Handling Disputes

1 Corinthians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  36:09
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Disputes. We all have them. Think back to a dispute you had this past week. How did it go?
The passage today is 1 Corinthians 1:6-11.
In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul is dealing with numerous issues among the church members. He has already been addressing their pride, and desire to look good in other’s eyes. They wanted to align themselves with the right teacher, the right school of thought, so that they would gain in prestige. They were full of pride. They were even prideful of their progressive thought, and permissiveness of one who was in sin.
The next issue Paul deals with is how they were handling disputes between believers. Let’s read the passage and see what is going on, and how Paul addresses the issue.
1 Corinthians 6:1–11 NIV
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. 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.
Let’s pray and ask the Lord to teach us what He would have us apply from this passage to our own lives.
What was the issue?
They had disputes, and they were taking their brothers to court.
Let’s look at it again.
1 Corinthians 6:1 NIV
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?
1 Corinthians 6:7 NIV
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
1 Corinthians 6:2 NIV
Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
From the context in 1 Corinthians 6:7, it was some wrong, or slight. They felt they were cheated. And in 1 Corinthians 6:2, Paul called these matters trivial cases. They were minor issues that they blew up. They made the mountain out of a mole hill, so to speak.
Can you believe they would do that? I mean, really? Who would take something that someone did, or said, and blow it out of proportion? I wouldn’t do that… would you? Okay. Maybe I have on occasion.
Think back to situations like this. Why do we get so upset? Why do we blow things out of proportion?
Really, it comes down to pride doesn’t it. It was not done the way I wanted. They made me look bad. They hurt my feelings because they did not acknowledge what I had done. They didn’t give me the credit I felt I deserved. They hurt me. Granted it wasn’t that big of a blow, but I didn’t like getting hit or pushed. Who do they think they are?
In all of these scenarios, it really comes down to our pride. “How dare they wrong me.” “How dare they cheat me out of what I deserve.” And behind those statements are our statements of our own self-importance.
Well these believers felt they were wronged, they were cheated. So what did they do? How did they handle it?
They took them to court!
The courts in Corinth were another means of gaining status. It wasn’t always about justice. It was about elevating oneself, and making the other person look bad.
The court was in the middle of the market place, so everyone would be around and everyone would hear what was going on. The offended would have this public opportunity to let everyone know how important they were, and how the offender was beneath them. It was another way to gain in status in the society.
So, everybody did it. It was so common, that one of the Greek playwrights made fun of it.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: Be Wise about … Church Discipline (1 Corinthians 5–6)

The Greek playwright Aristophanes has one of his characters look at a map and ask where Greece is located. When it is pointed out to him, he replies that there must be some mistake—because he cannot see any lawsuits going on!

It was not a good situation.
How does Paul address this issue?
First, Paul reminds them of who they are.
1 Corinthians 6:1 NIV
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?

Remember who you are!

First, Paul wants them to remember who they are. In the NIV it says, “the Lord’s people.”
The NASB is more literally translated as holy ones.
He reminds them that they are supposed to be holy. The Lord set them apart. They are His people. He should be the priority. And, they are called out to be a part of His body, the church. They all together, God’s people, with different standards than the world. We are to be living and seeking God’s standards, not the world’s standards.
So, why would they go to ungodly judges to establish what is right and wrong? As God’s holy people, shouldn’t they be going to other godly people to help them discern the right way to settle this matter?
Yeah, but no one in the church could figure this out…
Really?
Paul says this...
1 Corinthians 6:2–3 NIV
Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

Remember the role God gave us!

Can you believe that God is going to have us judging the world, and angels? God would entrust us with this?
Yes, he would and he has! Jesus told his disciples,
Matthew 19:28–29 NIV
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Earlier, Daniel had seen a vision of the future, and he mentions that there are many thrones when the Lord comes to judge.
Daniel 7:9 NIV
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Later, the Lord gave the apostle John the vision in which he saw it was not just the apostles, but all the believers, the bride of Christ.
Revelation 20:4 NIV
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Here in Corinthians, Paul, through the Holy Spirit is saying the same.
1 Corinthians 6:2 NIV
Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
When Christ comes to establish his kingdom, we will be sitting on thrones next to him and judging the world, and angels! Wow! Just a note, but the fact is this has not happened yet. Christ’s return is still yet to come!
What’s the point, in the passage at hand?
If God would entrust believers with this role of taking part in the judging of the world and angels, surely we can find other believers who will judge things by God’s standards instead of the standards of the world.
That is what Paul is saying in verse 4
1 Corinthians 6:4 NIV
Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?
Remember, judges who sit in the courts in our land are the same ones who uphold practices that God condemns, as being ok. The secular courts are not going to handle things by God’s righteous standards. They will always judge things by the world’s fallen standards. Shouldn’t we see his standards, and not the world’s? Remember that God entrusts us to judge by his standards. If we need hep, let’s go to believers who will look at things from God’s righteous perspective.
A secular court will lift up one person, and put down the other. One person will receive glory. The other shame.
God’s judges will pursue his righteousness and his glory. God will receive glory, and the believers will be lifted up in grace.
We need to remember who we are - God’s holy people
We need to remember our role - judging things by God’s standards to see His righteousness established, and Him glorified.
The next point that Paul makes is this.
1 Corinthians 6:5–6 NIV
I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

Look at what you are doing!

Paul is blunt here. You are showing yourselves to be foolish, in front of unbelievers! You are ruining your testimony.
The fact that they are doing all of this publicly in the marketplace is showing everyone that there is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever. We are prideful. We have tempers. We want to take the other person down a notch or two, or seven, when we are wronged or feel cheated. It is not about grace and forgiveness like we may say in our pious moments. It is about revenge and giving back 10-fold.
He goes on to say,
1 Corinthians 6:7 NIV
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
When we do this, we become the wrong-doers.
1 Corinthians 6:8 NIV
Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.
Now, in our effort to get ‘justice’, we are out to wrong, to harm, to hurt, to destroy the other person. We want them to get a taste of their own medicine. We are ready to wrong and cheat them, our brother and sister. We will sin against them because they hurt us.
Paul then reminds them,
1 Corinthians 6:9–10 NIV
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Remember the wages of sin

We like to look at some of the things on this list as really bad. But Paul was equating the way they were wronging and cheating one another with these sins. They are all awful wrongdoings. those who live in these sins will not inherit the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is different than this sinful, fallen world, and its ways. It is a kingdom of righteousness.

Remember you were washed, sanctified and justified

Washed - made clean, the stain of sin was removed
Sanctified - set apart, made to be God’s holy people, to live a new way, given a new role and new purpose, to seek Him and His glory
Justified - declared righteous, a new identity, a removal of all shame. Called to live righteously.

What about me?

We may not go to court, but we do take things to the court of public opinion, don’t we?
It is the same thing as the Corinthians.
Handling Disputes:
Remember who you are - God’s holy ones
Remember your role - judging for God’s righteousness and glory
Look at what you are doing!
Remember the wages of sin
Remember you were washed, sanctified and justified
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