Oct. 25

Read 1 Corinthians 6

 ^5-6I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you're doing. Is it possible that there isn't one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don't believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don't even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don't believe in the God of justice? (The Message)

Paul is not known as someone who holds back from saying what he thinks. He gets to the point and makes it clear that he is trying to get things across without adding more confusion to the subject. Paul's point here is fairly straightforward. He is asking people why they don't trust one another and have to turn to the civil courts instead of seeking out wise counsel within the body of believers. His point is still valid today just as it was in his own day.
Just like many things the real issue here centers around the issue of trust. Who do we trust? Do we trust the court system or do we trust the wisdom of other Christians who might decide for or against us? Are we willing to believe that others have our best interests in mind even when it might not be what we think or want? Do we trust that God might be able to work and guide through the gathering of people we call church?'
I have seen the church not as a discerning open body looking for God's will but as a self-seeking, opinionated, self-centered group often enough to understand why the Corinthians might want to put their faith in the political/civil courts rather than trust themselves to one another. However, just because it has happened in the past doesn't mean that we should give up hope that can't be different.  So we are left with the question, what will it take for the church to become different?

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Do you prefer someone to talk to you bluntly if necessary or would you rather have them come around slowly to their point? Why?
• As the Corinthians were hearing Paul's letter read to them to you think they were optimistic or feeling beat down by this time?
• Who would you rather trust with passing judgement on a disagreement between you and another person, people in your church or strangers in the civil courts? Why?
• What would a church look like where the people trusted one another enough that they could do what Paul suggests? What would be necessary to create that kind of church?