Handling Disputes (1 Cor. 3:1-6)

Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
(1 Corinthians 6:1-6, NASB)

Before I start writing each day’s devotional, I pray for the Holy Spirit to write through me. And usually, He gives me the words. Then there are times like today when He leads me to seek guidance from others He’s inspired.

Sometimes God’s word seems very clear to me, and other times … not so much. That’s one of the things I love about the Bible: No matter how often I read it, I learn new things, and I find new mysteries. That’s also why I love that the Spirit has inspired countless men and women—many of whom are much smarter than I am—to write books and commentaries.

So today, I go to one of them to help me write.

According to The Adam Clark Commentary, these verses deal with Christians were taking each other to the heathen courts. He writes that “we learn that the Christian Church at Corinth was in a state of great imperfection, notwithstanding there were very many eminent characters among them. Divided as they were among themselves, there was no one person who possessed any public authority to settle differences between man and man …”

Paul told the Corinthian Christians that one day, the saints—followers of the one true God—will judge the world and the angels; therefore, shouldn’t there have been a wise Christian man who could judge the disputes between Christian brothers?

Today, we have a court system set up to arbitrate disputes, but Paul was adamant: A Christian shouldn’t take a brother or sister to court. Instead, they should settle their dispute by seeking wise, godly counsel.

I guess the bottom line is that if we’re dealing with each other in love, we shouldn’t have any dispute that would require legal intervention. If we manifest the fruit of the Spirit, then we will never do anything that would cause another to even consider legal action.

Is this true? Do we love each other that much? Do we strive to be gentle and kind to our brothers and sisters?

I have to agree with Paul: It’s shameful when Christians escalate any dispute to a courtroom. What does that say to the world? Certainly not that we’re like Christ.

Something to think about …