Teks -- 1 Corinthians 6:1 (NET)

Lawsuits

6:1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: 1Co 6:1 - Dare any of you?

Dare any of you? ( tolmāi tis humōṉ ).

Does any one of you dare? Rhetorical question with present indicative of tolmaō , old verb from tolma , daring. Bengel: grandi verbo notatur laesa majestas Christianorum . "The word is an argument in itself"(Robertson and Plummer). Apparently Paul has an actual case in mind as in chapter 1Co 5:1-13 though no name is called.

Robertson: 1Co 6:1 - Having a matter against his neighbour

Having a matter against his neighbour ( pragma echōn pros ton heteron ).

Forensic sense of pragma (from prassō , to do, to exact, to extort as in Luk 3:13), a case, a suit (Demosthenes 1020, 26), with the other or the neighbour as in 1Co 10:24; 1Co 14:17; Gal 6:4; Rom 2:1.

Robertson: 1Co 6:1 - Go to law

Go to law ( krinesthai ).

Present middle or passive (ch. Rom 3:4) in the same forensic sense as krithēnai in Mat 5:40. Kritēs , judge, is from this verb.

Robertson: 1Co 6:1 - Before the unrighteous

Before the unrighteous ( epi tōn adikōn ).

This use of epi with the genitive for "in the presence of"is idiomatic as in 2Co 7:14, epi Titou , in the case of Titus. The Jews held that to bring a lawsuit before a court of idolaters was blasphemy against the law. But the Greeks were fond of disputatious lawsuits with each other. Probably the Greek Christians brought cases before pagan judges.

Vincent: 1Co 6:1 - Dare

Dare

" The insulted majesty of Christians is denoted by a grand word" (Bengel).

Wesley: 1Co 6:1 - The unjust

The heathens. A Christian could expect no justice from these.

Wesley: 1Co 6:1 - The saints

Who might easily decide these smaller differences in a private and friendly manner.

JFB: 1Co 6:1 - Dare

This word implies treason against Christian brotherhood [BENGEL].

JFB: 1Co 6:1 - before the unjust

The Gentile judges are here so termed by an epithet appropriate to the subject in question, namely, one concerning justice. Though all Gentiles were not altogether unjust, yet in the highest view of justice which has regard to God as the Supreme Judge, they are so: Christians, on the other hand, as regarding God as the only Fountain of justice, should not expect justice from them.

JFB: 1Co 6:1 - before . . . saints

The Jews abroad were permitted to refer their disputes to Jewish arbitrators [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 14.10,17]. So the Christians were allowed to have Christian arbitrators.

Clarke: 1Co 6:1 - Dare any of you, etc.

Dare any of you, etc. - From the many things that are here reprehended by the apostle, we learn that the Christian Church at Corinth was in a state of great imperfection, notwithstanding there were very many eminent characters among them. Divided as they were among themselves, there was no one person who possessed any public authority to settle differences between man and man; therefore, as one party would not submit to the decisions of another, they were obliged to carry their contentions before heathen magistrates; and probably these very subjects of litigations arose out of their ecclesiastical divisions. The thing, and this issue of it, the apostle strongly reprehends

Clarke: 1Co 6:1 - Before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Before the unjust, and not before the saints? - The heathen judges were termed δικασται from their presumed righteousness in the administration of justice; here the apostle, by a paronomasia, calls them αδικοι, unrighteous persons; and it is very likely that at Corinth, where such corruption of manners reigned, there was a great perversion of public justice; and it is not to be supposed that matters relative to the Christians were fairly decided. The Christians the apostle terms ἁγιοι saints, which they were all by profession; and doubtless many were so in spirit and in truth.

Calvin: 1Co 6:1 - NO PHRASE

Here, he begins to reprove another fault among the Corinthians — an excessive fondness for litigation, which took its rise from avarice. Now, this reproof consists of two parts. The first is, that by bringing their disputes before the tribunals of the wicked, they by this means made the gospel contemptible, and exposed it to derision. The second is, that while Christians ought to endure injuries with patience, they inflicted injury on others, rather than allow themselves to be subjected to any inconvenience. Thus, the first part is particular: the other is general.

1. Dare any of you This is the first statement — that, if any one has a controversy with a brother, it ought to be decided before godly judges, and that it ought not to be before those that are ungodly. If the reason is asked, I have already said, that it is because disgrace is brought upon the gospel, and the name of Christ is held up as it were to the scoffings of the ungodly. For the ungodly, at the instigation of Satan, are always eagerly on the watch ³¹⁶ for opportunities of finding occasion of calumny against the doctrine of godliness. Now believers, when they make them parties in their disputes, seem as though they did on set purpose furnish them with a handle for reviling. A second reason may be added — that we treat our brethren disdainfully, when we of our own accord subject them to the decisions of unbelievers.

But here it may be objected: “As it belongs to the office of the magistrate, and as it is peculiarly his province to administer justice to all, and to decide upon matters in dispute, why should not even unbelievers, who are in the office of magistrate, have this authority, and, if they have it, why are we prevented from maintaining our rights before their tribunals?” I answer, that Paul does not here condemn those who from necessity have a cause before unbelieving judges, ³¹⁷ as when a person is summoned to a court; but those who, of their own accord, bring their brethren into this situation, and harass them, as it were, through means of unbelievers, while it is in their power to employ another remedy. It is wrong, therefore, to institute of one’s own accord a law-suit against brethren before unbelieving judges. If, on the other hand, you are summoned to a court, there is no harm in appearing there and maintaining your cause.

TSK: 1Co 6:1 - having // go // the saints

having : Mat 18:15-17; Act 18:14, Act 18:15, Act 19:38

go : 1Co 6:6, 1Co 6:7

the saints : 1Co 1:2, 1Co 14:33, 1Co 16:1, 1Co 16:15

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 1Co 6:1

1Co 6:1-6 The Corinthians are reproved for bringing their

controversies before heathen judges, which they

ought to decide among themselves.

1Co 6:7-11 There would be no occasion for lawsuits, if men

acted up to the principles of the gospel, which

exclude from the kingdom of God all notorious

transgressors of the moral law.

1Co 6:12-14 All lawful things are not expedient,

1Co 6:15-20 but fornication is a gross offer we against

our bodies, which are members of Christ, temples

of the Holy Ghost, and not our own to dispose

of otherwise than to God’ s glory.

The apostle having already sharply reflected upon this church for their pride, and contentions, and divisions, (which were branches from that root), and for their vilifying him who was their spiritual father, and magnifying their instructors above him, as also for their looseness in their church discipline; he cometh in this chapter to another thing, viz. their going to law before pagan judges; for such was the misery of those times, that they had no other, though some think that they might have had, the pagan persecutions being as yet not begun. The apostle speaks of this as a thing which he wondered that they durst be guilty of, that they should be no more tender of the glory of God in the reputation of the Christian religion, and should not rather choose arbitrators amongst the members of their church, to hear and determine such differences as arose amongst them, than give pagans an occasion to reproach the Christian religion for the contentions and feuds of Christians. The reputation of the gospel and the professors of it being the thing for which Paul was here concerned, and upon the account of which he thus speaketh; it becometh Christians yet to consider, whether what he saith concerneth not them, where either the judges, or the generality of the auditors in such judgments, may probably reproach religion, or that way of God which they own, for their trivial and uncharitable contentions.

Haydock: 1Co 6:1 - Go to law before the unjust

Go to law before the unjust. St. Paul here dissuades the new Christians from carrying their differences and causes about their temporal concerns before judges who were infidels, especially seeing the saints and the elect shall one day judge, that is, condemn all the wicked, and even the apostate angels, by approving the sentence which Christ shall pronounce against them at the day of judgment. (Witham) ---

It was not unusual in the primitive ages, and even under Christian emperors, for the Catholics to refer their disputes to the bishop, and to abide by his decision, as Possidius informs us, in the life of St. Augustine. (Estius)

Gill: 1Co 6:1 - Dare any of you, having a matter against another // go to law before the unjust

Dare any of you, having a matter against another,...., Any thing in difference, an action, cause, or suit. The apostle having dispatched the affair of the incestuous person, and blamed this church for their conduct therein: and having given them instructions what they should do, proceeds to lay before them another evil among them he had to complain of; which was, when any difference arose among them about their worldly concerns, they would

go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints; a method of proceeding condemned by the Jews, who would not suffer any causes of theirs to be tried before Gentiles, only before Israelites; their canon runs thus ^u,

"he that tries a cause before the judges of the Gentiles, and before their tribunals, although their judgments are as the judgments of the Israelites, lo, this is an ungodly man; and it is as if he blasphemed and reproached, and lift up his hand against the law of Moses our master, as it is said, Exo 21:1 now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them, ולא לפני גוים, "and not before the Gentiles"; ולא לפני הדיוטות, "and not before idiots", private or illiterate men.''

They looked upon such an action as bad as profaning the name of God; hence they say ^w,

"we must not try a cause in the courts of the Gentiles, for they come from the strength of judgment; this is Esau an hairy man, for they have no concord nor mercy--and he that comes before thee מחלל השי, "profanes the name of God", who is gracious and merciful, and honours the name of an idol--wherefore he that brings a cause before the Gentiles, is the occasion of spreading the property of judgment in the world----therefore let a cause be tried before the Israelites, for they are the secret of mercy, and not before the Gentiles, nor before idiots:''

they affirm ^x it to be a greater sin than murder, and that not only profanations of the name of God, but rapine and violence are comprehended in it; and that to give evidence in an Heathen court against an Israelite, deserves excommunication; for so it is said, ^y.

"he that bears witness against an Israelite בערכאות של גוים, "in the courts of the Gentiles", and by his testimony gets money from him, which is not according to the judgment of the Israelites, they excommunicate him until he repays it.''

Again ^z.

"it is forbidden to order causes in the courts of (the rest of the nations) idolaters, for they have no part in the side of our faith.''

The apostle here dissuades from this practice, of going to law before Heathen magistrates, not only from its being an imprudent, but an impudent, "daring", rash and adventurous action; and seems surprised that any should attempt it, when it must unavoidably expose their weaknesses and faults to their enemies; nor could they expect justice to be done them by men of such a character, as "unjust", who neither feared God, nor regarded men; were not only destitute of righteousness, but filled with all unrighteousness, and had not so much as the principles of common justice and equity in them; when on the contrary, from the saints, men who have the principles of grace and holiness wrought in them, and live soberly, righteously, and godly, who have the fear of God before their eyes, and upon their hearts; they might reasonably conclude, were matters brought before them, they would be adjusted according to judgment and truth, without exposing the sin and weakness of any party to the world.