Lesson 5—Lawsuits Among Believers and The Power To Become

I Corinthians 6:1-11


“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 

Introduction

The Christians in Corinth had personal problems… lots of them. The problem with personal problems is that they never stay personal. They become family problems and church problems and social problems. The Corinthians were proud, self-centered, immoral and immature. They were so immature (I Cor. 3: 1-3). The division and discord within the church was killing them (I Cor. 1:10-12). They demanded their way and their rights. If they didn’t get their way they would complain. They would criticize a brother that offended them, talk about him behind his back, assassinate his character, snub him when they saw him, take him to court to prove their point and demand their rights. The only point they proved was that they were still so worldly. What they were doing was disgraceful. Their actions dishonored themselves, the church, but most of all, the Lord. They were Christians but they were not living as such. They were lions living like mice, eagles living like worms, kings living like slaves, saints living like sinners. 

Outline

I. The effect of lawsuits among believers (6:1-8).
II. Becoming what you ought to be (6:9-11).

Textual Review 

In I Cor. 6:1-11 Paul is astounded that Christians in Corinth had things so backwards. There was wickedness where there should be righteousness, immorality where there should be purity and discord where there should be unity. Their worldliness was reflected in the fact that (1) they had lawsuits (disputes) with each other and (2) that they settled their lawsuits in pagan courts (6:1, 7). They took inside matters outside the church and brought outside matters inside. Paul reminds them that they CAN NOT live like the world and expect to go to heaven (6:9). Yet with all their problems the apostle also reminds them that they did not have to stay the way they were (6:11). They had been washed, sanctified and justified. God gives each of us the power to become pure, righteous, and one.

I. Do you not know!!? 
Three times Paul asks that question in chapter 6 in vv. 2, 3, 9. What he is saying is that they should know. They were ignoring the truth.

a. Don’t you know what you are? You are judges of the world and of angels (6:2, 3). Why then do you take your disputes before pagan courts to be judged? The judge had become the defendant. They had the resources they needed to settle their differences, but they were not using them.

b. Why can’t you get along? Regardless of who wins the lawsuit, everyone loses (6:7). Each party, the church and the Lord is dishonored by the dispute. Do you feel compelled to step over the line when someone draws one in the sand? Or pick up the gauntlet every time it is thrown down? Do you snub people you disagree with? Do you always have to have the last word? “No I don’t. Yes you do. No I don’t. Yes you do. I don’t. You do… don’t… do….. ”

c. Have you and another person ever grabbed an elastic band at the same time and started pulling in opposite directions? As you keep pulling, the band becomes more and more taut. If you keep pulling someone, and likely more than one, is going to get hurt. That’s what happens with our differences. We refuse to let go of an offense and it damages relationships and dishonors the Lord.

d. Don’t you know you’re a saint? Saints don’t live like the world (6:9, 10). You know that. Why then do you continue to live like a sinner?

Discussion Questions

1. In handling disagreements, on a scale from 1 to 10, rate your spiritual maturity (10 = most).
2. What Christian virtues would enable you to handle arguments better (II Pet. 1:3-9; Gal. 5:22-23)?
3. Should Christians ever use the courts to settle their differences?
4. How can we avoid disputes and lawsuits 
(Prov. 12:16; 19:11)?
5. Should we ever give up our rights for the sake of unity, if so when (I Cor. 6:7)?
6. How can we contribute to the unity of the church 
(Mt. 18:15-17; Col. 3:13; Jas.1:26; 5:16)?

II. That’s what you were.

You WERE a sinner lost (past tense, 6:11). God gave you the power to become what you ought to be, Paul says. God is working in you by the Spirit (v.11) to change your conduct and character, but he will not do it against your will. Your sanctification is both an event and a process. God is working on you. You were an enemy of God. Now you have become His friend, justified by the blood of Jesus Christ.

a. You have been washed. You have been saved from your past. In fact, you let yourself be washed is what the original language indicates. Why? To be cleansed and set apart for God’s service. Then quit being so worldly. There is far too much dirt in the church. The dirt may be different for young/old, male/female. The dirt may be hateful, covetous, divisive, or sexual in nature. We must not sweep it under the rug. It must be eliminated from among God’s people 
(II Cor. 12:20-21; Eph 5:3). 

b. In Christ you are now a new creation (II Cor. 5:17). Don’t be deceived. You CAN NOT deliberately continue to sin and be acceptable to God. We make all sorts of excuses for our sin. “That’s just the way I am. Personality, heredity, training, weakness is to blame for my conduct. I’m not responsible for the way I am. I can’t help it. I can’t change.” Shame on you! You can’t stay the way you were when you came to Christ. There is something wrong with a baby that does not grow.

c. We become the children of God (Jn. 1:12, KJV). When we become a Christian our relationships change. Our relationship with God changes and our relationship with others change (II Pet. 2:9-10).

d. We become the righteousness of God (II Cor. 5:20-21; 
Phil. 3:7-9).

e. We become free. Free from the control of sin (Rom. 6:17-18). We are no longer slave to our passions (Titus 3:3-7). Hate no longer controls our conduct or causes lawsuits.

Discussion Questions

1. Is there a difference between men and women and the type of dirt that stains their lives, e.g., sins of the eyes or tongue 
(Job 31:1; I Tim. 5:13)?
2. Why do Christians sometimes think God will overlook their sin (Rom. 6:1-2)?
3. What were we like before we obeyed Christ (I Cor. 6:9-10; Titus 3:3-7)?
4. In what way does God make us right (II Cor. 5:20-21)? How does this righteousness affect our relationships (Titus 3:3-7)?
5. How can we become what God wants us to be?

Lawsuits among believers inhibit the power to become spiritually mature. They prevent church growth. Worst of all, our inability to get along dishonors God (Jn.17:20-23).

References
Allen, James A.; Survey of I Corinthians, Harding College, Searcy, Ark., 1973

Fee, Gordon D.; The First Epistle to The Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Mich,: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987

Hamiltion, David; “Conflicts Among Brethren”, The Church of God in a Pagan World, Harding University Lectureships, (Searcy, Ark., 1990): 379-383

Lenski, R. C. H.; The Interpretation of I and II Corinthians, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Minn., 1963

McGuiggan, Jim; The Book of I Corinthians, Montex Publishing Co., Lubbock, Tx., 1984

Spillman, David; “Such Were Some of You”, The Church of God in a Pagan World, Harding University Lectureships, (Searcy, Ark., 1990): 384-387

-Dean Wright



(Dean Wright has preached in the Little Rock area for ten years. He is involved in missions, serves on the Pleasant Valley Missions Committee and is active in the Youth Ministry. Dean recently agreed to serve as an elder at the Pleasant Valley congregation. He is a Network Administrator in Information Technology at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He and his wife, Laura, have three children.)