Disputes

I read 1 Cor 6:1-8 again this morning -- it's that passage about believers taking each other to court. Paul expresses his disappointment this way (vv 5-7) "Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"

This is interesting to me for a couple of reasons. First, Paul argues that the church is a better place to settle disputes, and his reason seems to be that a church solution will focus on love and justice from a spiritual perspective.

Second, Paul says the very fact that you enter into a lawsuit means you've already been defeated. I think he means more than just that we've lost fellowship with another believer. Our value system has become skewed because the material benefit we hope for will be gained by confrontation and antagonism; in pursuit of earthly benefit we're willing to compromise our own spiritual growth, that ongoing process of growing more like Jesus that we call sanctification.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what life would look like if we all valued the fruits of the spirit more than stuff? A lot could change if we would rather be good than wealthy, if we would rather have joy than a new car, if we would rather be patient and kind than get the last iPad2 on the shelf.

In fact, what if we looked at our wealth as a tool we use to progress toward our sanctification? What if we thought the reason for money was to enable us to be loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled?

Even if we didn't go that far, it would be refreshing to see church members in dispute sit down with pastor or elder to work things through. The spiritually-wise are the only ones qualified to judge matters between spiritual people, Paul says.

We don't want to do that because we're still confused about what's really valuable. We chase after worldly things because we think they'll buy us happiness, and in a way it does. Happiness is a response to an external stimulus -- we say, "That made me happy." The causes of happiness are many and fleeting.

We forget that God promises something better than happiness, which is joy. Joy is a character trait based on something internal: an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. The source of joy is singular but permanent. That's why true joy cannot be erased by a bad day. That would be worth, in Paul's words, "suffering wrong."