1 Corinthians 6:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

NIV: If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?

NASB: Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?

CSB: If any of you has a dispute against another, how dare you take it to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

NLT: When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers !

KJV: Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

NKJV: Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

Paul launches into a new example of the pride and arrogance of the Christians in the church at Corinth. Apparently, at least one of them had sued another member of the church in a secular, civil court over some disagreement. Paul is outraged over this.

Participating in competitive lawsuits was a common and frequent practice in that era. It was not always a fair one. The wealthy or well-connected in the community had an advantage over others. Bribery of judges and jurors was common. In almost all cases, the two parties would attack each other's character as well as arguing for the rightness of their position. Inevitably, those suing and being sued would become social enemies.

The following verses show that Paul considers it a tragedy that fellow believers in Christ would put themselves in such a position. It's shameful for brothers and sisters in Christ to appeal to unrighteous, non-believing judges instead of fellow born-again Christians.

Paul's use of the term "unrighteous" here has two implications. Primarily, he means these secular authorities are not Christians and have not been made righteous by the blood of Christ. In many cases, these Roman judges were also corrupt, and part of the rampant unfairness associated with civil courts of the day. Paul, himself, had been dragged, literally, before a court in Corinth by the Jewish religious leaders (Acts 18:12–17). That turned out better for him than most of his appearances before Roman judges did.

Paul is not teaching that a Christian should never submit to the authority of a human court. He teaches the opposite of that in Romans 13:1. Christians live under the laws of the land. These verses are about a civil lawsuit, not a criminal case. Nor does he mean Christians can never, under any circumstances, go to court against a person claiming to be a believer—his remark about "trivial cases" in the next verse implies that some issues might need the involvement of a court. For example, if a church member or official is involved in abuse or criminal activity, those actions are absolutely not "protected" by this admonition.

First Corinthians 6:1–11 details Paul's objections to Christians taking another to secular court over a minor issue. Believers will one day judge the world and angels. They should be able to judge small disputes amongst themselves. It would be better for a believer to be defrauded than to ask unbelievers to settle an argument between brothers in Christ. After all, unbelievers will not inherit God's kingdom. They are known by all the sins they do. Christians, though, have been cleansed from those sins and are now known only as belonging to Christ. This passage includes a passionate, powerful reminder that no person's sins are beyond Christ's power to forgive.

First Corinthians 6 continues Paul's confrontations of the Corinthian Christians over issues in the church. Earlier passages discussed problems of division into factions, and tolerance of heinous sexual sin. Paul is also outraged that they would take one another to court in a lawsuit over minor issues. Instead of suing each other before unbelievers, they should settle trivial issues in the church. Second, Paul urges them to live up to their new identities in Christ instead of living down to the sexually immoral standards of the culture. This sets up discussions of marriage in chapter 7.

Paul confronts two major issues happening in the church at Corinth. First, he is outraged that one of them has brought a lawsuit against a brother in Christ over a minor dispute. It is absurd to think that Christians—those who will judge the world and angels—cannot even judge a small matter between themselves. Second, Paul warns his readers to run from sexual immorality. Sex creates a powerful bond intended only for marriage. Since our bodies belong to and are part of Christ, we have no right to bring Him into a one-body union with someone to whom we're not married.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.