1 Corinthians 6:2, commentary and pictures

Those made holy will in the future sit in judgment over the world. Because of that coming responsibility, believers are not unfit but are able even now to decide the smallest affairs. Those smallest affairs are disputes belonging to this life that arise between brothers in the church. That judging of the world takes place during the thousand years between the first and second resurrections, when the saints in the Holy City with Christ open the books of good and evil deeds, compare them with the Bible, and assign to each wicked one the suffering due for works done in the body. Therefore a believer with a matter against another must bring it for decision among brethren in the church rather than go to law before unbelievers, even choosing to suffer wrong and be defrauded rather than bring fault, shame, and harm upon the cause.

Verse Sense and Logic

The saints shall judge the world. That future responsibility is the ground of the appeal that follows.

If the world shall be judged by believers, they are not unworthy but able to judge the smallest matters. The greater office proves fitness for the lesser, so that they are capable of settling even the smallest matters in this life rather than carrying them elsewhere. Failure to find wise judges within the church for such matters is shameful.

The smallest matters are matters pertaining to this life arising between brethren. They are disputes where one believer has a matter against another, to be settled between brethren before the saints in the church rather than taken to law before the unjust.

The word comes through Paul with Christ's authority to the church. Christ speaks through Paul that the saints shall judge the world, and therefore believers are to have confidence in one another and not depend on the world and the world's lawyers nor take their troubles to the subjects of the enemy for decision.

Thousand-Year Judgment Work

The judging of the world is the work of the thousand years between the first and second resurrections after the second advent. It is done in the Holy City before it descends to the earth, after the saints are changed to immortality, caught up, and enter the city. There they receive harps, robes, and crowns and reign as kings and priests unto God. The judgment does not take place when the voice of God makes the saints mighty and terrible as an army with banners, for they do not then execute the judgment written. In all of it they sit and reign in union with Christ and with Jesus.

The books are opened: the book of life containing the good deeds of the saints and the book of death containing the evil deeds of the wicked. Their acts are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and every case is decided according to the deeds done in the body. In unison with Jesus the saints pass judgment upon the wicked dead. The portion each must suffer is meted out according to works and set off and recorded and written against their names in the book of death. Execution waits until the close of the thousand years, when the wicked are raised and finally punished according to that judgment.

The judgment embraces the wicked dead together with Satan and the evil angels. Christ and His people judge them together, the redeemed sharing with Jesus in the work. Satan receives a far greater punishment than those he deceived.

Character Fitted to Judge

The promise that the saints will judge the world and be exalted as priests and kings belongs to God's faithful, obedient servants, who are therefore to remain true under every circumstance rather than sacrifice eternal good for present advantage or human honor. That same judging authority comes because the attributes that exalted Christ to kingly glory and judicial authority, when obtained by His followers, will place the scepter in their hands so that they shall be kings and priests with God. In particular the self-denial, patience, love, and forgiveness seen in Christ qualify His followers for authority when developed in them. His victory came through love, and His life showed that God's law is faultless rather than arbitrary and can be kept, while disobedience brings the very harms the law's restrictions are meant to prevent.

Only those who are holy ones obedient to God's holy, just, and good law and respectful toward His word are saints entrusted to act as His representatives in judging the world. Those who have no respect for a Thus saith the Lord and do not conform to that law are not saints or holy ones, and God cannot trust them to act for Him in the judgment, nor will He entrust it to those whose character is marked by bitter accusations against their brethren. Those who are to enter the kingdom must be converted and have the meekness of a little child. God gives everyone in this life the opportunity to develop a character suited to the appointed place in His plan. Those who give themselves to the Lord to do His will will fully understand what righteous judgment means, which is connected with discerning between good and evil.

Yet that future honor gives no excuse for eagerness now to obtain high positions, to rule, to guide, or to control, even in connection with sacred responsibilities. Those in connection with heaven must follow Christ, who though in the form of God did not grasp at equality with God. They must not snatch at power as Satan did in the heavenly courts.

Settling Disputes in Church

A believer who has a matter against another must have judgment between brethren before the saints in the church, privately or through the church, and must not go to law before the unjust, unbelievers, worldly lawyers, or helpers not of the faith. Since the saints shall judge the world, Christians are capable of resolving even small disputes pertaining to this life among themselves rather than taking one another before unbelieving courts and civil tribunals. If judgments of things pertaining to this life are needed, even those least esteemed in the church are to be set to judge them, for there should be a wise man able to judge between brethren, and it is shameful when there is none. Brother going to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault involving doing wrong and defrauding brethren, when believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded.

The right course is to address grievances by Christ's rule, seeking to save the brother rather than avenge self and trusting God to guard the interests of those who love and fear Him. Believers should pray together and agree together in persevering prayer for deliverance, depending on God for help rather than opening church difficulties before those who do not fear God and do not obey His requirements. Those who lack tact for wise management of worldly matters must humbly counsel beforehand with brethren in whose judgment they can have confidence, and thus bear one another's burdens. Defects and disputes in the church must not be made public before unbelievers, but grievances are to respect the authority God gave the church, with no divisions but with believers speaking the same thing and perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, at peace, drawing together in unity, working quietly for upbuilding, and ceasing to criticize.

Ministers and medical missionary workers must come into line and stop leaning on the arm of the law and making unbelievers their stay and support, doing what even an honorable worldling would not do. They must not exercise a molding, fashioning control over mind and soul and body as if appointed judge and king, nor make worldly lawyers their right arm. Instead they are to come into harmony regarding truth, bear the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, come out and be separate and touch not the unclean, be healed of sin and unbelief, refuse the teachings of the prince of darkness, humble their hearts before the Lord, and wake as watchmen to give the warning message for this time. Those persisting for years in leaning on the law hinder the advancement of the cause and should be relieved of responsibilities in connection with the work of God.

Among those with the higher, ennobling knowledge God shines in the heart, a well-ordered life and godly conversation revealing Christ, there will be no lawsuits between neighbors or brothers. A suit already begun must be withdrawn and none other ever brought into court, even at the cost of accepting loss of money, because God forbids dishonoring His name by uniting with worldlings and following their methods. In a trial involving loss of money the Word counsels against taking a brother to law, and the Spirit gives strength to resist the temptation to act contrary to it, with trust that God will guard interests and treat each according to the stand taken.

Evils of Lawsuits Outlined

Taking a brother to law contradicts the role and character God calls His followers to represent, showing loyalty to the enemy of righteousness rather than to God. Such a course acts out the spirit that developed in rebellion in heaven instead of the character of Jesus, misrepresenting God by a life practice that fights against the truth while still claiming loyalty. Legal quarrels among believers are disloyal to God and to one another, displaying discord rather than the harmony He requires.

To appeal to human courts is to make the world the confidence and to choose the world as judge instead of having confidence in one another. It shows sympathy with the world and with unconverted members, depending on the world's lawyers and on subjects of the enemy for decision rather than trusting God. Those who do so stand with unbelievers, with their names registered in heaven as one with unbelievers.

Such lawsuits betray sacred trusts and supply statements the world eagerly seizes, bringing collision and strife. They crucify Christ afresh and put Him to open shame, bruising and wounding Him in the person of His saints. They disgrace the cause of truth, bring shame on the church, expose it to ridicule, give its enemies cause to rejoice, and aid them against it. Even where injustice has been done, opening it before the world is cruel work against God's people that arouses prejudice against them as a body and lets Satan exult and work through the suit to do great harm to God's people and His institutions.

Going to law before the world goes directly contrary to God's plain word, dishonors Him, shows lack of faith in Him, and gains nothing. It shows lack of the wisdom that comes down from above and of wisdom and discretion, for those who do not fear God and do not obey His requirements cannot settle church difficulties. It gives the enemy great advantage to entangle and perplex believers and to wrench money from unfaithful stewards. It does far-reaching harm even when injustice was done.

It springs from pride, self-love and self-exaltation and from losing first love, making believers unlike God's children and unlike the children of God and keeping souls from being convinced of the truth. It brings into church affairs dishonest lawyers who for gain would deal unjustly, and those who had great light and departed from the faith link with worldly men to do great harm to God's institution and oppress His people. Every act in such backsliding is kept in the record in the books of heaven, and the Lord will treat each person according to the stand taken in this life. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, including thieves, the covetous, drunkards, and extortioners, and none should be deceived about this. Appealing to courts in this way was an action never before entered into by Seventh-day Adventists, permitted by God so that those deceived could understand what power is controlling those entrusted with great responsibilities.