Paul is writing to the Corinthians, who are pretty messed up. Paul is not too happy with them. They are sexually immoral and the church is divided. And here he addresses something I hadn't thought about previously - lawsuits among believers. He says...
"If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 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? 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, appoint as judges even men of little account 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 goes to law against another—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."
The Christians are suing each other!!! And taking the case before just any old judge. Now I haven't sued anybody before, but everybody gets in fights with their brothers - even literal ones!!!:P The part that grabbed me was, "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." Why not rather be wronged than sin by wronging somebody else? Completely defeated? I never thought about it that way before. Really, we have no right to wrong others - we should be willing to be wronged rather than sin against others. Easier said than done!!!!
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