1 CORINTHIANS 6
Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-20
Paul now has a slight digression in his condemnation of the sexual ethics of the Corinthians. We have seen that they were proud, arrogant and assertive people. Like many in our own society today, they seemed to be concerned about their rights, but not so much about their responsibilities. Why shouldn’t I do what I want? This attitude seems to have led to controversies within the church and to grievances being taken to the law courts.
The Jewish tradition, in which Paul was brought up, was to avoid legal proceedings if at all possible. Disputes were to be settled within the community. However Paul was in Corinth, a predominantly Greek society and one which, a bit like America these days, was very quick to take matters to the law court. It seemed that the church was influenced by society in the same way that it was by sexual ethics. The church did not stand prophetically against the standards of the world; it embraced them. Again we can see parallels with our own days where so often the church prefers to go along with what the world does, even if that is against the standards set out it God’s word.
The church in Corinth appeared to be obsessed by their rights and by judgement. The word for ‘judgement’ occurs more than forty times in this letter and eight times in Verses 1-8 of this chapter. Asserting my rights and judging others were the guiding principles of the church. Both of these negative attitudes should have been wiped out by the redemption that is ours in Jesus Christ, but the Corinthians have missed the message somehow. Paul taught them these things but the lessons had not been learned. They had been boasting about their wisdom, but Paul told them that they don’t have the wisdom to be judges. There is that accusation of immaturity again. They think they know it all, but they don’t.
Paul also said that they were betraying their calling. They had been called to be saints, to act with integrity and to share in the power and wisdom of Christ. And here they were, acting without integrity and in their own power and wisdom, which was that of sinful mankind. They were taking each other to court. Some would win cases, some would lose. But to even go to court with a fellow Christian is to be defeated. The true calling of one who is wronged is to accept the situation without bitterness and to forgive the opponent. This can be difficult to accept and goes against the grain for most of us, but it is what the Bible teaches. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You hear that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’.
But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes
you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone should
sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak also”. (Matt 5:38-40)
No wonder the disciples responded to Jesus by saying, ‘Increase our faith’ (Luke 17:5)