Chapter 6
Grievances and Lawsuits Between Believers
6:1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
Paul asks them when a grievance between two believers arises would one of them dare (Greek ’tolma’, to have courage, boldness, to have confidence) to go to a secular court to settle the matter instead of finding a arbitrator from the church? He then “flashes forward” in the next verse to the time of the Millennium when believers will reign with Jesus (see Matthew 19:28; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21; 20:4-6). (Click here to see Revelation commentary and click here for explanation of the Millenium)
6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
In the future believers, will indeed judge the world, so Paul uses that understanding to frame these three rhetorical questions. He is essentially informing them that they are competent to try everything from small cases to matters that pertain to life. Paul will use the phrase, “Or do you not know” four times in this chapter (see verses 2, 9, 16, 19, see also Romans 7:1), although mostly rhetorical questions and Paul isn’t looking for any answers, but these ‘negative’ questions would require more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. I believe he used that negative question construction to foster attention.
6:4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
Paul chastises them for taking disputes between believers to secular courts. He asks, possibly sarcastically, if they have anyone wise enough to settle a case between fellow believers. Then Paul asks the most important question, why is there a lawsuit in the first place? He notes that having a lawsuit is a defeat already. The New Living Translation renders the last half of verse seven, “Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?” To some that sounds extreme in the opposite direction, but what is missing is the dependance on God and the willingness to forgive. Paul says that the person who is “filing charges” is wrong as that would be defrauding their own brothers.
6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
By going back to his definition of the secular court in verse one, namely the unrighteous, Paul informs them that they are people who are not only unbelievers, but that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. As they could be sexually immoral, idol worshipers, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusive, or cheaters. Through this comparison he is essentially asking them, “Do you really want someone like that representing you in court?” Paul acknowledges that some from the church may have had one or more of these less-than-desirable characteristics, but since they have accepted Jesus as their Savior they have been washed clean of those past sins and have been made right with God.
Paul breaks down the process of a believer’s transition from being unsaved to being saved in three stages: First, being washed, given new life through regeneration (being made new, see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5). Second, being sanctified, made holy, though a believer’s spirit is immediately made holy, we engage in a life-long journey of our bodies being made holy which effectively changes one’s behavior in life. And third, being justified, being made righteous (see Romans 3:26; 4:22-25). All three can be used as synonyms for each other, all made possible in the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.
Considerations
Our Witness Should Reflect Jesus
There is an old marketing sloan that is very true, it states “perception is reality.” In marketing it doesn’t matter if something is true or not, what matters is what the public perceives as being true. As believers in Jesus we represent Him wherever we go and during whatever we are doing or saying. Paul will later make the case that we are Jesus’ ambassadors (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). That means everything we do reflects Him. If we say or do something contrary to the nature of God we can lose our ability (and likely our creditability) to be effective witnesses for Him. We should consider our witness something of great value, because if we say or do something wrong in front of someone we can be forgiven by God, but we may have permanently lost our ability to witness to that person.
A Plea to Flee from Sexual Immorality
6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
As one would expect this verse is controversial, but it is true. Perhaps used as an excuse for their lack of restraint, the church seemingly embraced the concept that now that they were forgiven, they believed “All things are lawful for me” and lustfully partied. But is that what God sent His Son into the world to die so that humanity can do whatever they please? No! All believers have been bought with the blood of Jesus, our ownership went from the bondage of sin and condemnation to being a servant of God (see 1 Peter 1:19). It is true believers are free to do as they wish while keeping their salvation intact. But all believers should know that God hates sin, so why do something that will affect that relationship? Something that changes the fellowship with God can also affect one’s prayer life and, as pointed out above, their witness. The apostle John tells us that we love Jesus because He first loved us (see 1 John 4:19). If we love Him then we will try to avoid doing something that would be contrary to Jesus’ nature or upset our relationship. Paul wrote in his epistle to the church in Rome, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4) The concept of newness of life does not include the exploiting of life!
Paul makes a valid point, but is truly an understatement, “but not all things are helpful.” The Greek word ‘sympherei’ means to do something beneficial to others. There are a lot of things people can do but is their value in doing them? While Paul is primarily focused on acts of sexual immorality, the statement can be applied to many other things. As followers of Jesus believers should be focused on helping and serving others (see Proverbs 19:17; 22:9; Matthew 25:35-40; Galatians 5:13-15; 6:2; Philippians 2:4; Hebrews 6:10; 13:16; James 1:27; 2:14-17). Paul asserts that he will not be dominated (ruled or persuaded) by anything. A very strong affirming statement which should not be considered a boast, but as coming from one who seeks to please God in all that he does.
6:13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
Paul is not offering a biology lesson, he is making the point that food is necessary for life as the stomach processes the food to sustain life. But at some point in a believer’s future God will destroy both because they will no longer be needed to sustain life. He then notes that the human body is not meant to be abused by sexual immorality as it was meant to be the Lord’s. And the Lord for the body since He is the one sustaining its life. God raised Jesus and He will also raise all believers by His power. Biological sustenance will no longer be required.
6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
Paul reminds his readers that all believers are part of the body of Christ (see also Ephesians 1:22-23) and that they are also individual members in that body (see also Romans 12:5). He proposes the idea moving the members of Christ to being members of a prostitute and of course he answers immediately by saying “Never!” He notes that when a person is joined with a prostitute they become one body with her (Paul quotes Genesis 2:24). Paul then says that believers are instead joined to Jesus and have become one spirit with Him, in other words, sexual immorality is not compatible with life with Jesus. Therefore, flee from sexual sin! Paul points out that all other sin is external, outside the body, but this sin is against one’s own body.
6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
This is another powerful observation whose application extends well beyond the premise of sexual immorality. Paul informs his readers that every believer belongs to God, we were all bought with a price, the blood of Jesus (see also 1 Peter 1:19). And that includes our bodies, but they are not just “included in the sale,” our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. He chose to reside in us! That alone makes us holy. Believers should not have the mindset that “it’s my body and I’ll do as I please.” He bought you and me, so glorify Him in your body!
We can easily see that taking care of our bodies extends beyond sexual immorality, so even though there may not be a specific reference in the Bible that forbids or discourages every negative or any less-than favorable behavior, we always need to remember who we represent.