•I Corinthians 6:1-8
•Mediators
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 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! 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!
(I Corinthians 6:1-8, ESV)
•Main Point
• These verses further reflect on the Corinthians behavior which is counter to what they claim
• Now the focus is on civil court
• No side is right as they continue to rely on pagan courts and their corruption to mediate
• Where is their wisdom?
• By doing this they continue the cultural cycle rather than being counter to it
Application Points
• Mediators
• As we have discussed at time, our culture is highly independent and libertarian
• Personal freedom can become a hinderance to our faith when we focus on it above all else
• Paul is not discussing criminal court here
• Paul used it in Acts 18 and 24
• We find the rulers in these situations not taking bribes
• The kinds of lawsuits are like those on judge Judy
• The Corinthians were more than willing to do this and utilize a far more corrupt system in order to get their way
• Second: This does not describe going to civil court with unbelievers
• The main focus is for the Church and its ability to judge these issues with wisdom
Application Points
• Mediators (2)
• What we know of the Corinthian understanding of liberty would mean it would be hard to know who they believed was right in this situation
• Would they celebrate the one who defrauded?
• Would they celebrate the one who brings it to the court?
• Maybe they can’t judge because they have no concept of right and wrong and in doing so trust outsiders to do it for them
• Are we the same way?
• We can care greatly about our personal property
• When someone takes from us, whether it be time, money, property or even trust it can lead to a great division rather than a reconciliation
Application Points
• Mediators (3)
• Do we take each other to civil court?
• Christians who take other Christians to court over property
• If our property ends up causing such division, then Paul is right, it would be better to be defrauded
• It would be better to lose in Christ than win the judicial games of the world
• Does this mean we should be a doormat? No
• Let’s not forget who else is criticized…the Church
• If we are being defrauded it is our first responsibility to follow Christ who says…
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
(Matthew 18:15-20, ESV)
Application Points
• Mediators (4)
• Unfortunately while taking each other to court over property is a hypothetical, there is a way that is not so hypothetical
• There are many Christians who use the court of public opinion to defraud one another
• Indeed, while civil courts may not be a daily thing, public court is an entirely different story
• If they are capable of getting likes or positive comments when criticizing other believers or neighbors then they feel justified and vindicated in the court of public opinion
• Why aren’t these individuals going to the Church?
• Why do they go to the unbelieving world in order to get their justice?
Application Points
• Mediators (5)
• Is it possible that we are scared of letting go what hurts us?
• Would our congregants rightly call us out if we were the ones in the wrong?
• It would be better for us to confront these fears than continue utilizing the world as our mediator
• When the world sees us being petty about things what does that do to the witness of the Church?
• This seems to be what Paul is talking about
• A few years ago we started noticing a major problem of sexual abuse in Churches
• We made a constitutional change that if anyone sees something inappropriate done with any of the children that we call…
• The police
Application Points
• Mediators (6)
• Now, let’s say someone says something that offends me?
• Someone borrows $5 and doesn’t pay it back
• I don’t call the police
• Does that mean what was done was right?
• That is something which we should be able to work out together or as a congregation
• It means that at times we will have to, quite literally, trust each other
• To trust God to use each other in order to show proper discernment
• To show the world what true mediators are supposed to be without the bribes or corruption
Application Points
• Mediators (7)
• As a community we have the best chance of being a light for the broader community because we can show them what it means to be a Christian together
• That when the world looks at it they see all the things the world lacks…love, justice, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, repentance
• Hopefully we will cease being petty
• Remembering God has given us each other as mediators to strengthen one another in the truth
• Be encouraged to be different than the world
• Don’t go to the world in order to mediate these minor offenses
• Let’s not be afraid to be mediators for one another
• Let’s reflect the great Mediator, Jesus Christ, who mediates on our behalf before God the Father, and forgives us despite our failings
Application Points
• The Gospel of Christ
• Origins
• Fall
• Redemption
• Glorification
