But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Brother going to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault among believers and a shame and disgrace to the cause of truth. It forbids God's people to take a matter against another believer before the unjust in civil tribunals and worldly courts, even when financial loss has been caused. Because the saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, believers are able to judge the smallest matters of this life, which should be set before the church and settled between brethren rather than by suing one another. Believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded, for to do wrong and defraud brethren is unrighteousness that shuts out of the kingdom of God. Lawsuits between believers before unbelievers publicly expose sin, bring reproach on the cause of truth, give the powers of darkness cause to triumph, and keep souls from being convinced of the truth.
What the Verse Forbids
For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault among believers and a shame and disgrace to the cause of truth. No one having a matter against another is to go to law before the unjust and not before the saints, but Christians must settle their differences among themselves and not appeal to civil tribunals. To take a dispute with another believer to court before unbelievers is a wrongful failure to resolve matters wisely within the church, when there should be a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren and it is shameful if there is not. It means men entrusted with the living oracles appealing to lawyers disloyal to God to settle matters relating to the cause of God.
The prohibition forbids God's people to take troubles, difficulties, and matters relating to God's cause against another believer before worldly courts and civil tribunals, and it stands as God's law even when financial loss has been caused. Church members must not make the world their confidence by bringing church matters before worldly courts for decision, and such matters are to be handled within the church according to Christ's instruction to approach the brother privately, bring witnesses if he will not listen, and involve the church if he still will not listen. Taking church disputes to worldly lawyers proves the Lord has not been made leader, and ministers and medical missionaries especially must study and obey this lesson. The wronged person should seek to save the brother rather than avenge himself and may entrust the case to God who judges righteously.
The verse also warns against criticizing, accusing, and railing against fellow believers instead of following Christ's instruction for resolving differences. Civil courts are an unsafe resort because dishonest lawyers will deal unjustly for gain, and those who depart from the faith will link with such men to oppress God's people. Conflicts between believers are not to be made public before unbelievers, since doing so exposes the church's defects to those outside it, and such matters should be handled with great care.
Settling Disputes Among Believers
The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, and therefore believers are not unworthy to judge the smallest matters that pertain to this life. Judgments of things of this life are to be set before the church, even before those least esteemed in the church, for there should be a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren. It is shameful if there is not such a wise man to be found.
Rather than suing one another, believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded. To do wrong and defraud brethren is unrighteousness, and the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, including thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners. When possible a dispute is better settled privately even at some loss than carried into entanglement before unbelievers.
Disputes are to be addressed privately and, if needed, settled by other believers or by the church according to Christ's instruction. The wronged person is to approach the brother privately, bring witnesses if he will not listen, and involve the church if he still will not listen, seeking to save the brother rather than avenge himself. He may entrust the case to God who judges righteously, and God's people should agree together about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance. Supposed wrongdoings of fellow members are not to be opened to lawyers who lack the wisdom from above, for they do not fear God and do not obey His requirements, and nothing is gained by it.
The church in every place must obey this injunction and bring it into life-practice as spiritual food, working as for eternity. Believers are to speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, depending on God rather than substituting common means for what is sacred. Prayer and Christlike effort are needed to heal the discord that legal quarrels create. Strength to obey comes through the Spirit of God working on the mind and giving power to resist temptation, and the instruction stands as God's law even when financial loss has been caused. Those who receive the higher knowledge God shines into hearts will live well-ordered, godly lives that recommend faith and reveal Christ, and among them there will be no lawsuits between neighbors or brothers. One who has begun such a suit must withdraw it in Christ's name and never bring another into court.
Why Obedience Matters
Lawsuits between believers before unbelievers publicly expose a fellow believer's sins when the wronged one is unwilling to suffer wrong or loss, and even when injustice has been done the Christian should rather suffer loss than expose the church's sins to the world. Such going to law is utterly a fault among Christians and a disgrace to the cause of truth, bringing reproach upon it, exposing the church to ridicule and inviting its enemies to ridicule it. It gives the powers of darkness cause to triumph and helps them, puts Christ to open shame, and keeps more souls from being convinced of the truth. It means men entrusted with the living oracles appealing to lawyers disloyal to God to settle matters relating to God's cause, instead of private, Christlike discussion and prayer, arising from pride, self-love, self-exaltation and self-interest and making those who claim to believe the truth unlike God's children and like men who have lost their first love.
Taking church troubles, difficulties and matters to worldly lawyers and unsanctified people who do not fear God and do not obey His requirements proves the Lord has not been made leader, forsakes the true God for schemes instigated by Satan, and follows counselors who lack the wisdom that comes down from above. It reveals maladies of sin and unbelief that need healing and the casting out of Satan from the heart, showing lack of faith in God, lost spiritual discernment, and disloyalty toward one another. Believers dishonor God when they fail to live in harmony and entrust the interests of His cause to people with no connection to heaven, substituting common means for what is sacred instead of depending on God. Nothing is gained by opening supposed wrongdoings of fellow members to lawyers, for God's people should instead agree about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance, and seeking lawyers' help to carry out plans is not prompted by the Spirit of God. Prayer and Christlike effort are needed to heal the discord from legal quarrels, and the resulting bad showing before the world wounds the work of giving the last message of mercy.
Rejecting settlement among believers and through the church disregards and shows contempt for the authority God gave the church. Those who bring church matters before worldly courts for decision make the world their confidence and choose the world as their judge. Unconverted members in sympathy with the world do this, often when wanting their own way under reproof, and in heaven their names are registered as one with unbelievers.
Taking a fellow church member to court before unbelievers is contrary to the spirit followers of Jesus should display and acts out the spirit that developed in rebellion in heaven. Those who justify suing their brethren misrepresent God's character by a life practice militating against the truth while claiming to be loyal to Him, showing loyalty instead to the enemy of righteousness and conflicting with the character of Jesus. Those who have light and follow Jesus are called instead to be formed by the Holy Spirit to reflect God's character in words and actions after the perfect model upon which every character should be formed.
This course betrays sacred trusts whose statements the world eagerly seizes, brings collision and strife, and crucifies Christ afresh and puts Him to open shame. It bruises and wounds Christ in the person of His saints, which is cruel work against His commandment-keeping people and backsliding even for one who has composed gospel songs. It gives the enemy an advantage to entangle and perplex believers, and when possible it is better to settle the matter even at some loss. It wounds the work of giving the last message of mercy, arouses prejudice against God's people as a body and against His institutions, and causes Satan to exult because through man he can work great harm against God's people. Every such act is kept in the record of every act in the books of heaven and endangers meeting loved ones in the world to come.
Leaning on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support leads to doing things that an honorable worldling would not do. Leaning for years in this way is walking by sparks not kindled by the Lord under the deceiving power of the enemy to tear away the foundations of faith, bringing God's controversy, blinding eyes, hindering the advancement of the warning message, leading others astray, and disqualifying men for responsibility in God's work. The practice comes from pride, self-love, self-exaltation and self-interest, making professed believers unlike God's children, and those who do such wrong and defraud brethren are unrighteous with thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners who shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Ministers and medical missionaries must especially study and obey this lesson, purging out the old leaven of malice and wickedness to be a new lump keeping the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, since Christ the passover is sacrificed. Appealing to human courts was something Seventh-day Adventists had never before done, and God permits it to be seen so that those deceived may understand what power is controlling those entrusted with great responsibilities.
Brother going to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault among believers and a shame and disgrace to the cause of truth. It forbids God's people to take a matter against another believer before the unjust in civil tribunals and worldly courts, even when financial loss has been caused. Because the saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, believers are able to judge the smallest matters of this life, which should be set before the church and settled between brethren rather than by suing one another. Believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded, for to do wrong and defraud brethren is unrighteousness that shuts out of the kingdom of God. Lawsuits between believers before unbelievers publicly expose sin, bring reproach on the cause of truth, give the powers of darkness cause to triumph, and keep souls from being convinced of the truth.
What the Verse Forbids
For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault among believers and a shame and disgrace to the cause of truth. No one having a matter against another is to go to law before the unjust and not before the saints, but Christians must settle their differences among themselves and not appeal to civil tribunals. To take a dispute with another believer to court before unbelievers is a wrongful failure to resolve matters wisely within the church, when there should be a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren and it is shameful if there is not. It means men entrusted with the living oracles appealing to lawyers disloyal to God to settle matters relating to the cause of God.
The prohibition forbids God's people to take troubles, difficulties, and matters relating to God's cause against another believer before worldly courts and civil tribunals, and it stands as God's law even when financial loss has been caused. Church members must not make the world their confidence by bringing church matters before worldly courts for decision, and such matters are to be handled within the church according to Christ's instruction to approach the brother privately, bring witnesses if he will not listen, and involve the church if he still will not listen. Taking church disputes to worldly lawyers proves the Lord has not been made leader, and ministers and medical missionaries especially must study and obey this lesson. The wronged person should seek to save the brother rather than avenge himself and may entrust the case to God who judges righteously.
The verse also warns against criticizing, accusing, and railing against fellow believers instead of following Christ's instruction for resolving differences. Civil courts are an unsafe resort because dishonest lawyers will deal unjustly for gain, and those who depart from the faith will link with such men to oppress God's people. Conflicts between believers are not to be made public before unbelievers, since doing so exposes the church's defects to those outside it, and such matters should be handled with great care.
Settling Disputes Among Believers
The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, and therefore believers are not unworthy to judge the smallest matters that pertain to this life. Judgments of things of this life are to be set before the church, even before those least esteemed in the church, for there should be a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren. It is shameful if there is not such a wise man to be found.
Rather than suing one another, believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded. To do wrong and defraud brethren is unrighteousness, and the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, including thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners. When possible a dispute is better settled privately even at some loss than carried into entanglement before unbelievers.
Disputes are to be addressed privately and, if needed, settled by other believers or by the church according to Christ's instruction. The wronged person is to approach the brother privately, bring witnesses if he will not listen, and involve the church if he still will not listen, seeking to save the brother rather than avenge himself. He may entrust the case to God who judges righteously, and God's people should agree together about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance. Supposed wrongdoings of fellow members are not to be opened to lawyers who lack the wisdom from above, for they do not fear God and do not obey His requirements, and nothing is gained by it.
The church in every place must obey this injunction and bring it into life-practice as spiritual food, working as for eternity. Believers are to speak the same thing with no divisions but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, depending on God rather than substituting common means for what is sacred. Prayer and Christlike effort are needed to heal the discord that legal quarrels create. Strength to obey comes through the Spirit of God working on the mind and giving power to resist temptation, and the instruction stands as God's law even when financial loss has been caused. Those who receive the higher knowledge God shines into hearts will live well-ordered, godly lives that recommend faith and reveal Christ, and among them there will be no lawsuits between neighbors or brothers. One who has begun such a suit must withdraw it in Christ's name and never bring another into court.
Why Obedience Matters
Lawsuits between believers before unbelievers publicly expose a fellow believer's sins when the wronged one is unwilling to suffer wrong or loss, and even when injustice has been done the Christian should rather suffer loss than expose the church's sins to the world. Such going to law is utterly a fault among Christians and a disgrace to the cause of truth, bringing reproach upon it, exposing the church to ridicule and inviting its enemies to ridicule it. It gives the powers of darkness cause to triumph and helps them, puts Christ to open shame, and keeps more souls from being convinced of the truth. It means men entrusted with the living oracles appealing to lawyers disloyal to God to settle matters relating to God's cause, instead of private, Christlike discussion and prayer, arising from pride, self-love, self-exaltation and self-interest and making those who claim to believe the truth unlike God's children and like men who have lost their first love.
Taking church troubles, difficulties and matters to worldly lawyers and unsanctified people who do not fear God and do not obey His requirements proves the Lord has not been made leader, forsakes the true God for schemes instigated by Satan, and follows counselors who lack the wisdom that comes down from above. It reveals maladies of sin and unbelief that need healing and the casting out of Satan from the heart, showing lack of faith in God, lost spiritual discernment, and disloyalty toward one another. Believers dishonor God when they fail to live in harmony and entrust the interests of His cause to people with no connection to heaven, substituting common means for what is sacred instead of depending on God. Nothing is gained by opening supposed wrongdoings of fellow members to lawyers, for God's people should instead agree about the thing they desire and unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance, and seeking lawyers' help to carry out plans is not prompted by the Spirit of God. Prayer and Christlike effort are needed to heal the discord from legal quarrels, and the resulting bad showing before the world wounds the work of giving the last message of mercy.
Rejecting settlement among believers and through the church disregards and shows contempt for the authority God gave the church. Those who bring church matters before worldly courts for decision make the world their confidence and choose the world as their judge. Unconverted members in sympathy with the world do this, often when wanting their own way under reproof, and in heaven their names are registered as one with unbelievers.
Taking a fellow church member to court before unbelievers is contrary to the spirit followers of Jesus should display and acts out the spirit that developed in rebellion in heaven. Those who justify suing their brethren misrepresent God's character by a life practice militating against the truth while claiming to be loyal to Him, showing loyalty instead to the enemy of righteousness and conflicting with the character of Jesus. Those who have light and follow Jesus are called instead to be formed by the Holy Spirit to reflect God's character in words and actions after the perfect model upon which every character should be formed.
This course betrays sacred trusts whose statements the world eagerly seizes, brings collision and strife, and crucifies Christ afresh and puts Him to open shame. It bruises and wounds Christ in the person of His saints, which is cruel work against His commandment-keeping people and backsliding even for one who has composed gospel songs. It gives the enemy an advantage to entangle and perplex believers, and when possible it is better to settle the matter even at some loss. It wounds the work of giving the last message of mercy, arouses prejudice against God's people as a body and against His institutions, and causes Satan to exult because through man he can work great harm against God's people. Every such act is kept in the record of every act in the books of heaven and endangers meeting loved ones in the world to come.
Leaning on the arm of the law and making unbelievers a stay and support leads to doing things that an honorable worldling would not do. Leaning for years in this way is walking by sparks not kindled by the Lord under the deceiving power of the enemy to tear away the foundations of faith, bringing God's controversy, blinding eyes, hindering the advancement of the warning message, leading others astray, and disqualifying men for responsibility in God's work. The practice comes from pride, self-love, self-exaltation and self-interest, making professed believers unlike God's children, and those who do such wrong and defraud brethren are unrighteous with thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners who shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Ministers and medical missionaries must especially study and obey this lesson, purging out the old leaven of malice and wickedness to be a new lump keeping the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, since Christ the passover is sacrificed. Appealing to human courts was something Seventh-day Adventists had never before done, and God permits it to be seen so that those deceived may understand what power is controlling those entrusted with great responsibilities.