Truth and Dare

TRUTH AND DARE-1 Cor. 6:1-8

Look again at verse 1: Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

When we read this I’m not sure that we realized how bold and forceful Paul is here!

The King James Version as well as the American Standard and the New King James start this verse by saying, “Dare any of you…”
It is the idea of “How dare you do this? How dare you?”
Paul is being forceful here!

And the reason that he is so forceful is because he is shocked…amazed…stunned!

He is stunned that these brethren who make up the Lord’s body there in Corinth are taking one another to court.

Corinth at the time wasn’t much different that our society is today.

Taking someone to court was common place.
In fact, the law courts were, for these people who put so much emphasis on human wisdom and intellect, one of their chief amusements and sources of entertainment.
They were famous or notorious for taking one another to law.

In our society today our law courts are so overloaded that in some instances it can take up to 3 years before a case is even heard.

The words “I’ll sue” are two of the most over-used words in our vocabulary today.
Some lawyers are known as “ambulance chasers” because they are looking for opportunities to sue someone.
And today, children are suing parents, pupils are suing teachers, players are suing coaches, workers are suing employers, lovers are suing lovers, and spouses are suing spouses.
All kinds of lawsuits are taking place.
And talk about entertainment…there are over 15 different reality court shows on TV today.

And when litigation is so prevalent in your society it is easy for it to infiltrate into the body of Christ.

It is easy for the members of the Lord’s body, who have been involved in that spirit of “I’ll sue” to bring that same spirit into the church.
Just like they did here at Corinth.
And Paul is shocked…and amazed…and bold with these people when he sees what is taking place.

Look at what he says…Paul asks a series of questions as he deals with these people and this issue. Look at Paul’s first question…verse 1 again.

“Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?”

In this verse Paul emphatically says that it is wrong for a Christian to sue another Christian in the public courts.

He says, “Does anyone of you dare…!”
That word “dare” implies that such an action is an insult to God and to the body of Christ as well.
First of all, believers shouldn’t be disputing and arguing over rights and authority anyway.
Nor should they be arguing over things and possessions of the world.
Instead, they should be working and using what they have for Christ and His cause.
They should be using it to reach out to the lost and those dying from starvation, disease, poverty, and sin.

But, not only were these brethren arguing over rights and authority, they were “going to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints.”

Paul calls the secular judges “unrighteous.”
This doesn’t mean that the world’s judges were legally unrighteous and the believers might not get a fair trial.
He is only saying that they are unjust or unrighteous before God!
In other words, they aren’t saints…they aren’t Christians!
He is contrasting the world with the church…the believer with the unbeliever and he is saying that as believers they should settle their disputes among themselves.
Don’t go before the public courts!

Have you ever thought about what happens when two brothers in Christ take each other to court?

Christians who settle differences before the world reproach and damage the name of Christ and hold the church up to public scrutiny and ridicule.
There is no disputing this fact…it happens every time.
The name of Christ and the church is hurt every time when believers choose to “air their dirty laundry” before the public.

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, meekness, and self control.

And it is the fruit of the Spirit that is so desperately needed by the world.
But what the world sees from disputing Christians is anything but love and the fruit of God’s Spirit.
Once they see that why would they ever want to be a part of it?

And just picture what Paul is talking about here.

Just picture how awful this scene is as God sees it.
Here you have two believers who are children of God standing before a judge who rejects or rebels against God…and they are asking him to judge between them instead of asking God or some Christian leader to help them see the matter clearly.
Just imagine what God thinks of that?

And another thing: believers who settle differences before the world fail the Lord and fail Him miserably.

Christians are to govern their affairs by what Christ says and by what God says.
They aren’t to govern their lives by the standards and rules of the world.
Believers are to be salt…and they are to influence the world.
It is not supposed to be the other way around.
And when we settle our differences before the world…in the world’s courts…we fail Him miserably.

Believers…the church…has everything it needs to settle disputes.

Back in chapter 1 Paul identified these people as saints, or holy ones of God.
In chapter 1 he said that these people were “enriched in Christ, in all speech and all knowledge.”
And he tells them that “they were not lacking in any gift.”
They had in this body of believers all the resources necessary to settle any dispute…they had the truth, wisdom, equity, justice, kindness, generosity…they had all they needed.
Why would you want to take your dispute before the court of the unrighteous?

Going before the world’s courts damages Christ’s church…fails Christ miserably…and we don’t need to do that because we have all the resources necessary to settle the issue.

Look at the next couple of questions that Paul asks. Look at verse 2. Paul says, Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?

Paul says in this verse that “we as saints are going to judge the world as well as the angels.”
I don’t know for sure what he is talking about when he says that we are going to judge the world and judge angels.
Perhaps he is talking about the fact that we as saints will judge the world by the choices that we have made.
We have made the choice to follow Christ and they haven’t when they could have…therefore our choice causes them to stand in judgment.
I don’t know for sure what he means by the fact that we will judge the world.

Regardless of what it means we were wise enough to choose Christ and to follow Him.

Surely that makes us more competent to judge the smaller matters between us than it does those who, in their foolishness, chose to reject Christ!

And if we as saints are to judge the world and angels, then when we go before the world’s courts to settle matters, we lower ourselves, lose our dignity as saints, and walk out on the exalted position that God has give us.

Look at the next question found in vs. 4. Paul says: Do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

Paul is pretty emphatic here again.
He says that those “judges are of no account in the church”…they are of no standing in the church.
How then can you appoint them as judges over you who are IN the church?

Look at the next question found in vs. 5. Paul says: Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, 6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

Here is an assembly of people who have been wise enough to choose Christ…an assembly of people who follow the ONE who makes the “wisdom of the world foolishness”….
And assembly of people who have been spiritually enriched in everything…
Surely they can find one among themselves who can decide between them!

IF they can’t look at what Paul says it is…look at the first sentence of vs. 5.

“It is a shame.”

A shame to them and an insult to Christ!

Do you know what Paul’s point is here in this verse?

His point is, “There is no excuse for conflict among brothers to be taken to the worldly courts.”
And the reason there is no excuse is because there are wise men in the congregation who can help settle their differences.

Now, this is a call to leaders to step up…to be alert…to prevent this…prevent greed…lust…fraud.

To settle conflicts.

Look at the next question found in verse 7: Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

This verse makes it clear that when you go to court with a brother things have already gone to far.
He says, “It is already a defeat for you.”
Even if you receive a verdict in your favor…you have already lost!

Just think about who is hurt and damaged when two believers engage in legal disputes.

Both of them have already suffered pain, tension, anger, and a lot more other hurtful emotions.
The church suffers the loss of its credibility for Christ and the pain of being known as hypocritical.
The unbelievers who are watching suffer by being turned off by those who profess love, joy, and peace, and yet who show the very opposite.
They suffer having the opportunity to be saved erased for them.
And Christ suffers because His people are not holding high the banner of His word, but instead they are causing it to be distasteful and cursed.
Paul says, “Even if you win a favorable verdict, you have lost.

So Paul says, “Why not be wronged?” “Why not rather be defrauded?”

Instead of suffering all of this defeat…causing the church to suffer…causing unbelievers to lose their opportunity for salvation…causing Christ to suffer…wouldn’t it be better to be wronged and cheated?
Paul is saying, “There is so much more at stake than you and your petty personal agenda, your possessions and your rights.”
There are souls at stake!

Look at vs. 8-10.

In vs. 8 Paul tells these brethren that they are guilty of defrauding and wronging their brethren.

Now look at vs. 9: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”

That is the last question.
It is pretty simple, pretty plain, and pretty sobering.

Paul’s point is that these brethren could not continue doing what they were doing and expect to gain the kingdom of God.

They couldn’t expect it any more than these other people listed here.

So, what should they do? Vs. 11: And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”

What should they do?
Live their lives as those who are sanctified and justified by Christ.
Live their lives as Christ would want them to.

Brethren, there are times when Christians will have to go before the courts.

I don’t think that Paul is saying that Christians are never to go.
If a lawsuit is brought against you…if a wrong is committed by an unbeliever…it may be the only way to settle it.

But Paul is saying that for a believer to take another believer to court…that is wrong!

Taking a brother to court damages Christ and the church.
IF fails Christ miserably.
The church is equipped with all it needs to settle such disputes.
We are to judge the world and angels…surely we can judge matters among ourselves.
To go to public courts is a defeat…even before you go.