In a section of a letter to a church that we have been looking at recently, we see that a man named Paul had a lot to say about this issue of Christians suing Christians. In 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, Paul explains to the members of the church at Corinth, and to us today, that when Christians take other Christians to court by filing civil lawsuits that appear before nonchristians, we reveal four things about our day to day lives as Christians.
Yesterday we discovered that when we take one another to court before nonchristians, we reveal a faulty reflection. Paul then continues by explaining to the church at Corinth, and us today, that Christians filing lawsuits against Christians reveals something else about our day to day lives. And that something else is that when we take one another to court before nonchristians, we reveal a faulty family:
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? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.1 Corinthians 6:7-8
Paul reminds that church that the fact that they have lawsuits among themselves is already a defeat for you. Paul’s point here is that the mere presence of lawsuits is in itself an utter loss in terms of the witness of the church and the advancement of the kingdom mission that they had been given.
Paul then asks two questions designed to reveal the selfish and sinful activity that was occurring at the church: Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?Paul is revealing for us the reality that there are times that as Christians, we should rather experience injustice against ourselves than harm our witness to the community that we are trying to reach for Christ.
And this another instance in the Bible where we see that Jesus never asks us to do something that He has not already done. Was Jesus wronged? Was Jesus defrauded? Did Jesus have every right to stand up and complain and respond? Yet Jesus laid aside His right to be right aside and allowed Himself to be wronged and defrauded so that He could complete the kingdom mission that He was given. And as His followers, there are times that we may need to lay aside our right to be right in order to not harm the witness of the church or the kingdom mission we have been given.
However instead of choosing to reflect Christ and advance the kingdom mission they were given, the members of the church of Corinth were wronging and defrauding one another. Instead of reflecting the love of Christ to one another, the church was selfishly attempting to take advantage of one another. And in the same way, Christians act unchristian when we fail to reflect Christ and we harm the kingdom mission we have been given when we take advantage of one another in a way that results in lawsuits amongst one another.
So what type of church family do you belong to? Does your church family reflect Christ? Or do they reflect a dysfunctional reality show filled with selfishness and conflict? And what effect does your church family have on the community around you?
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