How does Paul address lawsuits, expediency and the body?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Paul rebukes lawsuits between brethren, questions why they do not rather suffer wrong, and links limits on liberty to belonging to Christ.

Chapter breakdown

Paul asks whether someone with a matter against another dares to seek judgment before the unjust rather than the saints. The saints shall judge the world; are they then unworthy to judge the smallest matters? They shall judge angels, much more the things of this world. For worldly judgments he tells them to appoint those most despised in the church. He speaks to their shame: is there no wise person able to judge between brethren? Instead, brother goes to law against brother before unbelievers. Having lawsuits is already a fault; why not rather take wrong or suffer fraud? They themselves wrong and defraud their brethren. The printed annotation says such proceedings are hardly ever free from fault on one side or the other, and often on both.

The unjust shall not possess God’s kingdom. Paul lists fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, the effeminate, liers with mankind, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, railers and extortioners. Some readers were such people, but they have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God.

All things are lawful to Paul, but not all are expedient, and he will not be brought under anything’s power. The annotation explains lawful things as indifferent things not prohibited, which may nonetheless be inexpedient, including such lawsuits; irregular affection that enslaves a person to even indifferent things is still less justified. Meat is for the belly and the belly for meat, but God shall destroy both. The body is for the Lord rather than fornication, and the Lord for the body. God raised the Lord and will raise the readers by his power.

Their bodies are members of Christ. Paul rejects making them members of a harlot: one joined to a harlot is one body, for the two shall be one flesh, while one joined to the Lord is one spirit. They should flee fornication. He distinguishes sins outside the body from fornication against one’s own body. Their members are the temple of the Holy Ghost received from God, and they are not their own. Bought with a great price, they should glorify and bear God in their body.

The story inside

The annotations qualify faults in lawsuits and explain lawful things as indifferent things that may still be inexpedient. No particular lawsuit or arbitration result is narrated.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Lawsuit annotation says hardly ever and often on both sides.
2
Indifferent things may lawful yet inexpedient.
3
Great price wording is retained.

Test your recall

What does the lawful things annotation qualify?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 129532–129540
6:1. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to be judged before the unjust: and not before the saints? 6:2. Know you not that the saints shall judge this world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 6:3. Know you not that we shall judge angels? How much more things of this world?
Lines 129560–129569
6:9. Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers: 6:10. Nor the effeminate nor liers with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall possess the kingdom of God. 6:11. And such some of you were. But you are washed: but you are sanctified: but you are justified: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God.
Lines 129581–129595
6:13. Meat for the belly and the belly for the meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord: and the Lord for the body. 6:14. Now God hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise us up also by his power. 6:15. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid! 6:16. Or know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is made one body? For they shall be, saith he, two in one flesh. 6:17. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
Lines 129597–129604
6:18. Fly fornication. Every sin that a man doth is without the body: but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 6:19. Or know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God: and you are not your own? 6:20. For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.