1 Corinthians 6:1-8·~1 min

Lawsuits among Believers

Paul asks how any of them can take a grievance before the unrighteous rather than the saints, since the saints will judge the world and even angels. He says this future calling should make them able to handle ordinary matters now, and he is ashamed that there seems to be no one wise enough among them to arbitrate between brothers.

I¹f any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints! ²Do 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? ³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? ⁵I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers? ⁶Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!

Paul says the mere fact that they are suing one another already means defeat, since it would be better to suffer wrong or be cheated than to drag one another through this way. Instead, he says, they themselves wrong and cheat, and do so against their own brothers.

⁷The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!

Section summaryPaul is appalled that believers are carrying grievances against one another before unrighteous courts instead of settling them among the saints. He says their future calling should make them competent for lesser matters now, and that the very existence of such lawsuits already shows defeat, especially when the strong response is to wrong and cheat fellow believers.

Role in the chapterThis section addresses how Corinth handles conflict in public view. It exposes their lawsuits as both a failure of communal wisdom and a contradiction of the patient, self-giving shape Paul expects.