INTRODUCTION: On Sunday December 14, 2014, the New York Jets outlasted the Tennessee Titans 16-11. The Jets showed heart and fight, as QB Geno Smith rallied them with a fourth-quarter comeback. And Jets fans across the country … groaned with despair! It was a costly win. You see, the Jets had a losing record. Instead of moving up to third in the NFL draft order, the Jets—fourth at the start of the day—dropped to sixth, behind several other teams also hoping to draft a star quarterback. In that year’s draft, QB Jameis Winston was taken first, QB Marcus Mariota was taken second. The Jets drafted DT Leonard Williams with the sixth pick, who today plays for the New York ... Giants. Sometimes it’s better to lose than to win.
Now I know you don’t believe me when I say that! You’re thinking, “When could it possibly be better to lose than to win? Sounds like something only a loser would say!” Careful—your culture is showing. In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we run into so many tensions between what it means to follow Christ while living in our culture. And today’s passage is a doozy—Paul argues forcefully that if we’re really the people of God in Christ, then sometimes it’s better for us to lose than to win. [READ vv. 1-4]
I. BETTER TO LOSE IF WINNING IMPAIRS OUR IDENTITY (1-4)
A. This section begins with Paul’s horror and disgust over what is going on in the church. “Dispute” here implies a legal complaint. Most common litigation in that culture involved property disputes or business dealings.
The original problem is easy to reconstruct: Apparently one brother (Man A) had defrauded another (Man B) in some way. To redress his grievances (Man B) took (Man A) before the civil magistrate, which was publicly located in the heart of the marketplace. The event is a defeat for the church in every way, for the community as a whole, as well as these two brothers.
In the prior chapter, Paul addressed an issue of sexual deviancy that the church had not addressed, and told them, “y’all need to throw that guy out of the fellowship—have nothing to do with him until he repents.” So here in chapter 6, what’s in view is a civil dispute concerning money or property, NOT a criminal matter like domestic violence or predatory behavior, where someone is a danger to others. That’s a whole different kettle of fish, so please don’t mishear what I’m not saying.
B. We are dealing with a recurring phenomenon in human society, namely that someone who has been wronged seeks vindication in the courts. Paul doesn’t tell them not to have disputes. (“Y'all need to love Jesus and hug it out.”) The problem here is that the case was brought “before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people.” (1) There is no particular criticism of corruption in the Roman courts implied here (common though such corruption was). Paul probably recalled with gratitude the fair treatment he had received from Gallio, the Roman proconsul, when he had been in Corinth (Acts 18). By calling them “ungodly,” Paul isn’t demeaning the corruption of the Roman courts, but appealing to the special identity of God’s people. The court judges are “the ungodly,” who will not inherit the kingdom of God. Indeed, they will themselves be judged by God’s people at the great End Times judgment (3).
The absurdity of the Corinthian position is that the Lord’s people will someday judge the very world before whom they are now appearing and asking to render a judgment! They are impairing the identity of who they are as the people of God
ILLUSTRATION: The Lion King: Mufasa appears in a vision to remind his son: “Simba, remember who you are. You are the son of a king.”
C. Paul begins this sharp paragraph as though it were a word to the offender, but instead it becomes a word to the church as a whole. It turns out that the failure of these two men is primarily a failure of the church to be the church. Paul wrote the Romans “do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought.” But here, he tells the Corinthians, in effect, “do not think of yourselves more lowly than you ought.” In the first place, Paul says, the church is an eternal, End Times community, whose status as God’s future people absolutely determines life in these present days. Our future in Christ determines how we live in the present. Paul picks up a common idea from Jewish End Times theology: “the Lord’s people will judge the world” at the final judgment. Paul does not explain this further, nor does anyone else in the NT. In God’s final judgment of the world, we, God’s people, will in some way be involved.
Given this future reality, Paul shows the triviality of lawsuits in the present age. Such matters add up to zero in light of God’s final judgment. Such people are simply after the wrong things. Then Paul continues: “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (3) Probably fallen angels are in view here, but think of it—not only the world but even angels will be judged by the redeemed, resurrected people of God! So Paul argues, “How much more the things of this life!” (4) His point is “In the Final Judgment we will sit in on ultimate judgments—even over angels—so don’t y’all think you should be able to handle matters of a little money?”
>> So it’s better for us to lose if winning impairs our identity—if we don’t remember who we are. Then in v. 5 Paul really takes the gloves off: [READ 5-6]
II. BETTER TO LOSE IF WINNING WEAKENS OUR WITNESS (5-6)
A. With v.5, “I say this to shame you,” Paul punctuates his point. In chapter 4 he had said that his object was not to shame them but to warn them. Here his object is to shame, pure and simple. In case they did not understand, he spells it out for them. The Corinthians’ litigation incenses Paul even more than their division because it so fundamentally compromises their witness before a watching world, quick to ridicule and reject the church on such occasions. You know how the media love to pounce on every story of Christians fighting—Paul’s concern not to wash our dirty laundry in public remains valid.
B. “Is it possible that there is no one among you wise enough …?” drips with irony, since the Corinthians had been claiming to be so wise (4:10). But Paul probably also believes quite seriously that among the godly in the church, some bear the marks of true Christian wisdom (and perhaps also legal training), so that they might intervene constructively.
C. ILLUSTRATION: In the original series Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy” the Organian leaders interfere in the growing quarrel between Captain Kirk of the Federation and Commander Kor of the Klingon Empire. There is about to be an outbreak of war over the Organian planet, but suddenly the Organians reveal themselves to be far more powerful than imagined, and they put a stop to things.
Captain Kirk: "You have no right to dictate to our Federation how to handle our interstellar relations! We have the right ..."
Organian leader: "To wage war, Captain? To kill millions of innocent people? To destroy life on a planetary scale? Is that what you're defending?"
Captain Kirk (to Kor): "Well, Commander, I guess that takes care of the war. Obviously, the Organians aren't going to let us fight."
Kor: "A shame, Captain. It would have been glorious!"
D. APPLICATION: Lawsuits aside, too often we fail to consider how “winning” could actually weaken our witness. Are you willing to lay down your agenda—getting your way—if it reflects negatively on the Lord’s church or on your faith? In politics? At work? On social media? "Is that what you’re defending?"
Better to lose if winning weakens our witness, says Paul. And then he turns his attention directly to the two men involved in the lawsuit, but speaks to them in such a way that the entire community is also addressed: [READ 7-8]
III. BETTER TO LOSE IF WINNING WRECKS A RELATIONSHIP (7-8)
A. The actions of both men are a total defeat, bringing shame both on themselves and the church. Far better, Paul argues, for the man who initiated the legal proceedings to conform to the non-retaliation ethic of Christ. Then in v.8 he shames the defendant, who did the cheating in the first place, and will warn him further in 9-10.
B. Whether inside or outside the church, the attitude of “me demanding my rights” remains diametrically opposed to Christ’s teaching and example. If two Christians cannot resolve their disagreements without dragging each other into court, something is fundamentally amiss. And here is a radical, countercultural point: Paul asserts it is better to suffer wrong than to wreck a relationship with a brother or sister—knowing God will one day vindicate all injustices. Have you wrecked a relationship with another Christian in order to win something? Was it worth it? Tim Stafford: “I would rather be cheated a hundred times than develop a heart of stone.”
C. ILLUSTRATION: Physician Horace Smith warns that in the church "we must guard against 'spiritual autoimmune disease,' in which spiritual white cells see normal cells within the body as enemies and try to destroy them" Dr. Smith adds: Is it possible for a human body to "bite and devour" healthy cells, destroying life? Absolutely. Sometimes white blood cells mistakenly attack healthy cells in the blood, causing disastrous results. The immune system fails to recognize components of the body as normal. It then creates autoantibodies that attack its own cells, tissues, or organs. This causes inflammation and damage, and it leads to autoimmune disorders. For example, autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a group of disorders that attack red blood cells as if they were substances foreign to the body. Like other cases of anemia, the person may experience shortness of breath, tiredness, and jaundice. When the destruction of healthy red cells persists for a long period of time, the spleen may enlarge, resulting in [even more health problems and pain.]"
Christ intends for the members of his body to be healthy, nourish each other, protect each other, and help one another. Let’s don’t “bite and devour” each other—even if you’re in the right.
Because here’s our Big Idea, our takeaway from this passage:
Conclusion: BETTER TO BE WRONGED THAN TO MISUSE OUR RIGHTS.
The whole concept of relinquishing one’s rights is anathema to a culture immersed in asserting them. Women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, trans rights, liberation theology, even the “inalienable rights” of our American constitution all contain important Christian components, but also significant secular and even anti-Christian influences. Standing before God at the end of days, what will we have a right to, really? To be cast into outer darkness and an eternity of torment—that’s all we have a right to. Everything else is God’s grace. And He gives so much grace—chiefly through the one who willingly lost his life to win yours.
• Culture says, “Assert your rights, and win at all costs!”
• Christ says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) THAT is losing to win!
