Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
A believer who has a dispute with another believer must not take it for judgment to civil courts before unbelievers, but must bring it for settlement before fellow believers within the church. The outsiders are unbelieving judges and courts who do not fear God or have wisdom from above, while the saints who will judge the world and angels are fully competent to decide even the smallest matters of this life. Instead of suing one another, believers are to rather accept wrong and suffer loss than do wrong and defraud a brother. The right course is to go privately in Christ's spirit to seek reconciliation, to pray together for deliverance, to entrust the case to God, or to lay it before the church and take it out of lawyers' hands. To carry brother against brother before unbelievers is shameful fault that disgraces the truth, dishonors God, wounds Christ in His saints, and lets Satan triumph against His people.
Settling Disputes Among Saints
Dare for a believer having a matter against another believer to go to law before the unjust in civil courts is forbidden, and the dispute is required to be brought for judgment before the saints within the church instead of before unbelievers. Differences among believers themselves are to be settled among themselves instead of appealing to civil tribunals. Civil courts are to be avoided because lawyers there are dishonest and for gain will deal unjustly, and those who depart from the faith will link up with such men to oppress the people of God and do harm to God's institution. Leaning on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support is a fault and a shame, doing what even an honorable worldling would not do.
The unjust are unbelieving lawyers, judges and courts outside the church who are disloyal to God. They do not fear Him or obey His requirements and do not have the wisdom that comes down from above. They deal unjustly for gain and are subjects of the enemy to whom troubles are not to be taken for decision. The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, so they are not unworthy but competent to judge the smallest matters pertaining to this life. Judgments of things pertaining to this life are to be set before those in the church, even before those least esteemed in the church, and there should be a wise man able to judge between brethren.
The right course is to follow Christ's instruction for resolving grievances within the church. One who believes another in error is to approach him privately, discuss the matter in Christ's spirit, and pray for one another, since pride and self-interest keep from doing this. A wronged Christian is to seek to save the offending brother rather than avenge himself, and to entrust the case to God who judges righteously. God's people should agree about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance, or set the matter before the church. Church matters are to be handled carefully and wisely, with the case taken out of lawyers' hands and not brought into worldly courts.
Rather than sue one another, believers should rather take wrong, accept loss and suffer themselves to be defrauded, even at financial cost, than do wrong and defraud a brother. God's law forbids going to law against a brother, and brethren should avoid it whenever possible. Keeping this counsel is resisting temptation by the strength given by the Spirit of God.
The prohibition applies especially to matters relating to the cause of God and to church difficulties and church matters, which must not be brought before the world for decision in human courts. It includes ministers and medical missionaries, who must not make worldly lawyers their right arm to settle matters. The interests of God's cause and plans are not to be entrusted to people who have no connection with heaven, and seeking lawyers to carry out plans is not inspired by the Spirit of God. Taking that course testifies that the Lord has not been made leader and makes a very bad showing before the world.
The verse is an injunction of God's Word to be obeyed and brought into life-practice everywhere, by the church in Battle Creek and in every other place, as spiritual food by those working as for eternity. The whole sixth chapter is a lesson to be studied in order to come into harmony regarding truth. It is to wake up the watchmen to give the warning message, to be healed of the maladies of sin and unbelief, to refuse the teachings of the prince of darkness, and to have Satan cast out of the heart by humbling poor defective hearts before the Lord for help.
Sin and Harm of Lawsuits
For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is shame and utter fault. It does wrong and defrauds brethren instead of taking wrong and suffering to be defrauded and accepting loss. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, including thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners.
Contentions, strife and lawsuits between believers disgrace the cause of truth. They expose the sins and defects of the church before the world and invite ridicule from its enemies. They show contempt for the authority God gave the church. They keep souls from being convinced of the truth.
Taking disputes to unbelieving courts dishonors God and shows discord, lack of faith, misplaced dependence on unsanctified counselors, and loss of spiritual discernment. Seeking lawyers to carry out plans and entrusting matters to them is not inspired by the Spirit. Such a course testifies that the Lord has not been made leader, and forsakes the true God for schemes instigated by Satan. Justifying going to law against brethren misrepresents God's character while claiming loyalty to Him, acts out the spirit developed in rebellion in heaven, and shows loyalty to the enemy of righteousness rather than to the God of truth.
Suing fellow believers is backsliding and cruel work against commandment-keeping people. It bruises and wounds Christ in the person of His saints, crucifies Him afresh and puts Him to open shame. It lets Satan exult because through the lawsuit he can work against God and His people. It arouses prejudice against God's people as a body and does great harm to His institutions. Those who depart from the faith link with dishonest lawyers who for gain will deal unjustly, to oppress God's people, and nothing is gained by telling lawyers of supposed wrongdoings of fellow members.
Those reproved for wanting their own way who make the world their confidence and appeal to its courts show sympathy with the world and with unconverted members and choose the world as judge. They betray sacred trusts whose statements the world eagerly seizes, and bring collision and strife. Their names are registered in heaven as one with unbelievers. God has a controversy with those who walk in self-kindled light, and the Lord will treat each according to the stand taken on this point.
A suit already begun must be withdrawn and no other ever brought, because God forbids it as dishonoring His name and uniting with worldlings and their methods. Leaning for years on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support does what even an honorable worldling would not do. It blinds eyes, leads others astray, and holds back the cause and the warning message. It springs from pride, self-love and self-exaltation rather than first love. Those who persist should be relieved of responsibilities in God's work, with prayer and looking to Jesus and His sacrifice as the healing. God has permitted this unprecedented appeal to human courts so the deceived may understand what power controls those entrusted with responsibility and so sentinels will stand together for present truth.
A believer who has a dispute with another believer must not take it for judgment to civil courts before unbelievers, but must bring it for settlement before fellow believers within the church. The outsiders are unbelieving judges and courts who do not fear God or have wisdom from above, while the saints who will judge the world and angels are fully competent to decide even the smallest matters of this life. Instead of suing one another, believers are to rather accept wrong and suffer loss than do wrong and defraud a brother. The right course is to go privately in Christ's spirit to seek reconciliation, to pray together for deliverance, to entrust the case to God, or to lay it before the church and take it out of lawyers' hands. To carry brother against brother before unbelievers is shameful fault that disgraces the truth, dishonors God, wounds Christ in His saints, and lets Satan triumph against His people.
Settling Disputes Among Saints
Dare for a believer having a matter against another believer to go to law before the unjust in civil courts is forbidden, and the dispute is required to be brought for judgment before the saints within the church instead of before unbelievers. Differences among believers themselves are to be settled among themselves instead of appealing to civil tribunals. Civil courts are to be avoided because lawyers there are dishonest and for gain will deal unjustly, and those who depart from the faith will link up with such men to oppress the people of God and do harm to God's institution. Leaning on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support is a fault and a shame, doing what even an honorable worldling would not do.
The unjust are unbelieving lawyers, judges and courts outside the church who are disloyal to God. They do not fear Him or obey His requirements and do not have the wisdom that comes down from above. They deal unjustly for gain and are subjects of the enemy to whom troubles are not to be taken for decision. The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, so they are not unworthy but competent to judge the smallest matters pertaining to this life. Judgments of things pertaining to this life are to be set before those in the church, even before those least esteemed in the church, and there should be a wise man able to judge between brethren.
The right course is to follow Christ's instruction for resolving grievances within the church. One who believes another in error is to approach him privately, discuss the matter in Christ's spirit, and pray for one another, since pride and self-interest keep from doing this. A wronged Christian is to seek to save the offending brother rather than avenge himself, and to entrust the case to God who judges righteously. God's people should agree about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance, or set the matter before the church. Church matters are to be handled carefully and wisely, with the case taken out of lawyers' hands and not brought into worldly courts.
Rather than sue one another, believers should rather take wrong, accept loss and suffer themselves to be defrauded, even at financial cost, than do wrong and defraud a brother. God's law forbids going to law against a brother, and brethren should avoid it whenever possible. Keeping this counsel is resisting temptation by the strength given by the Spirit of God.
The prohibition applies especially to matters relating to the cause of God and to church difficulties and church matters, which must not be brought before the world for decision in human courts. It includes ministers and medical missionaries, who must not make worldly lawyers their right arm to settle matters. The interests of God's cause and plans are not to be entrusted to people who have no connection with heaven, and seeking lawyers to carry out plans is not inspired by the Spirit of God. Taking that course testifies that the Lord has not been made leader and makes a very bad showing before the world.
The verse is an injunction of God's Word to be obeyed and brought into life-practice everywhere, by the church in Battle Creek and in every other place, as spiritual food by those working as for eternity. The whole sixth chapter is a lesson to be studied in order to come into harmony regarding truth. It is to wake up the watchmen to give the warning message, to be healed of the maladies of sin and unbelief, to refuse the teachings of the prince of darkness, and to have Satan cast out of the heart by humbling poor defective hearts before the Lord for help.
Sin and Harm of Lawsuits
For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is shame and utter fault. It does wrong and defrauds brethren instead of taking wrong and suffering to be defrauded and accepting loss. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, including thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners.
Contentions, strife and lawsuits between believers disgrace the cause of truth. They expose the sins and defects of the church before the world and invite ridicule from its enemies. They show contempt for the authority God gave the church. They keep souls from being convinced of the truth.
Taking disputes to unbelieving courts dishonors God and shows discord, lack of faith, misplaced dependence on unsanctified counselors, and loss of spiritual discernment. Seeking lawyers to carry out plans and entrusting matters to them is not inspired by the Spirit. Such a course testifies that the Lord has not been made leader, and forsakes the true God for schemes instigated by Satan. Justifying going to law against brethren misrepresents God's character while claiming loyalty to Him, acts out the spirit developed in rebellion in heaven, and shows loyalty to the enemy of righteousness rather than to the God of truth.
Suing fellow believers is backsliding and cruel work against commandment-keeping people. It bruises and wounds Christ in the person of His saints, crucifies Him afresh and puts Him to open shame. It lets Satan exult because through the lawsuit he can work against God and His people. It arouses prejudice against God's people as a body and does great harm to His institutions. Those who depart from the faith link with dishonest lawyers who for gain will deal unjustly, to oppress God's people, and nothing is gained by telling lawyers of supposed wrongdoings of fellow members.
Those reproved for wanting their own way who make the world their confidence and appeal to its courts show sympathy with the world and with unconverted members and choose the world as judge. They betray sacred trusts whose statements the world eagerly seizes, and bring collision and strife. Their names are registered in heaven as one with unbelievers. God has a controversy with those who walk in self-kindled light, and the Lord will treat each according to the stand taken on this point.
A suit already begun must be withdrawn and no other ever brought, because God forbids it as dishonoring His name and uniting with worldlings and their methods. Leaning for years on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support does what even an honorable worldling would not do. It blinds eyes, leads others astray, and holds back the cause and the warning message. It springs from pride, self-love and self-exaltation rather than first love. Those who persist should be relieved of responsibilities in God's work, with prayer and looking to Jesus and His sacrifice as the healing. God has permitted this unprecedented appeal to human courts so the deceived may understand what power controls those entrusted with responsibility and so sentinels will stand together for present truth.