Keep it in the Family

In the previous verses Paul was dealing with immorality in the church and the church accepting it instead of dealing with the offender and protecting the church AND their ability to share the gospel

This week Paul is dealing with another issue that maybe isn’t a moral failing but it sure an ethical issue. More importantly, it is a witness issue…

1 Corinthians 6:1–11 CSB

1 If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have such matters, do you appoint as your judges those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between fellow believers? 6 Instead, brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. 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.

Paul is addressing an issues with Christians taking fellow Christians to court.

This is not criminal but is speaking more to property disputes - ie. you wanted to buy a cow from me so we agreed on a price but maybe you couldn’t pay right then. So being a fellow Christian I let you take the cow on the promise you would pay me later…. and you don’t. So instead of dealing with this as family I take you to court over it.

If you have a dispute with brother or sister, handle it among the family.

There are several reasons why but one of the first would be - why would you go to people who do not have the same beliefs you do?

This is Paul’s main argument - why would you go to the lost of the world when you can and should to to the saved.

The judgement of believers carries eternal weight.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 18:18-20

Matthew 18:18–20 CSB

18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

Paul is telling us that we have this heavenly authority and if that authority is good enough to judge the world and even the angels then it is more than good enough to mediate between brothers and sisters in Christ.

Out judgement as believers holds eternal weight through Jesus Christ.

If we engage in a dispute with a brother or sister then we have already lost.

It will hurt our relationship with them and others in the body.

It will also hurt our witness to the world that witnesses us going after one another.

It is better for us to suffer personally than to hurt a brother or sister.

it doesn’t really have much to do with the dispute but the attitude of the heart that would cause someone to take this action.

The mindset is that of earthly gain and not on the eternal - look at what Paul says, “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”

He adds this action of the heart to a ominous list - “sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers”.

The good news - we do not have to act this way, by being saved by Jesus we are different. Pauls list 3 things that took place at our salvation that make us different…

We were washed - spiritually cleansed by God (we symbolically model this in baptism)

We were sanctified - we were set apart as God’s people

We were justified - God acting as judges has declared us righteous because of Jesus