Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
To take a dispute with a fellow believer to court before unbelievers is itself to do wrong and defraud brethren. Rather than do that wrong, believers should take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded. Since the saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, they are competent to judge even the smallest matters of this life. That there is no wise man among them able to judge between brethren is shameful, and for brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault. God's people must settle their differences among themselves before the saints and by the church instead of going to law before civil tribunals. Those who persist in such wrongdoing are unrighteous and shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Suing Fellow Believers Forbidden
To take a dispute with a fellow believer to court before unbelievers, the unjust, civil tribunals and worldly courts is itself to do wrong and to defraud brethren. The wrong is not only in an unjust decision but in the very act of carrying a matter against another believer into law before the unjust and before unbelievers instead of having it judged among the saints in the church. It belongs to the lesson of the whole sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians, which calls gospel ministers and medical missionaries to wake up and give the warning message for this time.
Those civil courts involve unjust judges and dishonest lawyers who for gain would deal unjustly. Those entrusted with the living oracles of God must not appeal to lawyers who are disloyal to God to settle matters relating to the cause of God. Ministers and medical missionary workers who for years lean on the arm of the law make unbelievers their stay and support, and do things that an honorable worldling would not do, even what a worldling would never do.
The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, so they are competent to judge the smallest matters pertaining to this life. Even those least esteemed in the church can be set to judge such matters instead of going to unbelievers. That there is not a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren is shameful. For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers and before the unjust and not before the saints is utterly a fault.
Rather than do wrong and defraud, believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded, willing to accept wrong and suffer loss and allow themselves to be cheated. Rather than go to law one with another, they should leave the smallest matters pertaining to this life to be judged among the saints.
Character and Eternal Consequences
Doing wrong and defrauding brethren includes criticizing, finding fault, accusing, and railing against them. It is the old leaven of malice and wickedness that must be purged out so that believers become a new lump, keeping the feast with sincerity and truth through Christ sacrificed as the passover. It stands opposite to feeling the moving of the Holy Spirit and to being kind and pure and unselfish and setting a Christlike example that helps souls.
Ridiculing and mimicking God's servants, and silently approving such ridicule of ministers acknowledged as His sons, is also doing wrong to brethren. It is an offense that perverts the way of the Lord. If not repented of, it will exclude those who do it from the society of the redeemed in the heavenly courts.
The wrong springs from pride, self-love, self-exaltation, and self-interest in protecting rights instead of seeking reconciliation without revenge through private discussion and prayer in the spirit of Christ. It makes claimants of truth unlike the children of God. It keeps more souls from being convinced of the truth. Those who so wrong and defraud are to try to save their brother and entrust their case to God, who judges righteously, rather than seek revenge.
Taking fellow church members to court follows the spirit of the rebellion that began in heaven. It conflicts with the character and example Christians are called to represent. Even while claiming loyalty to Him it misrepresents God's character. It shows loyalty to the enemy of righteousness and not to the God of truth.
Those who do such wrong are unrighteous, with thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners, and shall not inherit the kingdom of God. To enter the narrow way and gate to eternal life a man must see himself as he is and make diligent efforts to counterwork his past influence. The Lord will treat each person according to the stand taken in this life.
Doing wrong and defrauding brethren are maladies of sin and unbelief from which gospel ministers and medical missionaries need to be healed. The verse belongs to the lesson of the whole sixth chapter, which they should study to wake up and give the warning message for this time. They are to refuse the teachings of the prince of darkness, have Satan cast out of the heart, and come humbly with defective hearts to receive help. Those who persist should long ago have been relieved of responsibilities, and by remaining have hindered the cause and the warning message, blinded eyes, and led others astray.
Settling Disputes God's Way
God's people are forbidden to go to law before civil tribunals and must settle their differences among themselves before the saints and by the church. The required way is Christ's process for resolving disputes, carried out privately or by the church through private discussion and prayer in the spirit of Christ. Taking a matter against another to law before the unjust and before unbelievers is itself to do wrong and defraud brethren, and it is utterly a fault among believers to go to law one with another.
Even when a Christian has suffered injustice, the meek and lowly response is to bear the wrong rather than publicly expose a fellow believer and the church's sins before the world. Believers should not seek revenge but should try to save their brother and entrust their case to God, who judges righteously. Willingness to take wrong and suffer to be defrauded belongs to that response rather than doing wrong and defrauding.
Lawsuits between believers disgrace the cause of truth, invite ridicule from the church's enemies, and disregard the authority God gave the church. They dishonor God and His name by seeking help from lawyers instead of living in harmony, and legal quarrels and discord breach the loyalty to God and to one another and the harmony God requires. Those who have the higher, ennobling knowledge that God shines in the heart will live a well-ordered life and godly conversation that reveals Christ, and among them there will be no lawsuits between neighbors or brothers.
The verse is an injunction of God's Word to be obeyed and brought into life-practice as spiritual food by brethren and sisters in Battle Creek and in every other place as they work as for eternity. That obedience means speaking the same thing with no divisions and being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, leaving even the smallest matters pertaining to this life to be judged among the saints.
Obedience requires withdrawing a suit already begun and never bringing another into court, refusing to unite with worldlings and follow their methods. One who suffered financial loss followed God's Word rather than taking the matter to law, and the Spirit gave strength to resist the temptation to act contrary to it.
To take a dispute with a fellow believer to court before unbelievers is itself to do wrong and defraud brethren. Rather than do that wrong, believers should take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded. Since the saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, they are competent to judge even the smallest matters of this life. That there is no wise man among them able to judge between brethren is shameful, and for brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers is utterly a fault. God's people must settle their differences among themselves before the saints and by the church instead of going to law before civil tribunals. Those who persist in such wrongdoing are unrighteous and shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Suing Fellow Believers Forbidden
To take a dispute with a fellow believer to court before unbelievers, the unjust, civil tribunals and worldly courts is itself to do wrong and to defraud brethren. The wrong is not only in an unjust decision but in the very act of carrying a matter against another believer into law before the unjust and before unbelievers instead of having it judged among the saints in the church. It belongs to the lesson of the whole sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians, which calls gospel ministers and medical missionaries to wake up and give the warning message for this time.
Those civil courts involve unjust judges and dishonest lawyers who for gain would deal unjustly. Those entrusted with the living oracles of God must not appeal to lawyers who are disloyal to God to settle matters relating to the cause of God. Ministers and medical missionary workers who for years lean on the arm of the law make unbelievers their stay and support, and do things that an honorable worldling would not do, even what a worldling would never do.
The saints shall judge the world and shall judge angels, so they are competent to judge the smallest matters pertaining to this life. Even those least esteemed in the church can be set to judge such matters instead of going to unbelievers. That there is not a wise man among believers able to judge between brethren is shameful. For brother to go to law with brother before unbelievers and before the unjust and not before the saints is utterly a fault.
Rather than do wrong and defraud, believers should rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded, willing to accept wrong and suffer loss and allow themselves to be cheated. Rather than go to law one with another, they should leave the smallest matters pertaining to this life to be judged among the saints.
Character and Eternal Consequences
Doing wrong and defrauding brethren includes criticizing, finding fault, accusing, and railing against them. It is the old leaven of malice and wickedness that must be purged out so that believers become a new lump, keeping the feast with sincerity and truth through Christ sacrificed as the passover. It stands opposite to feeling the moving of the Holy Spirit and to being kind and pure and unselfish and setting a Christlike example that helps souls.
Ridiculing and mimicking God's servants, and silently approving such ridicule of ministers acknowledged as His sons, is also doing wrong to brethren. It is an offense that perverts the way of the Lord. If not repented of, it will exclude those who do it from the society of the redeemed in the heavenly courts.
The wrong springs from pride, self-love, self-exaltation, and self-interest in protecting rights instead of seeking reconciliation without revenge through private discussion and prayer in the spirit of Christ. It makes claimants of truth unlike the children of God. It keeps more souls from being convinced of the truth. Those who so wrong and defraud are to try to save their brother and entrust their case to God, who judges righteously, rather than seek revenge.
Taking fellow church members to court follows the spirit of the rebellion that began in heaven. It conflicts with the character and example Christians are called to represent. Even while claiming loyalty to Him it misrepresents God's character. It shows loyalty to the enemy of righteousness and not to the God of truth.
Those who do such wrong are unrighteous, with thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners, and shall not inherit the kingdom of God. To enter the narrow way and gate to eternal life a man must see himself as he is and make diligent efforts to counterwork his past influence. The Lord will treat each person according to the stand taken in this life.
Doing wrong and defrauding brethren are maladies of sin and unbelief from which gospel ministers and medical missionaries need to be healed. The verse belongs to the lesson of the whole sixth chapter, which they should study to wake up and give the warning message for this time. They are to refuse the teachings of the prince of darkness, have Satan cast out of the heart, and come humbly with defective hearts to receive help. Those who persist should long ago have been relieved of responsibilities, and by remaining have hindered the cause and the warning message, blinded eyes, and led others astray.
Settling Disputes God's Way
God's people are forbidden to go to law before civil tribunals and must settle their differences among themselves before the saints and by the church. The required way is Christ's process for resolving disputes, carried out privately or by the church through private discussion and prayer in the spirit of Christ. Taking a matter against another to law before the unjust and before unbelievers is itself to do wrong and defraud brethren, and it is utterly a fault among believers to go to law one with another.
Even when a Christian has suffered injustice, the meek and lowly response is to bear the wrong rather than publicly expose a fellow believer and the church's sins before the world. Believers should not seek revenge but should try to save their brother and entrust their case to God, who judges righteously. Willingness to take wrong and suffer to be defrauded belongs to that response rather than doing wrong and defrauding.
Lawsuits between believers disgrace the cause of truth, invite ridicule from the church's enemies, and disregard the authority God gave the church. They dishonor God and His name by seeking help from lawyers instead of living in harmony, and legal quarrels and discord breach the loyalty to God and to one another and the harmony God requires. Those who have the higher, ennobling knowledge that God shines in the heart will live a well-ordered life and godly conversation that reveals Christ, and among them there will be no lawsuits between neighbors or brothers.
The verse is an injunction of God's Word to be obeyed and brought into life-practice as spiritual food by brethren and sisters in Battle Creek and in every other place as they work as for eternity. That obedience means speaking the same thing with no divisions and being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, leaving even the smallest matters pertaining to this life to be judged among the saints.
Obedience requires withdrawing a suit already begun and never bringing another into court, refusing to unite with worldlings and follow their methods. One who suffered financial loss followed God's Word rather than taking the matter to law, and the Spirit gave strength to resist the temptation to act contrary to it.