As Believers

DEVOTION

 1 CORINTHIANS

AS BELIEVERS

1 Cor 6:1-6

6:1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!   5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another — and this in front of unbelievers!

NIV

It seems so unbelievable that is church in Corinth was actually a church of believers because of all the corrections they were told to make. Surely we in this modern church do not sue one another over any matters of dispute. So how do we see any instruction for us in this statement? The one thing we could notice in this is that even men of little account in the church should be able to resolve any dispute that might arise between believers. Of course it does seem a little bizarre that there should even be any disputes, even those of legal matters in need of a civil judge, in the church. If we are all living in the ways of God, filled with the same Spirit, serving the same Lord, then how in the world could we ever have disputes? Well maybe that is just it; we could have disputes because we are in the world, rather than in Christ. That is a radical thought. How can a group of believers behave like a group of unbelievers, bringing each other to court over matters of dispute? Although it is true we are in need of legal assistance from time to time in this modern world with its complex legal system. It is true that at times we might require functioning within the confines of our countries legal code in order to resolve matters within the course of our life working and living as a member of this society. We certainly cannot live outside the law of the land and thus we are subject to it and may require the use of its judges, but as far as any matters of dispute within the Body of Christ, and it could mean even those matters of a legal nature, we should resolve them between ourselves as to not make a spectacle of our disagreements in front of those unbelievers. Now, of course, that would also mean they would need to know we are believers in the first place. If we simply lived in the same manner as they do, never professing the need for repentance and salvation to them, never telling them of our faith in Christ, never sharing the Gospel message with them, how would they ever know to think poorly of us as members of Christ’s body, suing one another? For all practical purposes we would appear just the same as them. Even those individuals who are regarded as having little account in the church, which would certainly mean those who are not in leadership positions, or are regarded as distinguished members of the church because of their wealth, their giving, their educational or professional experience, would be qualify to resolve disputes in the church, all because of the Spirit of God who resides in us all, for God does not favor one more than another, He does not show favoritism. So, where does this leave us? Let us strive to be the church we should be resolving matters as believers.