Wise Counsel

In our scripture reading today we find ourselves in chapter six of 1 Corinthians; Paul writes in verse 1, “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?” I realize there are a total of eleven verses in Paul’s conversation here, but I would like to camp out on this one verse today. (I like camping) Undoubtedly the believers at the church in Corinth were having issues because they were bringing disputes and lawsuits before non-believers. This didn’t set well with Paul, and for very good reason. He thought they should have known better than this!  As we read through the book of 1 Corinthians one image that begins surfacing about the believers there is that they were not always very mature in their faith. In this instance that immaturity presented itself in the form of the believers relying on “outsiders” to settle matters of dispute. 

In his commentary teaching on this passage, Warren Wiersbe writes this observation, “…the basic problem [with the Corinthian church] was carnality; when Christians are immature and not growing, they cannot get along with one another. They lack the spiritual discernment to settle and solve personal problems.”

The believers were not mature enough to realize that by bringing their disputes and disagreements before non-believers, they were taking the chance of subjecting themselves to “tainted” judgments and bad advice; judgments and advice that would not include Godly wisdom nor scriptural direction, and Judgments and advice that had the potential to wreck relationships as opposed to healing them.

Have we ever done that before? Are we as guilty as the Corinthian believers in bringing matters before spiritually “unqualified” people? I’m not even talking about going to the extreme of bringing lawsuits. What about just seeking general advice concerning things like our relationships, or when needing direction about a personal matter? Do we seek out healthy advice from spiritually qualified people, or are we looking for people to tell us what our “itching ears” want to hear? And on a related note, I also get frustrated by our “Facebook” society when people post things about disputes or disagreements with other people without first talking to the person that the dispute was with! I call this “junior high school playground tactics.” Talk about your immaturity! Brothers and Sisters, we’ve been called to a higher road than that!

What advice did Jesus give about disputes with other believers? Take a look at His words from Matthew chapter 18:  “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.  But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” (Matthew 18: 15-17 New Living Translation)

Jesus said we should first go privately to the person we have the problem with; and attempt to settle it face to face. If they won’t listen or they are unwilling to settle it, then bring someone else with you as a witness; preferably a mature, non-biased believer that you can trust. If there is still an issue, then talk to an elder or a pastor for advice on your next step toward reconciliation. 

Our goal as Christians should be oneness and spiritual maturity; especially when it comes to getting along with other opinionated, imperfect, emotional, hard-headed and sometimes critical believers: A group, by the way that we all belong to. I’ll leave you today with these words from Hebrews 3:13: “…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Grace and Peace

- Jimmy Garison