Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20001126.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part IX: Gaining Blessed Closure To Unjust Aggression Among Believers
(1 Corinthians 6:1-8)
  1. Introduction
    1. A believer might take unjust advantage of another believer's rights or resources. In such a case, the question is whether the offended can take legal action, or simply "turn the other cheek" to cite Luke 6:29.
    2. Paul sets the tone for answering this question and some related matters in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
  2. Gaining Blessed Closure To Unjust Aggression Among Believers, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
    1. Paul revealed that the believer is not to settle issues of wrongful aggression by another believer in a secular courtroom; rather, he is to have the matter settled in the local assembly, 1 Corinthians 6:1-3:
      1. Since unbelieving magistrates are not equipped to deal justly with the spiritual dynamics of believers in Christ, believers are not to settle unjust aggression issues among themselves in the secular court, 6:1.
      2. Rather, believers in the local church are themselves to deal with such internal problems, 1 Cor. 6:2-3:
        1. Believers in Christ will one day judge the world during the Messianic reign of Christ, 1 Cor. 6:2 with Revelation 20:4; Matthew 19:28. Hence, how much more should believers in the local body of the Church be qualified to judge matters of unjust aggression in their midst.
        2. Believers will one day judge angels, implying both good and demonic angelic beings, 1 Cor. 6:3. As such, certainly they ought to be qualified to settle matters of unjust aggression in their midst.
    2. Paul then exposed the procedure for handling matters of unjust aggression between fellow Christians:
      1. Wise believers in the local assembly are to be selected to handle the charges related to unjust aggression among believers in that assembly, 1 Corinthians 6:4-5. Ideally, the leaders in the church should be the judges in this matter in accord with 1 Peter 5:1-4.
      2. However, if a church is inadequate to deal out justice, an alternative route of blessing arises:
        1. The wronged believer should allow the wrong to go unchallenged, letting himself be defrauded, 1 Cor. 6:7-8. The local body's reputation and unity takes precedence over one's personal rights!
        2. Besides, God will recompense the defrauded party for loss, for vengeance is God's, and He rewards a man's buying power according to his deeds according to Psalm 62:11-12.
Lesson: Unjust aggression in the local assembly should be handled by wise believers who can deal out justice for the parties involved. However, if a wronged brother cannot gain justice this way, he should not press for retribution, but let God deal with the issue as an act of FAITH. After all, we are not lords of our own rights and resources, but we belong to the Lord, cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Application: Though this principle is to be followed in general, there exist SPECIAL situations where other Scriptures modify this practice as follows: (1) If a wronged brother has an issue of unjust aggression on hand, he should follow the Matthew 18:15-17 format to settle the problem in as private a manner as is possible. If he cannot gain a fair settlement in the Church, he should trust God for a just settlement. (2) If the matter involves an ABUSIVE wrong worthy of excommunication (one of the vices listed in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 etc.) and the local body does not exercise discipline, the wronged brother should properly withdraw fellowship from the local body for his own edification, cf. 2 Timothy 3:1-5. (3) If a local assembly tries to cover up a civil offense done against another in the body, which civil offense is also a Biblically excommunicable wrong (murder, extortion, etc.), the innocent believer should report the wrong to the civil authorities to protect other innocent people and protect the church long-term, Romans 13:1-8. (4) If the secular government has involved itself in a local church matter, the believers there should obey the government providing doing so does not inhibit obedience to God, Acts 5:29 with 1 Peter 2:13. If submitting to the government in the matter causes one to disobey God, the believer should obey God rather than man. (5) If wronged by the unsaved, a believer should avoid seeking civil litigation as a general rule, 1 Cor. 10:32-33; Rom. 12:18. However, if the welfare of his dependents is at stake, he should press charges in a secular court of law in accord with 1 Timothy 5:8.