Recently, I’ve had two opportunities to take an in-depth look at 1st Corinthians. The first occasion was when the church I serve did a series of expository sermons on the book. The second was when a man in another country whom I am mentoring asked me to teach the book to him.
It’s fair to say that most of us read Paul’s letter and shake our heads in wonder at the problems in that church. In spite of the fact that Paul spent considerable time there, the church at Corinth had not yet absorbed some of the basics of Christian character. Among other things, they congratulated themselves for their tolerance of egregious sexual sin. They embraced the concept of “alternative lifestyles” long before the term was invented.
In addition, their doctrine was hardly orthodox in certain areas. Some of them denied one of the basic tenents of the Christian faith, namely the resurrection. Not only that, a faction in Corinth even turned against Paul, the very person who taught them about Christ, and questioned his apostleship.
My guess is that if we knew of a church like Corinth today, many of us would question whether they were Christians at all. That very thought came home to me when we reached chapter 6 which talks about the lawsuits the Corinthians were bringing against one another. The man I’m mentoring spoke up, “Do you remember Brother X? He’s been preaching at….” He named a church which played a huge role in both our lives though neither of us attends there now.
“Well, Brother C took offense at something X preached. He attacked X and put him in the hospital, then sued him. Now X has counter-sued. Ironically, love is one of the most frequent sermon topics at that church.”
I could only grimace at the horrible example the whole mess set for the community. The church’s reputation already was none too good. This just confirmed people’s view of the church’s character. In the larger context, what do incidents like this say to the world about the ability of Christians to handle problems and differences of opinion among themselves? More importantly, why would anybody be attracted to Christ? If those who claim to follow Christ can’t resolve their problems, then why would anyone think that Christ can help them with their own issues?
There is another aspect of this, too. Paul seems to advocate the establishment of an ecclesiastical court to adjudicate disputes among believers. He probably had something ad-hoc in mind – a temporary committee to deal with a specific incident. However, he leaves open the possibility of a more formal body appointed on a permanent basis. Whether ad-hoc or permanent, those so appointed would make binding decisions. Is this what Christ had in mind when He told believers who couldn’t resolve their differences to “take it to the church”? (Matthew 18:17)
Muslims already have something like these tribunals in their Sharia Courts. The difference, as I understand it, is that the judicial panels the New Testament contemplates are restricted to the local congregation while the Sharia Courts hold sway over the entire society.
As an aside, don’t let the advocates of establishing Sharia Courts deceive you into thinking this is merely a matter of cultural sensitivity. Establishing such courts is the equivalent of imposing Canon Law on the entire body politic. Only it would be Islamic law.
However, this whole discussion of ecclesiastical jurisprudence obscures a more fundamental problem. As Paul points out, the very fact that Christians have disputes with one another which need adjudication means that they have already been defeated. The real problem at Corinth wasn’t their aberrant lifestyles; it wasn’t their taking one another to court; it wasn’t their fights over the spiritual gifts, etc. Instead, it was their lack of love. If people really acted in love, they wouldn’t have disputes and, if they did, they would resolve them quickly without the need of adjudication. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10 NIV)
There is something else, too. We are quick to judge. As I mentioned earlier, most of us would question whether people like those at Corinth were even Christians. Yet, Paul consistently calls them “brothers” and goes out of his way to praise them for their good characteristics, even while taking the to task for their shortcomings. What does it say about my love when I am so quick to write off people like X and C?
