Slow to Sue - Swift to Submit

Paul, is exasperated with the Corinthians at this point. Although he loves them, he is fed up with their foolishness. He is saddened and ashamed at the way they continue to drift from gospel faithfulness into division.

The Corinthians during this time were sue happy. They were a very litigious society. Taking one another to court was a common occurence. Some commentators said it was like a form of entertainment for them. They, couldn’t wait to take on another to court. The problem was this was inconsistent with the new birth. This was in not consistent with their new life in Christ. Their desire to take their grievances, disputes, and disagreements before pagan judges was “shameful.” And in this text this morning Paul is about to bring them a stinging rebuke in order to shake them and stop them from this ungodly behavior!

Our society today isn’t much different. We are a very litigious society. If you don’t believe me take a ride down interstate 75 to Florida. You will see signs and billboards advertising all types of lawyers. Divorce lawyers, injury lawyers, etc....There is one in particular who has different people saying, “So and So got me $500,000.”.....

Think of all the courtroom shows on TV today. The People’s Court, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Mathis, Judge Hatchett, and Divorce Court. The world is entertained by people taking one another to court. The world loves watching sinners suing one another, slandering one another, and seeing this all displayed before everyone! Paul wants the Corinthian church and the church today the saints ought not to live this way!

Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia stated,

I think this passage [] has something to say about the proper Christian attitude toward civil litigation. Paul is making two points. Paul says that mediation of a mutual friend, such as a the parish priest [local church pastor], should be sought before parties run off to law courts....I think we are to ready to see vindication or vengeance through adversary proceedings, rather than peace through mediation…Good Christians, just as they are slow to anger should be slow to sue. (Preaching the Word, Um Pg. 107)

Now I am willing to bet that most of us have never sued anyone, most of us have probably never taken a brother or sister to court. You may even be thinking I can take a nap during this sermon, but I would as you to consider why this text is still relevant for us today.

Now I am willing to bet that most of us have never sued anyone, most of us have probably never taken a brother or sister to court. You may even be thinking I can take a nap during this sermon, but I would as you to consider why this text is still relevant for us today.

Now I am willing to bet that most of us have never sued anyone, most of us have probably never taken a brother or sister to court. You may even be thinking I can take a nap during this sermon, but I would as you to consider why this text is still relevant for us today.

This text has more to do with the attitude or heart behind grievances towards one another, than it does our actions of suing one another.

This text reminds of the importance of the purity of the church, the bride of Christ and all that we should do to present her blameless before the watching world.

This text closes by pointing us to the powerful work of our Triune God in our lives individually and corporately!

As we consider this this morning I want us to see three overarching exhortations Paul gives the Corinthians concerning handling grievances within the body of Christ.

Paul’s first exhortation is saints are to,

I. Refuse to Sue One Another. (6:1)

1 Corinthians 6:1 ESV

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

a. When a brother has sinned against you.

Paul is addressing when there is a grievance among the saints.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. πρᾶγμα

a matter of contention, dispute, lawsuit

Paul is addressing a situation, a case or anything that comes up within the context of the local church that seems to be something that needs a law expert to resolve. He wants the Church to know that they don’t need the law, they don’t need the courts, brothers and sisters in Christ already have instructions on how to handle an offense or a case between one another. Jesus himself had already instituted a process and principles to take care of situations like this.

b. Go to the brother then the church.

Paul closes verse 1 with a pretty strong rebuke! Does he dare go to the law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

Would you really rather have a pagan lawyer and judge decide your case or would you rather have your case resolved by the saints who will base their decision on the Scriptures?

Paul here exhorts the church at Corinth to refuse to sue one another based on multiple teachings of Scripture.

Jesus’ teaching on handling offences against one another.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

2. Jesus’ teaching on retaliation in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:40 ESV

And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

3. There are times to just overlook and offense.

Proverbs 19:11 ESV

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Later in verse 2 Paul refers to these things as trivial cases. In other words, they are dragging one another to court over things that aren’t that big of deal when they should love one another enough to overlook these things for the health of the body and their witness to the world.

1 Corinthians: New Testament, Volume 9a 6:1–8 The Church Should Judge Disputes between Believers

Without doubt the method for preserving in the church the things once given her is the same as the method by which they were first gained: love for God and neighbor, a desire for heavenly things, contempt for this world, true godliness, religion, charity, kindness toward others, simplicity, patience, the acceptance of misfortunes, an eagerness always to do good to all people, so that evil might be conquered by continual goodness. When people saw that in churchmen there was no greed and no abuse of people’s generosity, this aroused the hearts of men and women everywhere to think well of the church of Christ, to be well-disposed toward it, to love it, to be generous and openhanded toward it, and to give continually, heaping gift upon gift.

How about you and me? Do we desire to be faithful churchmen and churchwomen? Do we desire to see Christ’s church built up and a beacon of light here in Dublin and Douglasville? Do we desire to;

Love God with all of our mind heart and strength.

Love our neighbor as ourselves.

Love our brothers and sisters in Christ in a way that the watching world desires to come and see.

Love one another in a way that we look over minor offenses?

Love one another in a way that we help one another walk through offenses within the body according to the Scriptures?

If we do these things we will refuse to sue one another! Instead we will live as saints saved by grace and submit to one another.

This brings us to Paul’s second exhortation.

II. Recognize Your Authority (6:2-8)

One of the primary reasons the Corinthians and the church today continues to bicker, backbite, and let bitterness divide the body is because we have a misplaced pride and refuse to recognize the authority of the church. We have a low view of God, a low view of the gospel, and a low view of what it means to be a saved, set apart, member of Christ church. When we become a member of the body of Christ this membership comes with privileges, but it also come with accountability, and responsibility. Paul is about to remind us of the the church’s privilege of authority, but also her responsibility to submit to authority.

First Paul reminds the Corinthians,

a. The Church has authority over the world.

1 Corinthians 6:2 ESV

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?

1 Corinthians

Paul wants the Corinthians to know the absurdity of brothers taking brothers to court. He wants them to know how they are failing to recognize not only their new identity in Christ but also their new authority. He rebukes them and then asks don’t you know you will judge the world? You are taking one another to court to receive a judgment when you actually have superior wisdom and authority to what the world has!

And they are probably just like you and me thinking what do you mean? We don’t have authority over the world? But we do! It will just not be fully consummated until King Jesus returns in all of His glory. When he returns and gathers His bride we will reign with Him in eternity! When he judges the world and all wickedness we will be with Him, In Him, and behind Him, and under His authority!

Daniel 7:22 ESV

until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Matthew 19:28 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19

Do you see we have an eschatological authority. Although we are in Christ now we are not yet ruling and reigning with Him like we will one day be. Therefore, we should not be submitting ourselves to unrighteous authorities when we have the authority to judge among ourselves and keep the church pure and of good reputation through repentance and reconciliation!

Not only does the church have authority over the world,

b. The Church has authority over angels.

1 Corinthians 6:3–4 ESV

Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?

1 Corinthians 6:

To continue to press the foolishness of taking one another to court Paul reminds the Corinthians they will even judge the wicked angels at the end of the age. When Christ judges these fallen rebellious angels and grabs them by the neck and throws them into the Pit and cast them into hell forever and ever we will be judging with Him!

:1-6?

More importantly than the authority the church has over the world and the angels is:

c. The Church has authority over one another.

1 Corinthians 6:5–8 ESV

I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

1 Corinthians 6:

Paul says, “you are embarrassing yourselves! You are the redeemed sons and daughters of God and none of you are wise enough to solve your problem or settle your disputes? You are acting like you have not been born again. You are acting like you have not been forgiven yourselves.

Do you know how foolish you look to the watching world when you argue, bicker, and backbite to the point you have to air your dirty laundry before the watching world. You are becoming a mockery to those outside the church.

Paul is not condoning just sweeping offenses under the rug and letting sinful unjust treatment run rampant inside the church. Instead what he is saying is take care of family business inside the family. Don’t bring disgrace on the bride of Christ by taking these things to a pagan court for them to see your sinful behavior.

Take it to your more mature brothers, your Pastors/Elders that they might point you to the Scriptures to settle your dispute. Or even better than that if it is truly a trivial offense just forgive your brother in your heart and pass over the offense. This will show your maturity in Christ, your desire to keep his bride pure and give Him glory!

Notice the questions Paul asked in verse 7,

Why not rather suffer wrong?

Why not rather be defrauded?

Paul is saying it is better to submit to the minor offences, grievances, contentions of your brother or sister than to exalt yourself and taking them to court to try and resolve the issue. It is better for you and I to lay aside our own well being, our own feelings, and even finances for the good of our brother and the body of Christ.

Even though none of us may have ever sued any one in the church, we have probably slandered someone in the church for a “grievance we had against them.” May it never be, let us be ashamed, how dare us think that highly of ourselves and that low of Christ’s bride that he purchased with His own blood!

Do you get the picture?

Let us avoid what Paul says in verse 8, may we refuse to wrong and defraud—even our own brother. May we seek the good of the saints by submitting to the gospel of grace, by showing grace to one another, by living as those who have submitted to the lordship of Christ and continually submit to the authority of His church who will one day judge the world, angels, and who is capable of judging trivial cases right now!

So Paul has exhorted the Corinthians to;

Refuse to sue one another.

Recognize their authority. and finally Paul exhorts the church to;

III. Remember Your Redemption. (9-11)

Notice 9,10

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

:9-10

Remember first where you were.

a. Remember first where you were.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Who are the unrighteous? Those who are acting in a way that is contrary to what is right, unjust, crooked

Notice who where they are,

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 21). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

outside the Kingdom of God.

outside the reign and protection of the Sovereign King.

Scripture describes the unrighteous as those,

under the authority, and rule of their father the devil.

dead in your sins and trespasses.

following the prince of the power of of the air.

children of wrath....

Verse 9, 10 , and 11 further describes;

b. Who they were.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you.

Paul says, don’t be fooled remember who you were. Then he unpacks a list of sins that would have got all of their attention and should get ours.

Sexually immoral

Idolaters

Adulterers

Homosexuality

Thieves

Greedy

Drunkards

Revilers

Swindlers

This list ought to convict us all, we all fell somewhere in this list, we probably could check several of those boxes. We all were at one time deceived, believing we were pretty good people, while at the same time we were pursuing the passions of the flesh. We were outside the kingdom of God being ruled and reigned by the kingdom of darkness.

Notice how Paul begins verse 11,

And such were some of you.

Some of you were, sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers and so on....

Were meaning you aint no more!

Were meaning you are no longer controlled by the passions of the flesh.

Were meaning you are no longer slaves to these sins.

Were meaning you are a new creation the old has passed away, behold the new has come.

I want you to see something else,

And such were some of you.

Not all of you, not every one of you, not the majority of you. Paul here seems to be saying to the Corinthians, some of you were unrighteous, some of you still are unrighteous. Some of you were outside the kingdom of God, some of you are still outside the kingdom of God. Specifically in this passage you who are thieves, greedy, and swindlers who are running your business in a unethical sinful manner, who are extorting one another, cheating one another, taking one another to court. You who are suing one another over trivial matters and refuse to repent you are not among the righteous!

1 Corinthians 6:

Titus 3:3 ESV

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Paul has rebuked the Corinthians exhorting them to remember they have been redeemed, they were to remember where they were, in or out of the kingdom of God. They were to remember who they were, sinners of all sorts, now he wants them to:

c. Remember who you are!

1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

And such were some of you. 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.

1. But, you were washed,

Paul says, you were stained by your sin, you carried the stench of you sin, you reeked of your unrighteousness, but you don’t anymore, you have been washed, made clean, made pure, and you have been forgiven of your sin and guilt.

English Standard Version Chapter 36

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

2. But, you were sanctified,

In other words, you were dedicated to God, consecrated to God, set apart for God. Separated from your moral impurity and made pure through the washing, cleansing, and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

Remember how Paul opened up His letter to the Corinthians,

1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

The Corinthians needed to be reminded they were no longer to live as those who were greedy, swindling, thieves because they had been set apart from that sinful lifestyle. Not because they decided to stop sinning, but because the Spirit of God had sanctified them for obedience to the Son of God.

1 Peter 1:2 ESV

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Not only were the Corinthians to stop suing one another because they had been washed and sanctified, they were to stop suing one another because they had been justified! Paul writes,

3. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,

The Corinthians had been “judicially vindicated as having complied with the law of God.” They had been declared righteous being absolved from all of their sin, being forgiven, they had their debt paid! Again, not because of some inherent goodness of their own, but because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Because of the sinless sacrifice of the Lamb of God! Because they had believed in the name of Jesus Christ, they no longer had to a pay the debt for their sin, they no longer would receive the just punishment they deserved, instead their guilt had been laid on Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary!

How foolish would it be to be declared not guilty of a crime and then run out back out and commit again. How foolish would it be for someone to pay off every debt you had, only for you to run back out and borrow money you could never pay back and burden yourself with debt again. It would be DUMB! Paul says stop doing these things that you have been already been forgiven of and freed from!

He wants them like the Romans to remember,

Romans 8:30 ESV

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

You have by God’s grace been predestined for salvation, some of you by God’s mercy have been called to salvation, those of you who have been called have also been justified, and will one day experience the fullness of God’s glorification!

How about you this morning?

Do you know if you are in or out of the kingdom of God? Do you see evidence of His Sovereign rule in your life?

Are you being deceived into thinking your sin is not that big of deal? Surely God want pour his wrath out on me?

Have you been washed by the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Have you been set apart by the Spirit of our God? Have you been separated from a life of habitual sin?

Have you recieved justification in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Not by walking an isle, not by praying a magical prayer, not by getting wet in a baptistry, but by calling out on the name of the Lord, repenting of sin, believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and trusting in Him and Him alone for salvation!