, same as the 3rd paragraph above) and that we should not associate with them (I believe this is for our own protection, to keep us from adopting similar principles and views of what is sinful, thus harming our own Christian walk).
What do you think?
I prayed about this, and am still confused about some matters, but I feel that I will learn more as God reveals more to me… the more time I spend with Him, the more He will show me.
1 comment:
Sabrina, try reading Matthew 18:15-17. I think it might answer some of your questions. When looking that up, I also came across 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, which might help, too.
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