1 Corinthians 6:4 Commentary and Bible Study

If it is really so hard for you to find someone capable of judging matters in the church, set such cases before those who are least esteemed in the church. This would be preferable rather than to hand over your internal disputes to the world’s courts for them to judge. Implicit in this reasoning is the apostle’s assumption that conversion brings wisdom in matters of judgment which is not found in the world. How can an unbelieving world that does not know what righteousness before God is; how can it be fit to judge those who have been set free from sin. On the Day of Judgment God is going to use the saints to judge the world, not the other way round. Those who are converted, even the least of them, are already going to judge more wisely that unbelievers when it comes to disputes between the saints. The lowliest believer is more qualified than the unconverted person to settle these disagreements that may arise between members of the same spiritual family. Of course, this is not a serious suggestion, but is said to awaken a sense of shame in them. Their going to law before the unbeliever implies, whether they realise it or not, that they do not feel they are capable of judging the matter themselves. Their motive in doing so may well have been to use the instrument of the law against another believer as an instrument of revenge. But in Paul’s view, as well as being a terrible testimony, this is an abdication of their responsibility. No, he does not really want them to appoint the least capable among them to judge their disputes, but if it would be a shameful thing to do that, then let them find someone who is wise enough to assess such cases, and stop pretending that they need to go to the secular courts.