From 1 Corinthians 5-8
Grievances and disputes in the church have arisen and God’s people have refused to try it themselves and instead put themselves under the authority of the unrighteous. No says Paul. The Saints are to judge the world, the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Its clear from the opening chapters of 1 Corinthians that the church was divided into various groups. These groups seemed in conflict with one another, vying for control and prestige. What we see in today’s passage is more of the same. In this instance they have grievances against each other and are taking them to court.
6 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? (1 Cor 6.1)
‘Grievance‘, ‘Law’. Paul has been told about these issues and is deeply concerned. Instead of working out their differences in church they go to the Roman authorities. Before the ‘unrighteous’.
‘The unrighteous’, ‘Saints’. Paul makes a clear distinction between the ‘Saints’ (or Holy Ones, those set apart for God), his preferred term for the people of God (aka. ‘the righteous’). And the ‘unrighteous’, the sinners and wicked who are not part of God’s people.
Paul is deeply concerned because they are putting themselves under the authority of the unrighteous, not the Saints in working out the grievance.
2 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? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! (1 Cor 6.2-3)
‘The Saints will judge the world’. Paul is deeply concerned because he knows it is the Saints who will judge the world. By ‘the world’ he refers to the unrighteous. All the pagan peoples of this world who have rejected Jesus as King.
Paul’s statement doesn’t deny Jesus Christ is our king and judge (e.g. Rom 2.16; 14.10; 1 Cor 4.4). Rather I think Paul’s underlying thought is that Christ will judge his people and will delegate to some of them them authority to judge the unrighteous nations (Mt 19.28; Rev 20.4). Subordinate judges.
It seems the Corinthians were putting themselves under the judgment of the unrighteous nations when they should be the ones judging them!
What do you think is involved in judging the world?
‘Try trivial cases’. Paul expects the Corinthians to judge their own disputes (1 Cor 5.12). In the future they will make significant decisions regarding angels. Therefore they should be well equipped to handle minor cases now.
4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 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, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! (1 Cor 6.4-8)
‘No one among you wise enough’. Paul expects every body of believers to have people among them wise enough to settle disputes. These should be the first to call when believers cannot settle their differences. They will judge those inside the church.
‘Already a defeat for you’. Paul explains failing to resolved conflict and dispute in church is a defeat. The church may experience these things and not to resolve them is to signal defeat. Sometimes however we need to accept defeat.
Don’t give up trying to resolve conflict in church.
‘Why not suffer wrong?’ In this case it would have been better for them to have suffered the wrong rather than go to the Roman authorities. He may be suggesting this will malign Christ’s name. He argues its better to suffer wrong than to go to the unrighteous for their judgment.
Paul further highlights the distinction between Saints and the unrighteous and why they should not put themselves under their authority.
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. (1 Cor 6.9-10)
‘The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom’. Paul’s understanding of righteousness is connected to the idea of covenant. The righteous will inherit the kingdom (Heb 11.4,7,13,39) because they are beneficiaries of God’s covenant promises. The unrighteous will not inherit God’s promised kingdom.
Note: Paul condemns same sex intercourse here (cf. Rom 1.24-27).
11 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 Cor 6.11)
‘Such were some of you’. Paul looks back to their former state before they came to know Jesus.
‘Washed’, ‘Sanctified’, ‘Justified’. Paul expects these to have made real changes, transforming changes, in the lives of believers.
‘It is a climactic, theological, identity-transforming ending intended to act as a bulwark against the tendency of the Corinthians to revert to their old identity and former practices.’ (Barton, S.C., 2003. 1 Corinthians. In J. D. G. Dunn & J. W. Rogerson, eds. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, p. 1326.)
The core issue for Paul here is that we ought to judge our own disputes and never put ourselves under pagan authority as if they are the ones to rule over us and judge us. Jesus our king does.
Paul is not advocating we hide sin in the church from outsiders such that it will not be justly dealt with (e.g. sexual abuse). This is by far the greater defeat. Paul does respect the governing authorities of this world to dispense God’s justice (Rom 13.1-7). We ought to stand up for the abused and hand sinners over.
Church leaders ought to judge sin within the church (1 Cor 5.12) and then depending on the sin, hand offenders over to governing authorities for justice and punishment.
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