Sermon Discussion | 1st Corinthians: Part 8 - Ch. 6:1-11
In this edition of UBC Sermon Discussions pastor Jason Wing answers questions from his sermon out of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
The main idea for the sermon was: A maturing church will make every effort to settle disputes among members internally, not externally.
Questions discussed in this episode:
Q. Do we have any idea what kind of lawsuits might have been occurring in Corinth?
Q. What would the legal system at the time have allowed for church members to bring to one another?
Q. Despite this passage being directly about lawsuits and taking legal actions against other Christians, how do you think the principles discussed relate to seeking inter-relational therapy and/or clinical counseling? Or stated another way - Would the concept of resolving issues by working things out in the church also apply to things like counseling (secular versus biblical counseling)?
Q. How should Christians think about navigating this passage in light of the repeated, and sometimes valid, accusations against churches and religious organizations for hiding wrongdoing, usually regarding financial or sexual indiscretion?
Q. You talked about people in the church. But defining the church is important. Here’s the question - How does this apply to believers who are not part of the same local church as you? Should there be a broader Christian church discipline framework for disputes between churches or between members of different churches?
Q. Is there a threshold where a situation with another Christian should become a legal issue for court as opposed to being willing to be defrauded and giving mercy? What is the balance between going to court versus letting it go?
Q. Can forgiveness and going to court against another Christian coexist in any capacity?
Q. In your closing prayer you mentioned something to the effect of “trusting that uncomfortable parts of scripture like this are good for us.” How do we find that balance of not being a stereotypical “hellfire and damnation Baptist church” and something like a prosperity gospel seeker-friendly church?
Q. I've known of situations in other churches where people have gone to leadership to try and resolve things biblically only for leadership to completely fail them. I’ve also known people who have been hurt again and again, trying to follow God's command to resolve issues among believers. Some of them are currently in a season where they have no church to attend because their options are either a warm church that welcomes heresy or a church that preaches the word faithfully, but in every other way seem to lack the fruit of the spirit and lack grace for people who don't look or behave how they think a "good Christian" should. I am thankful I haven't seen signs of these issues in UBC, but the church is continually growing and there will be lots of people who are coming from such painful backgrounds. How are members of the body supposed to encourage people who have come out of situations like this? And how are Christians supposed to resolve issues with elders or leaders in the church in a God honoring way?
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