When I was growing up, I expressly remember my parents telling me that it was wrong to sue another person in court. It was a pervasive belief in my small community, of whom most members were church-goers. That belief stemmed from today's scripture passage, 1 Cor. 6:1-8.
6 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before 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 not competent to settle trivial suits? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! 4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians?6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian, and do this before unbelievers? 7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!
Two things jump out to me in this passage, the first being that we will judge the world (vs. 2) and the second being that we will judge angels (vs. 3). My current understanding is that this will take place after the true Church is removed from this world during the Rapture, and after the Antichrist/Beast has been destroyed. Elsewhere, we are told that we, His children, will "possess the Kingdom" and rule and reign with Him. The Holy Ones' rule/reign will begin during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. Here are some verses that support that assertion:
1. Daniel 7:17-18, 21-22
17 ‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 The holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.’ 21 While I was watching, that horn began to wage war against the holy ones and was defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was rendered in favor of the holy ones of the Most High. Then the time came for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom.
4 Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
3. Luke 19:17-19 In the parable of the talents, Jesus indicates that His own would rule over cities:
17 And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’ 18 Then the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 So the king said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
4. Psalm 149:6-9
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!
11 This saying is trustworthy:
If we died with him, we will also live with him.
12
If we endure, we will also reign with him,
If we deny him, he wlso will deny us..
With all of this in mind, Paul is terribly agitated about the carnal behavior of the Corinthians. Instead of living out their birthright in Christ, they were wallowing in their sin, like pigs. Specifically, they were suing one another in the civil courts, over what we are not told. But, it really does not matter. Paul's injunction to not sue is directed to Christians who sue one another. He does not prohibit a Christian from suing a non-believer. Paul's point in reminding the Corinthians about their position in Jesus Christ is that they need to settle their disputes among themselves, within the Christian community - - - that when they sued one another they brought ridicule and scorn down on their heads from the unbelieving world. Such behavior tarnished their testimony of Jesus Christ. They had lost sight of who they were and more importantly, WHOSE they were.
There will be disputes among people of faith. We all struggle with our sinful nature in what I call "the nasty now-and-now", even while positionally, we are Christ's and are "new creatures". (I want to blog about that later.) The answer is NOT to simply "swallow it down" when we are wronged or perceive ourselves to have been wronged. This "solution" only produces bitterness and suppressed rage. The answer is found in Matthew 18:15-18, 21-22...Jesus' words!
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.
21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!
Furthermore, when we realize we've wronged a brother or sister in Christ, when the Holy Spirit convicts us of such, we should be quick to run to them and apologize, make restitution, and basically "make whole". Again, Jesus' words (Sermon on the Mount):
So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.
"Make whole" is a term used in reference to compensating a party for a loss sustained. The precise definition varies, according to contract terms and local laws. It may include either actual economic losses or to actual economic and non-economic losses, and not necessarily to the settlement value of the case. In the context of a loan, it typically refers to the amount left owed to the lender under the terms of the loan.1
Sometimes, "making whole", reconciliation, requires giving selflessly to make things right with a Christian brother or sister.
Making whole....isn't that what Jesus Christ did for us? He has made us "whole", forever and ever.
Should we do less for one another?
Whew! All of this prescribed behavior requires swallowing a big old "pride loogie", doesn't it? I declare to you that if we, the Church, practiced this, there would be far fewer schisms and fractures in the Church. The non-believing world would be astounded! Jesus Christ would be glorified, as opposed to our own self-aggrandizement; and, the world would be drawn to Him.
Father, I confess that I'm not terribly fond of 1 Corinthians. It is hard to study these teachings and even harder to embrace them. Coram Deo, Lord! As R.C. Sproul says2 : "To live coram Deo is to live one's entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God." May we live as though we walk in your presence every moment, because that is our present reality and our future as well. You live in us, and are with us at every moment. Lord, make coram Deo so, in my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
Sources:
1 http://definitions.uslegal.com/m/make-whole/
2 http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-does-coram-deo-mean/
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