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Shame and Judging People

By Phillip Ross

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 08Aug2009 Word count: 1192 Viewed: 373 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Paul asked, "do you not know that the saints will judge the world?" (1 Corinthians 6:2). The Greek word translated world is "kosmos," and includes the globe we call earth and everything that inhabits it. By this Paul means that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will ultimately reach the highest courts of the world, and those courts will render judgments in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. He doesn't mean that you and I (or that every Christian) will be thrust into positions of worldly power. Rather, he simply means that the gospel will eventually reach those in positions of worldly power and that they will exercise their faith faithfully.

However, he asks, "if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?" (1 Corinthians 6:2). Here, the Greek actually does suggest that Paul said "you," as in the particular people to whom he was speaking. Does it, then, have any relevance to us today?

Paul brought the Gospel to Rome and to the highest courts of the known world of his time. And some of his friends accompanied him on that journey. So, it is possible that he was speaking only to specific people as he anticipated his journey to Rome.

However, given the context in which he was writing these words, it seems likely that he meant to suggest that it is always the same Holy Spirit who animates all of God's people. And that the same Holy Spirit, who would judge the world in the fullness of time in the highest world courts through particular regenerate saints (Christians), is certainly able to judge the more trivial cases that would commonly come to church courts through the ordinary saints of the church. He was speaking about the Holy Spirit who would be manifest in all of God's people throughout history.

He could say this because he knew and he was teaching that Christians are not to judge or evaluate on the basis of personalities or the circumstances of providence, but are to render judgments and evaluations on the basis of Scripture alone. Thus, the same guide, the Holy Spirit through the regeneration of believers in every generation, will always be or should always be the basis for Christian judgments and evaluations.

Paul went on, "Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!" (1 Corinthians 6:3). The Greek word is "aggelos," and means messengers, in this case messengers of God. Strong's concordance goes on to say of this word in this context that it suggests by implication pastors, who bring the message of the Gospel. And, indeed, ordinary saints do in fact judge pastors through church courts. Church courts (denominations) license pastors, approve pastors for particular callings and discipline pastors. We don't need to turn to spiritualized explanations when common explanations exist.

Paul mentioned all of this in order to play upon the shame of the Corinthian church. "I say this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 6:5). Paul was using shame to admonish and teach the Corinthians. This is very interesting. Is shame an acceptable method of instruction? It may be disliked and considered to be impolite, but it appears to be biblical. The shame that Paul brought upon the Corinthians was that they settled disputes in civil courts rather than in church courts. And it was shameful because it neglected -- even denied -- the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who dwells with God's people, and who should have been called upon to adjudicate disputes among them. Paul suggested that their neglect of church courts was actually a neglect of the Holy Spirit and of Scripture.

And here's the rub. If the Corinthians were shamed by Paul for neglecting to use church courts to settle disputes among professing Christians, should we not also be shamed for the same thing? Is it not to the shame of Christianity that Christians regularly neglect church courts and turn to civil courts -- or worse, political manipulation -- to settle their disputes today? Is it not to the shame of Christianity that the churches have all but abandoned church courts?

It is.

And yet, there is a contemporary movement to reestablish church courts in our time. Peacemakers®, a Christian reconciliation organization that provides training and counselors for churches, and trains Christians to provide arbitration services that are acceptable alternatives to civil litigation. Peacemakers® begins with local church education and counselor training. At some point in the process Peacemaker trained counselors can also provide counseling and arbitration services for hire as they receive training that is recognized by the state to qualify them as counselors and arbitrators.

This is a great thing, and could provide an effective ministry for any church and a substantial outreach tool for any community in the name of Jesus Christ.

Yet, the fact remains that true reformation and revival of the Christian church will also reform and revive church courts as the desire to avoid civil courts grows among Christians. Indeed, as the civil court system continues to collapse from the backlog of cases and the moral corruption of the legal system, the Christian church may well find itself faced with an opportunity to actually be what God has called it to be -- a vehicle of forgiveness and reconciliation among all people.

Paul then sad, "But you yourselves wrong and defraud -- even your own brothers!" (1 Corinthians 6:8). Paul here accused the Corinthians of lacking -- not merely civil morality and Christian manners -- but the most basic family considerations. From time immemorial families have had a code of honor and honesty that has been regularly observed by family members. Not always, not perfectly, but generally family members have been both trusted and trustworthy with regard to other family members. Without honesty and trust all social relationships break down. Chaos and poverty result. Families are the most basic building blocks of society. So, it is no mere wives' tale to say that as the family goes so goes the civilization. The family is the cradle of civilization.

Paul's accusation was very serious. He was suggesting that the behavior of the Corinthians, of taking one another to civil courts and neglecting the use of church courts, threatened the very fabric of civilization itself. You may think that I'm overstating the case. I don't think so because, as we've seen, Paul's accusation of the neglect of church courts or church reconciliation amounted to the neglect of Scripture and the neglect of the Holy Spirit. The neglect of church courts is an act of faithlessness.

The Bible is pretty clear that apart from Jesus Christ, which means apart from the Holy Spirit who is in union with the trinitarian God of Scripture, humanity is bound for hell and society is bound for destruction. If Christians in the churches don't take God seriously, then no one will. It is only as Christians recover biblical practices in their own lives, and in their own churches, that Christianity will grow and become what God has called it to become -- the only means of salvation by the only God who matters, the only God who actually exists.

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