The opening passage in 1 Corinthians 6 is highly relevant for our litigious society. In a country that spends around half a trillion dollars every year on lawsuits, we find a topic Christians must understand biblically.

The phenomenon of lawsuits did not originate in our society. In the ancient Greco-Roman world, lawsuits were a regular part of life, especially for the rich and famous. Judges were routinely bribed to render decisions that favored one party without concern for justice. No matter the period, wealthy or famous people are often treated differently in the legal system than those who are unknown or have few economic resources.

The recourse societies give to people claiming to have been wronged is to take the defendant to court, present the case, and allow a judge or jury to decide if a wrong truly occurred – and, if so, what just compensation would be for the wrong. In a world awash with injustice and evil, where status and wealth are prized above all other things, the best remedy the unbeliever has to deal with legal disputes is to go to court before a third party that is hoped to be impartial.

Yet what about disputes within the church?

When we consider the dilemma of disputes within the church, Paul exhorts us to handle these issues in a way that reflects our present standing as God’s new covenant people and our future hope of resurrection and a new creation. To that end, there are four things to understand.

First, we must understand the reality of disputes (verse 1).

It would be wonderful if believers never had any disputes that might arise within the body of Christ. Sadly, that’s not our reality. The circumstances presented in this chapter are different than those in the previous one, where there was some obvious sin to be disciplined. Instead, these are circumstances of interpersonal conflict, where one person claims to be wronged by another, and the other disputes the occurrence or severity of the alleged offense. There is no clear sin because the matter is under dispute, and the parties do not agree on the facts.

Before we go any further, let me add something crucial: Paul is not speaking of criminal matters. Criminal behavior must always be reported to the authorities so government can fulfill its God-ordained function of wielding the sword against evildoers.

Paul recognizes that non-criminal disputes will arise within the church, and that believers have two options for recourse.

The first option is to go to law before the unrighteous, who are not in Christ by faith. Paul is not necessarily describing their character as much as their spiritual condition. The second option is to go before the saints. Here, Paul is talking about deferring judgment to people within the church.

When faced with these situations, Paul contends that Christians should seek remedies for legal disputes from the saints in the church and not from unbelievers in the civic court system. We all have disagreements, and sometimes we need someone objective to find resolution. However, we should never take these cases before the unrighteous, because doing so would be a daring act of defiance against God.

Second, we must understand the role of the saints (verses 2-3).

Paul asks four more questions, which are designed to expose how little the Corinthians actually know compared to how much they thought they knew.

The first question is, “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” Believers will judge those outside the church, when Christ returns in glory and renders final judgment. This idea was clearly expressed by Daniel, when he spoke of the Son of Man destroying the wicked kingdom of this world (Daniel 7:26-27). Additionally, Paul wrote that those who have received God’s grace through the gospel will soon reign in life – and that will involve judgment of the world (Romans 5:17). This is our future role as Christians.

The conclusion from our future role is followed by another question: “If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?” Earthly lawsuits have some impact, but they are temporary in their effect. If believers are going to be part of the judgment that affects the eternal destiny of people, are we not competent then to judge things with no lasting impact? The expected answer is yes.

The third question is, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” Scripture really doesn’t say much about this topic, but the point is clear. Not only will we judge the world with Christ, but we will also sit with Him in judgment of angels in some manner.

Paul then asks a question that draws a similar conclusion to the previous pair: “How much more matters of this life?” If believers will judge spiritual beings that are vastly superior to earthly things, then how much more adequate should we be to judge things in this life? Christians should be competent to handle disputes in the church because of who we are and what our future holds in eternity.

Third, we need to understand the reasoning of unbelievers (verse 4).

It’s important to understand how unbelievers think before we seek to find a mediator who serves a secular system. Paul asks: “So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?” He wants to know why these believers would bring cases before unbelievers when they have disputes about earthly matters.

The way Paul describes unbelieving judges is extremely harsh, giving the idea of something totally useless because it is beneath one’s consideration, or to regard another person as of no significance and therefore worthy of mistreatment. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that secular justice systems run by unbelievers bear no merit of even being considered by Christians in their church disputes.

We know how unbelievers reason. They live in the futility of their mind and are darkened in their understanding. They cannot think along biblical pathways and come to biblical conclusions. They will not make judgments focused on Christ’s glory or the wisdom of the Spirit of God revealed in Scripture.

Now, someone might object, saying, “That may be true, but I’m not concerned about all of that; I just want justice in my situation!” This answer fails to account for who we are in Christ. If believers are not concerned about the glory of Christ in a matter, we are off on the wrong foot. So, a lawsuit is not just a legal matter, but spiritual. Sure, it might be true that an unbelieving judge might better apply civil law to any case than a group of leaders in the church. However, is the letter of civil law our only – or even our highest – concern as Christians?

Paul is putting his finger on a problem that is very real in the hearts of Christians today as it was then, that we often put a higher priority on earthly rights and possessions than we do on biblical principles and eternal values. If believers truly are the temple of the living God, indwelled by the Spirit, and living in the wisdom of God, then we should not want to bring our disputes before people who embrace the wisdom of the world. Unbelievers cannot think through our disputes at the most profound level, and so Paul is outraged that the Corinthians, who will sit in judgment on these magistrates, would go before them in this life.

All Christians should ask themselves this critical question: When I am wrong, how do I handle it? My prayer is that all believers, when we are wronged, would manifestly make it clear we belong to Christ and follow Him as we seek to deal with the dilemma of earthly disputes.