“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #51
“If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church” (1 Cor. 6:2-3).
Paul says that before we should let unbelievers adjudicate our problems, we should rather have the responsibility for judging assigned to the least esteemed Christian in the church that we know. What is the worst thing that could happen? The worst thing that could happen would be for the case to be decided in the wrong way, and it goes against you—and when you were in the right. It would be better for that to happen, Paul argues, than for the gaudy spectacle of the whole case going against the gospel, the grace of God, the redemptive purposes of God for the world, and Christ crucified—and all in front of unbelievers.
And gaudy spectacle is the right word. I have seen Christian leaders who were more concerned for the dog in their particular fight than they were for the message God has given to a lost world. Paul’s phrase from the next verse comes to mind—I speak this to your shame. Going to court in front of unbelievers is not realism; it is infidelity.