Day By Day - 1 Corinthians 6
By Catherine Mitchell
Opening thoughts:
In this chapter, we read that Paul found the saints fraudulently suing and publicly cheating each other. This serious fault had deteriorated into severe loss and failure for the people and was tarnishing the integrity and reputation of the church of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians were sowing in greed not love, hence, Paul intervened with a strong rebuke; v7 “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another.”
I am quite relieved, that for us, Paul’s message is a strong teaching rather than a harsh correction, however, we should all pay close heed to Paul's threefold instruction concerning cheating: don’t cheat each other out of a good reputation, don’t cheat the church out of her glorious reputation and don’t cheat yourself out of your saintly reputation.
1: Don’t cheat each other out of a good reputation.
v7 “........Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
Our faithfulness and maturity levels are measured by the way we respond when those who say they love us, abandon us or cheat us out of something that was ours. For example, a possession or money or even bodily harm.
Consider Jesus - when the law came down upon His innocence and declared Him guilty, He turned the other cheek. To save our reputation He accepted and wore the fraudulent accusations. He who professed to love us, loved. He accepted the wrong and let himself be cheated.
Although unjust, Paul says, if we are seriously cheated by another Christian it is preferable that we accept the wrong, forgive the debt, then let it go. If you just can’t let it go then let it go no further than your family of believers. They must discretely settle the matter fairly and squarely. At all costs, even great personal cost, we must never cheat another saint of their good reputation. To do so is utter failure.
2: Don’t cheat the church out of her glorious reputation.
v6 "But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!" NKJV
Let’s not forget that although the reputation of the Bride of Christ in heaven is all glorious, to the heathen we are a foolish minority group. We are prejudiced against and expected to resolve our own issues. When we take our brothers and sisters to court, we bring our already precarious and shaky position into question and create a public scandal which can damage and shame the reputation of the spirit filled church of Jesus Christ.
A believer once sued the church we attended because another saint fell on top of her as she lay on the floor ‘under the anointing’ during a service. You can imagine the pain and tarnishing that caused!
Paul's ropeable words, “How dare you!”, in verse 1 and, “I say this to your shame”, in verse 5 are a fair indication that we ought to avoid going before the unrighteous for judgement at all costs, lest we rob the church of Her glorious reputation.
3: Don’t cheat yourself out of your saintly reputation.
Firstly, guard your reputation as a judge.
Vs 2 & 3: “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world (and) we shall judge angels? Are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? How much more things that pertain to this life?"
Paul is not telling us to judge people; however we are worthy to judge certain matters. The issues we judge now pertaining to this life will prepare us to wisely judge the issues pertaining to the next, for we will certainly judge the world in the heavenly court of God's law. Also we will distinguish, discern and separate certain angels into various esteemed and possibly condemned groups. Many saints avoid or feel unworthy to judge certain matters, however, the reputation waiting for us in eternity is that of an appointed and anointed judge.
Secondly, guard your body’s holy and chaste reputation.
Vs 15 &17 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
The Holy Spirit, now abiding in you has transformed you into His pure and chaste bride. We cannot ignore the spiritual law that is spelled out here; to whom we connect with intimately, we are joined to spiritually. Sexual immorality is a grave sin against the body. It joins the body, both spirit to spirit and soul to soul. Shockingly, that merger remains forever or until it is severed by true repentance.
2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” We have to be careful to protect our body so as to have a chaste and holy reputation.
Final Thought:
Sometimes it’s easier to ignore what we cannot fathom, rather than fathom what we cannot ignore. This chapter is one you might prefer to ignore but Paul is seriously asking us to comprehend it for the sake of our reputation.
Opening thoughts:
In this chapter, we read that Paul found the saints fraudulently suing and publicly cheating each other. This serious fault had deteriorated into severe loss and failure for the people and was tarnishing the integrity and reputation of the church of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians were sowing in greed not love, hence, Paul intervened with a strong rebuke; v7 “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another.”
I am quite relieved, that for us, Paul’s message is a strong teaching rather than a harsh correction, however, we should all pay close heed to Paul's threefold instruction concerning cheating: don’t cheat each other out of a good reputation, don’t cheat the church out of her glorious reputation and don’t cheat yourself out of your saintly reputation.
1: Don’t cheat each other out of a good reputation.
v7 “........Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
Our faithfulness and maturity levels are measured by the way we respond when those who say they love us, abandon us or cheat us out of something that was ours. For example, a possession or money or even bodily harm.
Consider Jesus - when the law came down upon His innocence and declared Him guilty, He turned the other cheek. To save our reputation He accepted and wore the fraudulent accusations. He who professed to love us, loved. He accepted the wrong and let himself be cheated.
Although unjust, Paul says, if we are seriously cheated by another Christian it is preferable that we accept the wrong, forgive the debt, then let it go. If you just can’t let it go then let it go no further than your family of believers. They must discretely settle the matter fairly and squarely. At all costs, even great personal cost, we must never cheat another saint of their good reputation. To do so is utter failure.
2: Don’t cheat the church out of her glorious reputation.
v6 "But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!" NKJV
Let’s not forget that although the reputation of the Bride of Christ in heaven is all glorious, to the heathen we are a foolish minority group. We are prejudiced against and expected to resolve our own issues. When we take our brothers and sisters to court, we bring our already precarious and shaky position into question and create a public scandal which can damage and shame the reputation of the spirit filled church of Jesus Christ.
A believer once sued the church we attended because another saint fell on top of her as she lay on the floor ‘under the anointing’ during a service. You can imagine the pain and tarnishing that caused!
Paul's ropeable words, “How dare you!”, in verse 1 and, “I say this to your shame”, in verse 5 are a fair indication that we ought to avoid going before the unrighteous for judgement at all costs, lest we rob the church of Her glorious reputation.
3: Don’t cheat yourself out of your saintly reputation.
Firstly, guard your reputation as a judge.
Vs 2 & 3: “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world (and) we shall judge angels? Are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? How much more things that pertain to this life?"
Paul is not telling us to judge people; however we are worthy to judge certain matters. The issues we judge now pertaining to this life will prepare us to wisely judge the issues pertaining to the next, for we will certainly judge the world in the heavenly court of God's law. Also we will distinguish, discern and separate certain angels into various esteemed and possibly condemned groups. Many saints avoid or feel unworthy to judge certain matters, however, the reputation waiting for us in eternity is that of an appointed and anointed judge.
Secondly, guard your body’s holy and chaste reputation.
Vs 15 &17 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
The Holy Spirit, now abiding in you has transformed you into His pure and chaste bride. We cannot ignore the spiritual law that is spelled out here; to whom we connect with intimately, we are joined to spiritually. Sexual immorality is a grave sin against the body. It joins the body, both spirit to spirit and soul to soul. Shockingly, that merger remains forever or until it is severed by true repentance.
2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” We have to be careful to protect our body so as to have a chaste and holy reputation.
Final Thought:
Sometimes it’s easier to ignore what we cannot fathom, rather than fathom what we cannot ignore. This chapter is one you might prefer to ignore but Paul is seriously asking us to comprehend it for the sake of our reputation.
Posted in 1 Corinthians