1 Corinthians 6:1-11 (Court Cases)

¹ If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? ² Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
So, apparently, the Corinthian Church had gotten themselves wrapped up in some civil cases that had begun to take over and consume their lives (see verses 7-8).  It seemed to the Believers that they needed to take their cases to the Roman courts to get "real" answers, rather than deal with these issues among themselves in the Church.  And Paul reminds them that they do not need to go to human courts because Christ has given them the wisdom and discernment to settle their own cases, just as humans will be judging angels and the world someday.  Yes, you!  And if we will be ruling with Christ and making judgements about those big things, how much more are we given the ability to judge the "small" things of this life.

 ⁴ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?
Have you ever done this?  Sought a ruling from the world rather than Christ?  I do.  I seek approval, justification, and wisdom from the media...specifically the little scrolly pictures on the Yahoo! Homepage.  They are always offering little tidbits of advice about how to win my man and keep him or how to invest my money wisely, and how easily I can be swayed by it because the authors are "experts" in their fields.  But this verse reminds us their their "way of life is scorned in the church."  Why am I getting advice on intimacy with my husband from someone who has had sixty-two partners or wealth advice from someone who is full of greed and self?  No, I must be a lot more careful about the "expert" advice I seek.  Not all advice is wisdom.

 ⁵ I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? ⁶ But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 
Paul is not beating around the bush here -- his words are meant to shame.  He is saying it bluntly so that we might wake up!  If we are taking one another to court over small matters or not so small matters, then the world will wonder if there really is nothing different about us.  We do not want to be the cause of their unbelief, and yet, so often it is the very Christians themselves who cause unbelief in others because of the way they live.  This is a big deal!

 ⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.  
The sad fact is that if we have lawsuits and disputes among us, we are already defeated...who cares what the worldly judge says, we've already lost!  If we are so concerned about being sure we are not wronged or cheated by another human being and have gone so far as to take it to court, than we are already consumed with greed, retaliation and hatred rather than practicing unselfishness, forgiveness and love -- the fruit of the Spirit.  Where is the Spirit in us when we are so concerned about making sure we get "ours"?  Instead Paul says, Go ahead and be wronged, be cheated...so what?!  That's small potatoes compared to what's to come!  Let them take your money, your stuff, your pride -- there is so much more to this life than that.  And it's especially heart-breaking when it's happening among Believers.  That is not who we were created to be.

 ⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 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. 
And here we see a list of sins which can shame us all the more, as I myself am represented in that list, but that is not the point of it... the best part about it is verse 11, "And that is what some of you were." This is a list of what the Christians were before they came to Christ! 

And here is what is so amazing about Easter: we are no longer labeled by our sins because our sin is not our identity any longer, and we are walking away from those behaviors because Christ has come to set us free!  We WERE those things, "BUT you you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."  Now our identity is Christ.  We are His.  That is our identity!

...and because of that, nothing, not even court cases, matters in light of eternity.  He will right all wrongs and vindicate the greed of this world.

So, let the justice system do what they will in criminal cases, but let's keep each other out of civil court.  We don't need the "wisdom" of this world.