Unlawful Lawsuits
Lessons From 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: Lessons From 1 Corinthians.
Hope: To learn from the vast amount of different doctrines covered in this particular book and better have an understanding of God’s precious word.
Over the last several lessons we have spent time examining what “sexual immorality” is and the results of living such promiscuity results in.
It’s a life style whole contrary to God’s design and expectation for the sexual relationship between men and women.
Today, however, we turn our attention to a different doctrinal issue that had come up and thus Paul was needing to both address and give a solution for.
You can almost hear the question asked here in our text of 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, “Is there anything wrong with suing my brother or sister who had wronged me?”
Unfortunately, mankind has not learned to stop the frivolous and ridiculous lawsuits that have plague mankind for centuries.
In 2018 a 69 year old man tried to sue a dating site because it wouldn’t allow him to say he was only 49.
In 2017 a Texas man sued his “date” for $17.31 after he said she spent the whole night on her phone.
You and I can easily see a situation presenting itself, not here I wouldn’t think, but “somewhere” where brethren would find it impossible to reconcile a situation and take each other to court.
This is the context of our text and it was certainly to their shame.
With that in mind let’s examine our lesson for this even.
Brethren Suing Brethren
Brethren Suing Brethren
The Issue At Hand.
The Issue At Hand.
In our text here the apostle finds himself instructing the church on an issue that, as we just mentioned, is not uncommon with mankind.
After all if a man is willing to sue a date for less than $20 and a woman is willing to sue McDonald’s for having coffee that is “hot” this shouldn’t surprise us.
Paul lays out the situation at hand.
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?
We are not made privy to whether this is a sin against a brother/sister or simply someone upset with the other over a dispute.
Obviously not all things that our brethren do that “upset us” are sins against us.
Why was it, and still is today, such a big deal if the church allows its members to sue each other in the courts?
First, it demonstrates a lack of common sense.
1 Corinthians 6:2–3 (ESV)
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!
Second, it demonstrates a lack of wisdom.
1 Corinthians 6:4–6 (ESV)
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?
Third, it demonstrates a lack of self-awareness.
1 Corinthians 6:7–8 (ESV)
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!
This doesn’t even get into the the fact that it would become a sore eye to the community to see the Lord’s church bickering in public like such.
When things like this happen the “world sees it” as the old Spanish proverb demonstrates that says…
“The Jews ruin themselves, at their passover; the Moors, at their marriages, and the Christians, in their lawsuits.”
Summary
Summary
It would appear then, like today, there were plenty of lawyers eager to help the “wronged” by taking the supposed offender to court.
Anyone that has ever turned a TV show on during the day knows what I’m talking about with the lawyers.
But Christians are not to be like the world, we are to be separate, and unique.
We are not supposed to air our dirty laundry which brings me to our next point…
The Solution To Suing
The Solution To Suing
We Won’t Stop Grieving Each Other.
We Won’t Stop Grieving Each Other.
Before we dive into the solution given by Paul on how to handle these situations let me first point out that as Christians we cannot always stop the world from suing us but the bible is clear we should strive to avoid such.
8 do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
But if we can’t avoid such we must be cautious in our defense.
40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Now back to our situation between brethren.
The reality is we are human and to be human is to err.
We are not perfect and all sin.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Because of this very fact we are going to find times and situation where we either “sin against our brother” or “upset and offend our brother” by our actions or lack there of.
So what is the solution if not our nations court?
So what is…
The Answer To The Problem.
The Answer To The Problem.
The solution is the church is to be the judge in such cases.
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 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!
It makes no sense that the judge of the world “us” as the light in a dark and dying world should acquiesce that responsibility to the lesser judge.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Also, it is not to be just anyone in the church but the wises amongst them.
1 Corinthians 6:5 (ESV)
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
This will typically be someone older and more mature spiritually.
12 Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.
However, that might not always be the case but as Paul points out “surely” there is someone that can be an intercessor in the family.
Hydro seeking an intercessor before and after the split.
Lastly, if all else fails be the bigger man or woman and be wronged or defrauded.
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!
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
How are we able to handle this?
6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
Summary
Summary
We are going to have disputes, we are going to get upset and grieve each other, we are even going to sin against each other from time to time.
The question is how do we handle those situation that arise wherein our brother or sister has defrauded us
We take the dispute to the church not the government, we ask for the wisest to intermediate, and we accept the verdict.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This doesn’t mean we will necessarily like the outcome, one of the two will not most likely like it.
What it means is that there is not to be disharmony between the two grieved and that peace should reign.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.