The United States is clearly the world's leader in lawyers and litigation. There are almost one million lawyers in our country, over twice as many as there were twenty years ago. The State of Delaware, which has a population of 750,000, has more attorneys than the whole nation of Japan, which has a population of over 125 million. This trend shows no sign of changing. Every year 100,000 people apply for the 50,000 openings at law schools which are sanctioned by the American Bar Association. Why are there so many lawyers? It is not really a popular profession. There are still lots of nasty jokes out there like, "What do you say about a lawyer who is up to his neck in sand? ... Not enough sand." Or, "Why don't lawyers play hide-and-go seek? ... Because nobody will hunt for them." But people often do hunt for a lawyer, and they are willing to pay over $100 an hour for their services.
There are lots of different reasons why someone hires a lawyer, many of them very valid, but civil litigation, one person suing another, is becoming the most common reason. Someone said, "In the old days, if you had a conflict with your neighbor, you gave him a piece of your mind. Now you take him to court." That's why over 125 million lawsuits will be filed this year. Oh, there are some ambulance-chasing lawyers who try to drag people into court, but it is almost always the client who seeks out the lawyer. Attorney Carl Lansing says that in recent years a new attitude has developed toward lawsuits. He writes, "A symbiotic relationship of greed is on the rise between the public and the legal profession. Many people are no longer interested in fair compensation when they are wronged. They want to get rich. Twenty years ago someone standing on a street corner whose elbow was brushed by a passing truck would likely exclaim, 'Thank God, I'm alive!' Now a person in the same situation shouts, 'Thank God, I'll be rich.'" If you think he is exaggerating, don't forget the woman who won a million dollar suit against McDonald's because the coffee she got at the drive-thru, which she spilled on herself, was too hot. Then there is also the fellow in New York who a few years ago attempted suicide by jumping in front of a subway car. He failed to kill himself, but he did win a $650,000 judgment from New York City, because their train hit him.
The lawsuit explosion has also hit the church. Listen to these examples of court cases in recent years. A pastor sued his denomination for age discrimination because he could not find a church willing to hire him for the salary he demanded. -- A pastor sues his own church and the church board, claiming they were interfering with the performance of his duties. -- The board of trustees of a Baptist church in Louisiana filed suit to remove their pastor from his position. A few days later, another group, claiming to be the real trustees, filed a counter suit, asking that those who had filed the previous suit be removed as church members. -- A family in Illinois sued their church for injuries their 15-year-old son suffered at a church picnic when he fell out of a tree. His parents had watched him climb the tree and had warned him to be careful because it was dangerous, but when he fell, they sued the church. -- A number of years ago, two factions of a church in our denomination took each other to court to see which group would end up with the church property. -- Many of you remember last year when a Lutheran church in Duluth was closed because of a lawsuit against it by a man who had been sexually abused by a former pastor of the church. Lawsuits are happening with increasing frequency, both outside and inside the church.
It is in the context of all the litigation that we come to our text today. As we continue our journey through the Book of 1 Corinthians, we come to Chapter 6:1-8. In some ways, these words the Apostle Paul wrote seem quite strange in our modern situation, but I think God has some very important things to say to us through them. Let's pause and pray that we would be able to hear that today.
Let's look at what Paul says about Christians and lawsuits. 1 Corinthians 6:1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? When there is a conflict of some type, Christians should not be taking each other to court. Paul recognizes, Romans 13, that the Roman rulers were in charge of criminal matters, but when the dispute involved property or some other type of civil matter, Christians had no business going before nonbelieving judges. In Paul's day, the Romans allowed the Jews to apply their own law in civil matters, and since Christianity was considered merely a branch of Judaism by the Romans, there was no reason why Christians would not have that same privilege. Paul finds it bizarre that Christians would choose to go before a judge who was probably a pagan. Paul seems to view disputes between individual Christians as almost inevitable. But when they occur, he expects they will be settled within the context of the church. 6:2,3 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Matthew 19:28 and Revelation 20:4 tell us that at the end of history Christians will be called to judge the rest of humanity. Paul says angels, who now are superior to human beings, will one day be under our authority. That being the case, 6:4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! The Greek grammar of this verse is a little unclear, but apparently what Paul means is that even the "lowest" in the church, those with little education, with little experience, who are not seen as very wise people, should be able to do a better job of settling a dispute than someone who is not even a Christian.
6:5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? Paul expects there must be at least someone in the congregation at Corinth that would be respected by both conflicting parties and would be able to function as a judge or mediator in a dispute. 6:6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another -- and this in front of unbelievers! It seems Paul has two problems with the lawsuits that had occurred in Corinth. One was that Christians were going in front of unbelievers with their disputes. He sees that as harmful to the church's reputation, and secondly, in both, that Christians are willing to sue each other at all. 6:7a The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. The goal the church has of showing love and compassion for each other has gone down the drain. How can a church where the members are taking each other to court, be demonstrating the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 6:7b Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? The problems being caused by these lawsuits far outweigh any justice that results from the settlements. Paul's rhetorical questions reveal his belief that it would be better to simply accept being wronged and cheated, than it is to take a Christian brother or sister to civil court. 6:8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. Paul believes the actions some of the folks are taking reveal selfish motives. Knowing human nature as he does, he is inclined to think that a lot of the lawsuits reflect a desire to get rich, rather than a desire for what is fair and just. He finds it disgusting that some of the people within the church are trying to take advantage of their own Christian brothers and sisters, just for their material benefit. Trying to use the legal system for personal gain is not something which was invented during the past twenty-five years. It is a problem rooted in human nature itself.
So, what are the implications for us of what Paul says in this text? We need to remember that as an apostle, Paul is writing this letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus, these are not just Paul's words, but God's words, and this is not just Paul's letter to the Corinthians, but is also God's letter for us. It is a mistake to think that, because Paul is talking about a legal system which existed nearly 2000 years ago, these instructions are irrelevant for us. These are God's words for all times and all places. At the same time, it is important that we don't misinterpret and misapply what the Lord is saying. Let's look at three implications for us today.
#1) A Christian is not prohibited from hiring a lawyer or going to court. Over the years there have been some folks who claimed that it did, but that is not the case. For example, if someone who is not a believer files a suit against you, there is nothing wrong with you retaining a lawyer. Now, if you have indeed wronged that person in some way, then it is important that you instruct your attorney to make fair compensation to the other party. However, if the other person isn't interested in a fair settlement and is clearly trying to take advantage of you, then you probably want that lawyer to defend you against the claim. I don't believe this passage prohibits that. There may also be times when it is appropriate to file a suit against someone who is not a believer if that party has wronged you in some way. Let's say, for example, that your insurance refuses to pay a claim to which you believe you are clearly entitled. Is Paul saying that because we are Christians, we simply need to accept injustice or unfairness in that type of situation? I don't think so. Certainly we should never file a lawsuit with the intention of trying to take advantage of a situation for our own gain. Even if we are suing a large company, it is still stealing. But, whenever we are being treated unfairly and unjustly by those who are not Christians, I think a believer does have the option of going to court.
In cases where our civil rights are being infringed upon, it is usually very appropriate for us to go to court. For example, if a student was suspended for bringing a Bible to school, which has happened in a couple of places, I think it would be great for his family to hire a lawyer and seek to force the school to respect the student's religious rights. In Acts 22, Paul demands that rights as Roman citizens be respected. Also as soldiers... Acts 22:25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" and as a result Paul is spared this punishment. Standing up for our civil rights, especially our rights to practice the Christian faith, is not a wrong thing to do. Let me also say that 1 Corinthians 6 doesn't apply in criminal cases. If you are a victim of a crime, you certainly ought not discourage the prosecution of that case simply because you are a Christian. If someone breaks into your garage and steals your tools, they have not only violated your rights, they have also violated a law of the state. Though you may be willing to forgive them for taking the tools, you don't have the right to forgive them for breaking the law. Only the state can do that.
#2) A Christian should not file a lawsuit against another Christian believer. We may not like that restriction, but that is what the Lord says. I don't think there is any way around it. Does this mean that if someone else in the church is taking advantage of you, there is no recourse? No. It means simply that the church, not the court, should settle the dispute. For example, let's say I sell a used TV to Pastor Chris for $100. I tell him it works fine, but when he takes it home, it doesn't work...at all. There is nothing but a blank screen. He calls me up and says, "Dan, that TV doesn't work." And I respond. "Oh, that's too bad." Chris says, "Well, I want my money back." I say, "Sorry, we made a deal. You bought the TV as is and it is not my fault that 'as is' isn't very good." What can Chris do? Well, he could take me to small claims court and try to recoup the $100. That, however, is exactly what the Lord says he must not do. Instead, his option is to go to the church, in our case the church board, and ask them to arbitrate this dispute. In this case the board might very well say, "Pastor Dan, you need to give back his $100." And, if I refuse to do that, they could say I need to look for another job. The point, though, is that the church should be able to function as mediator not just between two pastors who are having a problem, but between any two parties in the church who are having a conflict.
What about when we have a dispute with another Christian who is part of another congregation? Well, that gets more tricky. If that happens, rather than call a lawyer, we need to talk with the other person and see if we can agree on a third party to mediate the situation. In Minneapolis there are Christian mediation services which are set up to do just that. Or, if you are having a conflict with someone from the Assembly of God Church, you would both agree to get together with an elder from the Hibbing Christian & Missionary Alliance Church and have him act as arbitrator of some type. So, what happens if the other party is unwilling to participate in some type of mediation? In many cases it will probably be wise to take Paul's advice and simply choose to accept being wronged. The Lord will honor your willingness to sacrifice some of your rights for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom. If you don't feel you can do that, then you could call up that person's pastor and explain the situation and ask him to encourage that individual to enter a mediation process. If the pastor or church is not helpful in getting the other party to agree to do that, and there doesn't seem to be any other way, then on rare occasions it may be appropriate to go to court.
Let me just add that again I am not talking about criminal cases. If another member of this church breaks into your garage and steals some of your tools, he has not just violated your rights, he has also broken the law. Though you are not morally required to press charges and testify against that person, I don't believe there is anything in the Bible which prohibits you from doing that. Criminal cases are not just the business of the church. Civil cases between two Christians, however, should always be settled through the church.
#3) Churches should be prepared to act as mediators in these types of disputes. To be honest, this is not something I want to do or even want our church board to do. If two members have an argument and they ask me to be the arbitrator, there is a good chance I will make a decision that neither one is happy about. If Delores came in and said, "Char owes me $500," and Char says, "I don't owe her a penny," and I then decide that Char should pay Delores $250, I might be in trouble with both of them. Acting as an arbitrator or mediator is not a fun job. So why would the church ever want to get involved with something like this? Well, if we are to expect that Christians will obey God's Word and not take each other to court, we need to provide some alternative mechanism for them to settle disputes. It is futile to encourage people to find a Christian mediator if no one is willing to do it. Those who get involved in providing this type of service will often pay a price, but they will indeed be serving the Lord. So, I think as a church, we need to work on a plan on how we can best serve as a mediator if that need comes up.
Those are three practical implications from our text, but for us, I think the most important lesson comes from those questions Paul asks in Verse 7: Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Here he calls us to adopt an attitude which will not only prevent lawsuits within the congregation, but will really change how we deal with many different situations. It is a call to be willing to sacrifice our own interests for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom. Yes, maybe there is someone else in this church who has taken advantage of you. You really feel he cheated you out of $1000. Yes, you have a right to ask the church to help you get back that money. No, you ought not take that person to court, but it would be appropriate to try to have a mediator solve the dispute. Paul says there is another option, however. You simply let the whole thing go. Remember, it is only money. It may be a lot of money, but it is only money. If by just letting the other person keep it, you are able to preserve unity in the congregation and maintain the good reputation of the church in the community, isn't it better to just let him have the $1000?
Now, I'm not going to pretend this is an easy attitude to have. It hurts to make sacrifices like that. I suspect that even in the church, it is somewhat rare to find folks with this perspective. In Philippians 2, Paul says that except for his friend Timothy, he doesn't know anyone else who really takes a genuine interest for the needs of the folks in the church at Philippi, because (Verse 21) everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. It is very natural for us to be concerned about our own comfort and convenience. But, to follow Jesus means to be willing to give up ourselves, our rights, our comfort, for other people. But, you know, this is not a great sacrifice. We have the promise that if we are willing to lose our life, we will find it; if we are willing to be last, we will become first; if we are willing to give it all away, we will gain everything. That is the most beautiful paradox of the Gospel -- it is in giving that we receive. True joy is found not in trying to get or to hold on, but in giving away. If someone in this congregation cheats you out of $1000, how can you find joy? By taking them to court and doing everything you can to get back what you deserve? No, not at all. It is when you are willing to say for the sake of Jesus and His Kingdom that you would rather be cheated than take your brother or sister to court, then you will begin to experience the magnificent joy that God offers His people. Being willing to be wronged, being willing to be cheated, is part of what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ. The Lord tells us that the only way to find greatness in His Kingdom, the only way to experience true and full joy, is to learn to be a servant to all. Friends, each of us needs to ask ourself this question: Am I willing to be a servant? Am I willing to seek joy not in myself, but in the great and precious promise of God?
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