To be honest, it's hard for me to say that I love the TTG or the people behind CalvaryToday - (Btw, please allow another to be honest here.... to be honest....I'm beginning to move to that direction for the church leaders aswell, as all their action seems to only address the human level... what about the spiritual level?)
I just found out the following articles
http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com/2009/05/goings-on-at-calvary-church-malaysia.html
The whole article is based on CalvaryToday's comments.. it's comments - thanks to their administrator for only allowing comments that are critical to the church leadership - all other comments are NOT published...... believe me - I have tried commenting - it seems that comments goes into a black hole and never to be seen anymore. Maybe the TTG gravity ...dissects my comments and what's left is not even a logical sentence. Ok I know .. i being too metaphoric....
Ok here it goes.....
Not sure how many of you have read the AGM - what you call that...apa nama, you know the book that we collect before we attend the AGM.....oh ... the annual report - One of deacon in charge for communications said that they are looking into the idea of creating a blog for calvary church? Well Bro.Deacon any progress on that? That yet to be created blog, will be only open to Calvarites and no one else and I guess some copyright law will also apply since it's a "within 4 walls blog".
I was thinking, maybe we should test the water first, I have created (with some help from a couple of calvarites) a blog called:-
http://calvaryconnectkl.blogspot.com/
Email address: calvaryconnectkl@gmail.com
We (since I’m speaking for a couple of other people as well), intend for this blog to be a calvarites only blog with access for those who register with an authenticated email ID, then they will be requested to answer some question to determine whether they are really calvarites or not. We are still working on mechanism for this. This is what we need from you:-
1. Give a thumbs up or down for this idea.
2. Provide some suggestion for the authentication mechanism – how do we cross check?
Pleas email directly to calvaryconnectkl@gmail.com
The need is there for such a blog, at least to stop the shameful act of some blog – sad to say mine included.
When this blog is up and running, I will handover administration to a selected group of people or better still, if I receive an email from the communications deacon – I will be even more glad to handover the access to him.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
AG Position Paper: Church Conflict
Is there an orderly and biblical way for members of a local church to resolve conflict? If it pertains to doctrine, is there a procedure available to implement corrections? When individuals become disgruntled with their church should they leave? Does the Assemblies of God believe there is ever a time or circumstance where believers should look for a new church? If an individual were to leave a church, is there a biblical and ethical way to leave?
Church problems existed even in the first-century Church, so it is not surprising that today’s Church, which is still not perfect, would have its problems. People become dissatisfied with the way church leadership spends money, with a youth program which doesn’t meet the needs of their children, with the style of worship or preaching, with teaching that seems unscriptural, and so on. Sometimes a problem exists between members who disagree on everything that happens in the church. Paul had to reprimand two ladies in the church at Philippi. "I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord" (Phil. 4:2). These were not just marginal troublemakers who had cantankerous spirits. They had both worked at Paul’s side in the cause of the gospel.
Trouble and disagreement seem inevitable in any human situation, even in a church populated by humans in the process of becoming Christlike. Satan, who seeks to discredit God’s work wherever he can, delights in raising occasions for friction and disagreement right in the church body. This is reality even though the Bible urges all believers to work together in unity (Eph. 4:3,13), to be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32), and to show equal respect to all who come into the congregation (James 2:1-9).
When church problems arise and seemingly come to the point of having no solution, what should a Christian do? The first step is severe self-evaluation. If the dissatisfied person is in any way responsible for the problem, and leaves the church, the problem will go along, only to break out in another form in the new situation. A time at the altar, sincerely seeking the Lord’s direction on what can be changed in one’s own life is essential, even if the problem seems to have been initiated by another party.
After one has passed the "inner-spirit check," with no solution becoming evident–remembering all the time that God desires unity among His children–one must then look toward ways in which the Holy Spirit can use him or her to deal with and resolve the problem. With a gentle spirit, nurtured through extended prayer, and possibly fasting, one might then speak with the one or ones who are part of the problem. This step fulfills the instruction of Scripture: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ’every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church" (Matt. 18:15-17). Hopefully, by this time, with each party seeking the unity of the Spirit, there will be some resolution.
But human nature being what it is, and with Satan busily at work trying to keep unity from becoming a reality, one may actually have to separate from the congregation and seek to identify with a group devoted to God and His Word. Unfortunately, some Christians have left unpleasant situations which should have been dealt with according to Matthew 18, only to see later that the remaining members of the congregation followed after false leadership that led the congregation into spiritual ruin. There may even be times when mature denominational leadership should be called in to deal with unhealthy situations. An objective outside voice, sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, can often cut through pettiness that causes major church problems.
But what if, after carefully following all the above steps, the option of withdrawal seems to be the only alternative? Before leaving a church, one should always talk privately with the pastor, or communicate by a carefully worded letter. A kind contact with others who are a part of the problem or a part of the solution might also be appropriate. The purpose of these contacts is not to speak the last word in a disagreement, but to make sure that good will and understanding are key elements in the separation. All information and reasons should be accurate, and one’s attitude must be right at the time of leaving. The departure should be without bitterness or resentment. To carry ill will in the separation means a continuing battle in one’s own spirit will also go along. One should meticulously avoid trying to influence others to leave the church. Nor should one speak ill of the former church when becoming part of the next church.
CONCERNS:
Just to speak about the possibility of needing to leave a church is dangerous. There are too many who change churches, or drop out entirely, because of minor disagreements or dissatisfaction. Such people are sometimes derogatorily referred to as church tramps. The unity of the Body, however, should always be the primary concern of all persons involved if and when a move seems to be necessary.
The above statement is based upon our common understanding of scriptural teaching.
Church problems existed even in the first-century Church, so it is not surprising that today’s Church, which is still not perfect, would have its problems. People become dissatisfied with the way church leadership spends money, with a youth program which doesn’t meet the needs of their children, with the style of worship or preaching, with teaching that seems unscriptural, and so on. Sometimes a problem exists between members who disagree on everything that happens in the church. Paul had to reprimand two ladies in the church at Philippi. "I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord" (Phil. 4:2). These were not just marginal troublemakers who had cantankerous spirits. They had both worked at Paul’s side in the cause of the gospel.
Trouble and disagreement seem inevitable in any human situation, even in a church populated by humans in the process of becoming Christlike. Satan, who seeks to discredit God’s work wherever he can, delights in raising occasions for friction and disagreement right in the church body. This is reality even though the Bible urges all believers to work together in unity (Eph. 4:3,13), to be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32), and to show equal respect to all who come into the congregation (James 2:1-9).
When church problems arise and seemingly come to the point of having no solution, what should a Christian do? The first step is severe self-evaluation. If the dissatisfied person is in any way responsible for the problem, and leaves the church, the problem will go along, only to break out in another form in the new situation. A time at the altar, sincerely seeking the Lord’s direction on what can be changed in one’s own life is essential, even if the problem seems to have been initiated by another party.
After one has passed the "inner-spirit check," with no solution becoming evident–remembering all the time that God desires unity among His children–one must then look toward ways in which the Holy Spirit can use him or her to deal with and resolve the problem. With a gentle spirit, nurtured through extended prayer, and possibly fasting, one might then speak with the one or ones who are part of the problem. This step fulfills the instruction of Scripture: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ’every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church" (Matt. 18:15-17). Hopefully, by this time, with each party seeking the unity of the Spirit, there will be some resolution.
But human nature being what it is, and with Satan busily at work trying to keep unity from becoming a reality, one may actually have to separate from the congregation and seek to identify with a group devoted to God and His Word. Unfortunately, some Christians have left unpleasant situations which should have been dealt with according to Matthew 18, only to see later that the remaining members of the congregation followed after false leadership that led the congregation into spiritual ruin. There may even be times when mature denominational leadership should be called in to deal with unhealthy situations. An objective outside voice, sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, can often cut through pettiness that causes major church problems.
But what if, after carefully following all the above steps, the option of withdrawal seems to be the only alternative? Before leaving a church, one should always talk privately with the pastor, or communicate by a carefully worded letter. A kind contact with others who are a part of the problem or a part of the solution might also be appropriate. The purpose of these contacts is not to speak the last word in a disagreement, but to make sure that good will and understanding are key elements in the separation. All information and reasons should be accurate, and one’s attitude must be right at the time of leaving. The departure should be without bitterness or resentment. To carry ill will in the separation means a continuing battle in one’s own spirit will also go along. One should meticulously avoid trying to influence others to leave the church. Nor should one speak ill of the former church when becoming part of the next church.
CONCERNS:
Just to speak about the possibility of needing to leave a church is dangerous. There are too many who change churches, or drop out entirely, because of minor disagreements or dissatisfaction. Such people are sometimes derogatorily referred to as church tramps. The unity of the Body, however, should always be the primary concern of all persons involved if and when a move seems to be necessary.
The above statement is based upon our common understanding of scriptural teaching.
AG Position Paper: Christian Involvement in Law Suits
This document reflects commonly held beliefs based on scripture which have been endorsed by the church's Commission on Doctrinal Purity and the Executive Presbytery.
Should Christians be involved in lawsuits? Are there biblical principles that apply to Christians in these matters? Is it permissible for Christians to sue others who harm them?
Paul’s main concern in advising believers not to bring lawsuits against other believers (1 Cor. 6:1-8) is the discredit such action brings on the reputation of the church and the cause of Christ. With this understanding in mind, it is appropriate to ask when legal action is appropriate and when it is not. Since the Bible is our authoritative rule for conduct we must study Scripture to see if it permits or prohibits such action.
The Old Testament clearly indicates there should be compensation or satisfaction for injuries or losses. The Mosaic Law of retaliation (eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life—Ex. 21:23,24), while seeming cruel or barbaric by today’s western-world standards of justice, actually worked to limit vengeance and eliminate inter-family feuds. No one could exact as penalty more than one life for a life or more than one eye for an eye. In less serious cases, money could be paid by the guilty party to compensate the loss suffered by the injured party (cf. Ex. 22:12 to 23:9). Prior to the monarchy under Saul and his successors, judgment was often administered by the elders of a town (Ruth 4:1-12). Under the monarchy, punishment for civil and criminal wrongs was left to the king and his administration (1 Kings 3:16-28).
Jesus held His disciples to a higher standard of behavior than required under Old Testament law. Instead of retaliation toward a wronging party, He directed the injured or offended person to turn the other cheek, to give up one’s cloak, and to go the second mile. Enemies were to be loved, prayed for, and forgiven (Matt. 5:38-48, 6:14,15). Such behavior overcame evil with good and had the intended effect of shaming the wrongdoer into reforming his ways (Rom. 12:17-21). This "new righteousness" forced the injured party to be more concerned with his own inner attitude and the eternal destiny of his "enemy" than with a wrong to be corrected, an injury punished, or a loss compensated. This does not mean that an offended person was left without any practical recourse for righting a wrong, but the first act was to be an attempt to achieve personal reconciliation. If reconciliation was not successful, a third-party believer might be asked to arbitrate. If that failed, the matter was to be presented before the entire church. When an offender refused to obey the judgment of the church, he was to be treated as a pagan (Matt. 18:15-20).
In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 the apostle Paul addressed the problem of a believer who brought a lawsuit against another believer in the secular courts. Since most of the believers in Corinth were poor (1 Cor. 1:26-31), and the lawsuit dealt with one financially cheating another, it is likely that the suit involved two of the more prominently wealthy persons in the Corinthian church. It appears that the plaintiff had filed the suit rather than following the admonition of Jesus (Matt. 5:38-48) or involving the church according to Matthew 18:15-20). Unfortunately, the Corinthian church had done nothing while the Christian community was scandalized by the airing before a secular court of a struggle between two believers. Here was a church recognized for its "wisdom" (2 Cor. 11:19), but which had not had "anyone wise enough to judge a dispute" (1 Cor. 6:5). Paul chastised the plaintiff by telling him it would have been better to have suffered wrong rather than to disgrace the church (1 Cor. 6:1-7); he chastised the defendant for having cheated and done wrong (1 Cor. 6:8); and he chastised the church for not taking care of the matter (1 Cor. 6:2-6).
Paul never addresses the question of whether a lawsuit would be appropriate if the church had declared the offending party to be "a pagan and a tax collector" (Matt. 18:17). Perhaps such a lawsuit would be permitted under the teaching of Romans 13:1-5 that the secular government exists to uphold justice, prevent lawlessness, and punish the wrongdoer.
So when a believer is wronged by another believer, the offended believer must seriously consider whether or not he or she should simply drop the matter, leaving the judgment to God alone. If the believer, following prayer and careful consideration, determines the matter should be pursued, then a face-to-face meeting with the offending party should be the first step. Failing that, one should seek out a believer mediator. If that does not provide resolution, the dispute should be brought to the church (the pastor, the recognized board of elders or deacons, and if need be the membership).
Sometimes the legal conflict does not pit believer against believer, but believer versus unbeliever. What is the Christian response then? Paul himself exercised the right of defending himself under Roman law (Acts 16:37-40; 18:12-17; 22:15-29: 25:10-22). Clearly, Paul did not interpret "turning the other cheek" to include forfeiture of all legal rights pertaining to citizenship. No doubt he exercised those rights consistent with his Spirit-given understanding that the function of government is to uphold justice and punish wrongdoers (Romans 13). Punishing wrongdoers also means protecting the innocent. Thus the question for a believer is never "How do I get personal vengeance?" Instead, the proper question is "Which action on my part (filing or not filing a lawsuit) will best promote justice in society, punish the one who does wrong, protect the innocent, and bring the least possible negative reflection on the cause of Christ?
If all avenues of settling a matter between believers have been exhausted, and the offending party refuses to correct the wrong, then the injured believer must balance Matthew 5:38-48 and 6:14,15 with Romans 13:1-5. The following questions, to check personal motivation, should be asked.
Is my desire for a redress of injury motivated simply by personal gain, or am I involving the secular power of the court in order to uphold justice and prevent lawlessness?
If I bring action before a secular court, will that, in the context of American rather than Corinthian society, bring harm to the Church and the cause of Christ?
Am I totally honest with my claim (or defense), or am I seeking through self-deception to gain (or avoid) a compensation that is more (or less) than the injury suffered?
Since the Holy Spirit will never counsel a believer contrary to the Word He has inspired, after a thorough season of prayer, what course of action "seems good to the Holy Spirit"?
As an additional safeguard, what is the counsel of other believers who are in a position of leadership or eldership in the body of Christ?
CONCERNS:
In American society, another matter needs to be considered: liability and other forms of insurance. Public policy has established insurance as a means of compensating an individual for a wide variety of injuries suffered. In many cases, while a litigant may be the legal defendant in a suit, the actual payer for the injuries may be an insurance company. Suppose, for example, that a Christian is severely injured by the bad driving of another believer. A suit between the two really does not stem from personal malice, but is an effort on the part of the injured person to reclaim financial losses stemming from the accident, which will be compensated by the insured’s automobile liability policy. In such a case, the believers have not brought the church into censure before a worldly court (as was the situation in Corinth), but have simply availed themselves of a legal system which seeks, as a matter of public policy, to help victims to be made "whole" from their injuries.
In many American communities, attorneys who are believers have formed Christian conciliation or mediation groups that a wronged person may also seek out. The legal advantage to seeking mediation from such an organized group is that, upon proper stipulation by the parties, the judgment of the Christian conciliation group may be recognized by the secular course as a substitute for the court’s involvement.
The above statement is based upon our common understanding of scriptural teaching.
All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise specified.
Should Christians be involved in lawsuits? Are there biblical principles that apply to Christians in these matters? Is it permissible for Christians to sue others who harm them?
Paul’s main concern in advising believers not to bring lawsuits against other believers (1 Cor. 6:1-8) is the discredit such action brings on the reputation of the church and the cause of Christ. With this understanding in mind, it is appropriate to ask when legal action is appropriate and when it is not. Since the Bible is our authoritative rule for conduct we must study Scripture to see if it permits or prohibits such action.
The Old Testament clearly indicates there should be compensation or satisfaction for injuries or losses. The Mosaic Law of retaliation (eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life—Ex. 21:23,24), while seeming cruel or barbaric by today’s western-world standards of justice, actually worked to limit vengeance and eliminate inter-family feuds. No one could exact as penalty more than one life for a life or more than one eye for an eye. In less serious cases, money could be paid by the guilty party to compensate the loss suffered by the injured party (cf. Ex. 22:12 to 23:9). Prior to the monarchy under Saul and his successors, judgment was often administered by the elders of a town (Ruth 4:1-12). Under the monarchy, punishment for civil and criminal wrongs was left to the king and his administration (1 Kings 3:16-28).
Jesus held His disciples to a higher standard of behavior than required under Old Testament law. Instead of retaliation toward a wronging party, He directed the injured or offended person to turn the other cheek, to give up one’s cloak, and to go the second mile. Enemies were to be loved, prayed for, and forgiven (Matt. 5:38-48, 6:14,15). Such behavior overcame evil with good and had the intended effect of shaming the wrongdoer into reforming his ways (Rom. 12:17-21). This "new righteousness" forced the injured party to be more concerned with his own inner attitude and the eternal destiny of his "enemy" than with a wrong to be corrected, an injury punished, or a loss compensated. This does not mean that an offended person was left without any practical recourse for righting a wrong, but the first act was to be an attempt to achieve personal reconciliation. If reconciliation was not successful, a third-party believer might be asked to arbitrate. If that failed, the matter was to be presented before the entire church. When an offender refused to obey the judgment of the church, he was to be treated as a pagan (Matt. 18:15-20).
In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 the apostle Paul addressed the problem of a believer who brought a lawsuit against another believer in the secular courts. Since most of the believers in Corinth were poor (1 Cor. 1:26-31), and the lawsuit dealt with one financially cheating another, it is likely that the suit involved two of the more prominently wealthy persons in the Corinthian church. It appears that the plaintiff had filed the suit rather than following the admonition of Jesus (Matt. 5:38-48) or involving the church according to Matthew 18:15-20). Unfortunately, the Corinthian church had done nothing while the Christian community was scandalized by the airing before a secular court of a struggle between two believers. Here was a church recognized for its "wisdom" (2 Cor. 11:19), but which had not had "anyone wise enough to judge a dispute" (1 Cor. 6:5). Paul chastised the plaintiff by telling him it would have been better to have suffered wrong rather than to disgrace the church (1 Cor. 6:1-7); he chastised the defendant for having cheated and done wrong (1 Cor. 6:8); and he chastised the church for not taking care of the matter (1 Cor. 6:2-6).
Paul never addresses the question of whether a lawsuit would be appropriate if the church had declared the offending party to be "a pagan and a tax collector" (Matt. 18:17). Perhaps such a lawsuit would be permitted under the teaching of Romans 13:1-5 that the secular government exists to uphold justice, prevent lawlessness, and punish the wrongdoer.
So when a believer is wronged by another believer, the offended believer must seriously consider whether or not he or she should simply drop the matter, leaving the judgment to God alone. If the believer, following prayer and careful consideration, determines the matter should be pursued, then a face-to-face meeting with the offending party should be the first step. Failing that, one should seek out a believer mediator. If that does not provide resolution, the dispute should be brought to the church (the pastor, the recognized board of elders or deacons, and if need be the membership).
Sometimes the legal conflict does not pit believer against believer, but believer versus unbeliever. What is the Christian response then? Paul himself exercised the right of defending himself under Roman law (Acts 16:37-40; 18:12-17; 22:15-29: 25:10-22). Clearly, Paul did not interpret "turning the other cheek" to include forfeiture of all legal rights pertaining to citizenship. No doubt he exercised those rights consistent with his Spirit-given understanding that the function of government is to uphold justice and punish wrongdoers (Romans 13). Punishing wrongdoers also means protecting the innocent. Thus the question for a believer is never "How do I get personal vengeance?" Instead, the proper question is "Which action on my part (filing or not filing a lawsuit) will best promote justice in society, punish the one who does wrong, protect the innocent, and bring the least possible negative reflection on the cause of Christ?
If all avenues of settling a matter between believers have been exhausted, and the offending party refuses to correct the wrong, then the injured believer must balance Matthew 5:38-48 and 6:14,15 with Romans 13:1-5. The following questions, to check personal motivation, should be asked.
Is my desire for a redress of injury motivated simply by personal gain, or am I involving the secular power of the court in order to uphold justice and prevent lawlessness?
If I bring action before a secular court, will that, in the context of American rather than Corinthian society, bring harm to the Church and the cause of Christ?
Am I totally honest with my claim (or defense), or am I seeking through self-deception to gain (or avoid) a compensation that is more (or less) than the injury suffered?
Since the Holy Spirit will never counsel a believer contrary to the Word He has inspired, after a thorough season of prayer, what course of action "seems good to the Holy Spirit"?
As an additional safeguard, what is the counsel of other believers who are in a position of leadership or eldership in the body of Christ?
CONCERNS:
In American society, another matter needs to be considered: liability and other forms of insurance. Public policy has established insurance as a means of compensating an individual for a wide variety of injuries suffered. In many cases, while a litigant may be the legal defendant in a suit, the actual payer for the injuries may be an insurance company. Suppose, for example, that a Christian is severely injured by the bad driving of another believer. A suit between the two really does not stem from personal malice, but is an effort on the part of the injured person to reclaim financial losses stemming from the accident, which will be compensated by the insured’s automobile liability policy. In such a case, the believers have not brought the church into censure before a worldly court (as was the situation in Corinth), but have simply availed themselves of a legal system which seeks, as a matter of public policy, to help victims to be made "whole" from their injuries.
In many American communities, attorneys who are believers have formed Christian conciliation or mediation groups that a wronged person may also seek out. The legal advantage to seeking mediation from such an organized group is that, upon proper stipulation by the parties, the judgment of the Christian conciliation group may be recognized by the secular course as a substitute for the court’s involvement.
The above statement is based upon our common understanding of scriptural teaching.
All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise specified.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A Call for Prayer Revival Meeting
Many times we have heard our leaders say that building CCC is not just constructing a building but we are building people.
When are we going to understand that building CCC has made us a huge target for the enemy, the attacks from the enemy has resulted in confusions, disunity and all the troubles we are now facing?
Now how do we move on?
I believe there’s only one way -> Have a weekly Prayer Revival Meeting – every Friday(or Saturday) – change the whole format of a standard prayer meeting – no more praying in group of 2 or 3, no more praying for the items shown on the screen, no more praying for the world or some church located thousands of mile from KL.
The whole format should be -> The congregation on their knees, begging God for deliverance and fulfillment of God’s desire for Calvary Church – this should take precedence that any other prayer meeting format now. Do this now – today is the Day that the Lord has made – not tomorrow or once in 3 month prayer emphasis or whatever.
Make it compulsory for the people to fast for 1 meal while praying – we should bang the doors of heaven until God answers us. There should not be any time or schedule for the prayer meeting, if led by Holy Spirit – we should continue praying as long as the Lord wants, until 12am or even longer. The church leaders should be fully committed to this by example – they should be the last person to leave. The prayer of the righteous avails much.
Let’s tears flow freely, let groaning, let screaming and let shouting and let singing and let pseaking in tongues and let worship and let jumping and let rolling and let dancing and let whatever else – as led by the Holy Spirit – freely flow…
Honestly – this Prayer Revival Meeting should be held on Saturdays not Friday, so why I suggested Friday you might ask…. Well I am as demoralized as many of you and in need of encouragement – Friday fits better on my schedule – and if the Prayer Revival Meetings are held on Saturdays then I need to make a lot of changes to my schedule and my preference of spending time with friends and family on Saturdays. But isn’t Revival the total opposite of that – that we sacrifice everything to God! Our time, our money our energy – shouldn’t we sacrifice a part of it to God?
Time spending with Friends – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced…
Time with Family – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time sitting in front of the TV – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time resting – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time for Golf – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Some church leader might say – coming together for prayer on Saturday night would be very tiring for the leaders, since they would be serving on the next day and some pastors preaching 2-3 times. Like I said – sacrifice – we need to see a great awakening in our church. Great awakening… and nothing less.
Do we… want to see CCC’s completion… then get on bended knees
Do we… want to see CC and the fountain head church… then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see the glory and the name of Jesus lifted high… then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see all the troubles gone and peace restored…then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see enthusiasm restored… then get down on bended knees
The congregations need to see our Senior Pastor, Associate Pastors, Deacons and all leaders praying on their knees with tears rolling down freely – yes it is indeed an humbling experience – this is the only way for Revival. Yes we are aware that you do this in your closets but no more please – come out into the public and show us by example.
Are we worried about what the neighbors will think? Come on – there are people dragging us to the Web and Newspapers, some complains from the neighbor will not create a huge impact. If need be we should turn off the sound systems since if it actually we as a church praying for deliverance and conclusion.
I want CC to move on, not get more entangled by more legal proceedings or dissatisfied members. The church needs to move on to make reality the desire of God Almighty for the CC.
Let’s march until the walls of Jericho crumbles down.
Finally – I would like to dedicate this song to CC:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
When are we going to understand that building CCC has made us a huge target for the enemy, the attacks from the enemy has resulted in confusions, disunity and all the troubles we are now facing?
Now how do we move on?
I believe there’s only one way -> Have a weekly Prayer Revival Meeting – every Friday(or Saturday) – change the whole format of a standard prayer meeting – no more praying in group of 2 or 3, no more praying for the items shown on the screen, no more praying for the world or some church located thousands of mile from KL.
The whole format should be -> The congregation on their knees, begging God for deliverance and fulfillment of God’s desire for Calvary Church – this should take precedence that any other prayer meeting format now. Do this now – today is the Day that the Lord has made – not tomorrow or once in 3 month prayer emphasis or whatever.
Make it compulsory for the people to fast for 1 meal while praying – we should bang the doors of heaven until God answers us. There should not be any time or schedule for the prayer meeting, if led by Holy Spirit – we should continue praying as long as the Lord wants, until 12am or even longer. The church leaders should be fully committed to this by example – they should be the last person to leave. The prayer of the righteous avails much.
Let’s tears flow freely, let groaning, let screaming and let shouting and let singing and let pseaking in tongues and let worship and let jumping and let rolling and let dancing and let whatever else – as led by the Holy Spirit – freely flow…
Honestly – this Prayer Revival Meeting should be held on Saturdays not Friday, so why I suggested Friday you might ask…. Well I am as demoralized as many of you and in need of encouragement – Friday fits better on my schedule – and if the Prayer Revival Meetings are held on Saturdays then I need to make a lot of changes to my schedule and my preference of spending time with friends and family on Saturdays. But isn’t Revival the total opposite of that – that we sacrifice everything to God! Our time, our money our energy – shouldn’t we sacrifice a part of it to God?
Time spending with Friends – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced…
Time with Family – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time sitting in front of the TV – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time resting – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Time for Golf – NO – I need to seek God and be part of the greatest awakening that CC has ever experienced …
Some church leader might say – coming together for prayer on Saturday night would be very tiring for the leaders, since they would be serving on the next day and some pastors preaching 2-3 times. Like I said – sacrifice – we need to see a great awakening in our church. Great awakening… and nothing less.
Do we… want to see CCC’s completion… then get on bended knees
Do we… want to see CC and the fountain head church… then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see the glory and the name of Jesus lifted high… then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see all the troubles gone and peace restored…then get down on bended knees
Do we… want to see enthusiasm restored… then get down on bended knees
The congregations need to see our Senior Pastor, Associate Pastors, Deacons and all leaders praying on their knees with tears rolling down freely – yes it is indeed an humbling experience – this is the only way for Revival. Yes we are aware that you do this in your closets but no more please – come out into the public and show us by example.
Are we worried about what the neighbors will think? Come on – there are people dragging us to the Web and Newspapers, some complains from the neighbor will not create a huge impact. If need be we should turn off the sound systems since if it actually we as a church praying for deliverance and conclusion.
I want CC to move on, not get more entangled by more legal proceedings or dissatisfied members. The church needs to move on to make reality the desire of God Almighty for the CC.
Let’s march until the walls of Jericho crumbles down.
Finally – I would like to dedicate this song to CC:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Monday, May 3, 2010
May a Christian sue another Christian? Does the Bible permit Christians to file a lawsuit at all?
This article has been reproduced from -> http://www.christian-attorney.net/christians_lawsuits.html. Please note this article is not in reference to any proceedings or legal undertakings of any specific orgnaization profitable or non-profitable.
May a Christian sue (file a lawsuit against) another Christian?
Does the Bible permit Christians to sue at all?
My prayer is that God will guide you and grant you a proper and practical knowledge, understanding, and wise application of the principles contained in First Corinthians Chapter 6 and related scriptures.
A. Summary:
1. Christian Versus Christian Civil Dispute: According to 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, a Christian is not to civilly file a lawsuit against another Christian in a secular court of law. Rather, the disputed matter should be arbitrated or judged by a wise Christian or Christians. However, in our modern societal system, there are exceptional situations that may not fall squarely within this principle. Such special circumstances will be discussed later in this article. Lastly, if a fellow Christian will not submit to a Christian-based resolution system, then a number of commentators believe that, pursuant to Matthew 18:17, as a last resort, a lawsuit in the secular law courts may be permitted.
Sometimes, the issue is not black and white. In those “gray area” cases, ask God and yourself these questions:
“Is a lawsuit in secular court my only reasonable option, or is there another way to remedy my situation?”
"Do I have an improper motive in filing a lawsuit such as revenge, anger, hurt feelings, stubbornness, impatience, or greed?"
“Is the church equipped to resolve this legal dispute with my brother?”
“Are there Christian lawyers, retired Christian judges, or other professionally trained Christian mediators available to negotiate and/or adjudicate this legal dispute with my fellow Christian?”
2. Christian Versus Non-Christian Dispute: Secular Courts are ordained by God (Romans 13:1-7). Therefore, there is no prohibition against a Christian suing a non-Christian in a secular court.
B. Christian versus Christian Disputes
1. Historical Backdrop: Corinthian Christians in Paul’s time sued their fellow Christians in secular court. But, back in those days, not even the Jews used the secular courts. Rather, in those times, the Jews utilized Jewish arbitrators. Further, in Greek culture, watching civil disputes in the public courts was very popular entertainment. Therefore, legal disputes were very public events.
2. Paul's Response: “How Dare you!” (1 Corinthians 6:1-10 ): “How dare you sue a Christian brother in secular court!” (1 Corinthians 6:1-paraphrased). How dare you utilize “unrighteous” Corinthian judges to resolve inter-Christian disputes! (1 Corinthians 6:1). But Paul's point appears to be that the "Corinthian" judges, as a whole, or in general, were either unbelieving or corrupt or both. (Further, many of the judges/arbitrators were 60 year-old or older lay persons performing required civic duty, as I understand it).
“Law” (Verse 1): “[P]apyri discoveries in the last century reveal that Paul's word was used regularly in a legal context to mean a lawsuit.”
Christians will (with Christ) judge the world and angels. Therefore, believers can competently judge lesser (earthly) matters between two believers (1 Corinthians 6:2-4).
For Christians, spiritual and legal issues commingle and intertwine. Secular, government judges are either unqualified or not permitted to resolve the spiritual issues that may be involved in the dispute (1 Corinthians 2:14-16, 6:4). But wise Christians can discern and judge both the legal and spiritual issues (1 Corinthians 6:5).
Judging an openly “Christian versus Christian” legal dispute in secular court creates a bad witness (This conclusion is indirectly inferred in 1 Corinthians 6:6-7). Pagans will see Christians behaving just like they do and NOT demonstrating God’s love, which hurts the cause of Christ (John 13:5). It would be better to be defrauded by a Christian (and suffer financial loss) than to take them to secular Court because the cause of Christ is more important than money or possessions (See 1 Corinthians 6:7-8). This last point will be elaborated on later in this article.
3. Specific Situations: Many of the situations below may be considered “gray area” matters. Therefore, before deciding a course of action, you need to ask God for wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5). You are also admonished to seek counsel from wise Christians (Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, and 15:22). Lastly, before making a final decision, you ought to have God’s peace in your heart about which decision to make (Colossians 3:15).
a. Criminal Matters: The context of 1 Corinthians 6 is civil legal disputes, not criminal prosecution. With few exceptions, the Government prosecutes crimes. Therefore, a Christian may look to a secular court to prosecute anyone (including Christians) who committed a crime against them (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 1:13-14).
b. Christians Acting on Behalf of Others: When Christians undertake certain legally defined positions, they may, in certain circumstances, have a legal duty to pursue secular legal action (which could potentially involve other believers). Examples: Christian legal guardians; Christian executor of a will; Christian trustees; and Christian parents. These representative examples involve fiduciaries acting on behalf of the beneficiary, child or person of whom they are in charge.
c. Christians Covered by Insurance: In many cases, the person who caused your harm or damage is covered by insurance. Example: Automobile accident cases. What if that insured person is a Christian? In some states, you can sue the Christian’s secular insurance company directly. Therefore you don’t have to directly sue the Christian who harmed you. In other states, you must sue the individual even though the insurance company (surety) is paying for the damages and controlling the case. Obviously, a secular insurance company will rarely, if ever, agree to a Christian dispute resolution process.
For example, if you were seriously injured, out of work, and unable to provide for your family, what do you do if the negligent driver who caused your damages is a Christian? Remember, you have an obligation to provide for your family (1 Timothy 5:8). Therefore, in that situation, seeking fair compensation via an out-of-court settlement through a believer’s insurance company would appear reasonable. Moreover, if the insurance company is unreasonable or disputes liability, you may have to file a lawsuit (or go to trial) in order to obtain compensation for your losses. The Christian versus Christian issue is, I believe, incidental in this matter in nearly all of these types of cases.
What if your injuries were temporary and your own health insurance paid for your bills, but the automobile insurance company won’t pay you as much “pain and suffering” damages as you think is fair? There are sections later in this article that may help you make a wise decision.
In general, I believe that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company if the claim is pursued without malice or slander or greed. The following advice may be helpful to you: “Do not initiate anything without first saturating the matter with prayer.” God loves you and wants to guide you in the best path.
d. Christian Filing Bankruptcy: A Christian family of four earns $2,000 per month and has $50,000 in credit card debt, and owes $1,000.00 to their Christian auto mechanic. The Christian files bankruptcy and lists their automobile mechanic as a debtor as required by law. Does this violate principals outlined 1 Corinthians 6? I don’t believe so in most cases. This is a situation where the Christian mechanic is (in nearly all cases) incidental to the matter (other than being owed money). See also "Is Bankruptcy Scriptural? What does the Bible Say?" And "May a Christian File for Bankruptcy Relief?"
e. Christian Evicting a Christian From a Residence or Business Property: A Christian versus Christian landlord-tenant dispute, it seems, can be resolved via Christian mediation or arbitration in most cases. However, in some cases, going to the magistrate may be proper if the Christian tenant refuses to vacate, refuses to pay rent, and refuses to immediately seek a Christian mediator and/or arbitrator to quickly resolve the dispute.
f. Christian Versus Christian Divorce: This article does not address what Biblical grounds for divorce are. Here are, however, some scripture references pertaining to divorce: Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:2-12; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16.
A divorce proceeding is a civil matter. However, to obtain a “legal” divorce, some level of government court involvement will be required. The government regulates and grants divorces. Accordingly, divorce falls within Romans 13:1-7, and secular courts may be utilized.
Nevertheless, spiritual and legal issues combine and intertwine in divorce cases. Therefore, as between two Christians, a wise, neutral Christian, ought to be utilized, if possible, to assist in the resolution of the matter.
A number of Christian attorneys in or near your geographical area may offer divorce mediation as a cost-effective option. Alternatively, your church may have a dispute resolution process.
If more than one church is involved, you can have one pastor from each church be involved, and the two pastors can choose a neutral third person to produce a three person panel. Alternatively, you can hire a professional Christian mediator or arbitrator who can negotiate or adjudicate the matter alone or include members of your church or churches in the process. However, there are too many factual variables in a divorce to make one rule to fit all situations. In certain situations, it may be necessary or prudent to pursue the matter through traditional secular court.
g. A Christian refuses to have another Christian evaluate and decide the issue of dispute. What is a Christian refuses to follow 1 Corinthians 6? There are two primary points of view on this subject.
One view believes that if a Christian does not agree to resolve a matter within the Church, then the other Christian is free to sue him or her in civil court in order to seek to achieve justice. The other view is that the Christian should, out of mercy, just accept the wrong done to him or her rather than interjecting a Christian versus Christian dispute into the public area and thereby harming the cause of Christ.
In this matter, pray for wisdom and seek confidential counsel from wise Christians.
h. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: "What if a person is not truly a Christian?" This is another difficult issue. Some believe that one can sue in secular court if one is convinced the person is not really a Christian even though they profess or claim to be a "Christian. " Others declare that it is dangerous to judge a person as not being a Christian, and that one should play it safe and not sue the alleged wrongdoer.
This may be a factual issue needing to be resolved on a case-by-case basis. However, one should first seek to persuade the wrongdoer to agree to submit to either Christian mediation and/or Christian arbitration per 1 Cor. 6:1-8. If he or she is a member of your particular church, your church may have a dispute resolution system that can be utilized. Pray for wisdom and seek godly advice..
i. "What if I am sued by another Christian in a secular court?" If you are sued by another Christian, you could possibly contact them (or, if they are represented by an attorney, then contact their attorney), and request that, pursuant to 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, this lawsuit be put on hold, or referred by the court to a Christian mediator and/or Christian arbitrator agreed upon by the parties. In any event, in my opinion, you may defend yourself in a secular court in this situation.
If your adversary has a valid case against you, agree to a settlement quickly to avoid further costs, damages and/or attorney’s fees (Matthew 5:25). A speedy settlement will also diminish harm to the cause of Christ by taking the matter out of the public eye.
4. The above examples are illustrative and are not exhaustive. There may be other gray areas as well (e.g. foreclosure, quiet title, and others) while other disputes may fall squarely within 1 Corinthians 6 parameters. Nevertheless, in many or, if not most of these cases, the church or a private Christian mediator or arbitrator (or combination of both) should be able to negotiate and/or judge the matter.
5. Biblical Resolution Method: Matthew 18:15-17 states that a Christian, who is wronged by another Christian, should follow the following four step approach:
Step 1: Address the issue privately, alone with the other believer who you believe wronged you. It that does not resolve the dispute, then proceed to the second step:
Step 2: Repeat Step 1, except, this time, bringing one or two Christian persons to with you seek to help convince the other person of his erroneous ways. If this second step does not solve the problem, then proceed to the third step.
Step 3: Bring the matter before the church. This is where a Christian dispute resolution process comes into play or use of private Christian mediation and/or arbitration. As to this third step (bringing the matter before the church), you normally want to agree with the other party, in a signed writing, that any final decision by the Christian decision-maker(s) is legally binding on the parties. To create a legally enforceable binding agreement, you ought to seek legal counsel to help assure that a valid binding agreement is created. If, after a final decision about the matter is made, the wrongdoer refuses to repent and admit his or her wrongdoing or responsibility, then proceed to the fourth step.
Step 4: Expel the wrongdoer from the fellowship of the church (which modernly, perhaps, means the local fellowship or denomination, as the case may be). (See 1 Corinthians 5:5).
Matthew 18:17 states that "...if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” A number of commentators take the position that this verse implies or infers that, because all avenues have been exhausted, a believer can now, as a last resort, treat the person like an unbeliever and file a lawsuit against the alleged wrongdoing person in a secular court or law.
If you have a dispute that involves substantial money or property, you should, I believe, in most cases, seek advice from a knowledgeable attorney before implementing these steps above. Seeking legal counsel will build your knowledge base and, in most cases, help you make decisions with greater clarity. Also consider seeking counsel from a Pastor who can further add clarity to the matter.
C. Christian versus Non-Christian Disputes
1. The courts are instituted by God. The government court system is established by God to maintain law, order, and peace in the land (Romans 13:1-7). Christians may, in certain instances, use the secular court system. Even Apostle Paul cited Roman law and utilized secular courts protect his legal rights (Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-29, and 25:10-12).
2. Christians may use secular courts to resolve their legal disputes with unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 6 only applies to Christian versus Christian disputes, but does not apply Christian versus non-Christian disputes.
D. Final Words
God's glory is great gain. Christians still defraud other Christians today. Let assume, for sake of discussion, that a person can’t obtain dispute resolution within the church or by private Christian arbitration. And, after prayer and careful consideration, this person decides to suffer the material or financial loss rather than cause shame to the cause of Christ by suing publicly in a secular, worldly court. Remember this: “Anyone who accepts wrong for the sake of God's glory will not come out the loser.” Recall that Jesus suffered wrongly for us, to the glory of God (1 Peter 3:18, Philippians 2:5-11). “It is far better to lose financially than to lose spiritually.” It is “[b]etter to suffer wrong than to do wrong.” 1 Peter 2:18-25. On the other hand, pursuant to Matthew 18:17, some commentators believe that a Christian may, as a last resort, file a lawsuit in a secular court or law against another Christian who refuses to submit to a Christian-based resolution process.
Wise Christians are available to arbitrate disputes. Today, a believer is, in most cases, without excuse, in failing to find a wise Christian to settle or judge a legal dispute! Today, many Christian conciliation groups exist. Many Christian lawyers and retired judges are willing to provide their services. Many churches have a Christian dispute resolution infrastructure.
"What about justice?" But what if the cheater was not really a Christian, and he or she got away with wronging?
That person will ultimately receive justice. In First Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul turns to the wrongdoer who thinks he got away with his actions. Paul rebukes this person harshly. Some of these Corinthians were preying (not praying) crooks. Paul has a word for them: Practicing "thieves don’t go to heaven!” Those who have not a saving faith in Jesus, and, who, therefore, repent not and have a thieving, dishonest and/or immoral lifestyle will never enter the Kingdom of heaven!
"What about turning the other check?" Matthew 5:39 (“whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also”). Jesus' command to turn the other cheek is radical, but it is not absolute. Turn the other cheek means to allow yourself to be insulted without retaliation. Don’t retaliate or take revenge when you are insulted. However, the government may restrain evil by prosecuting a person who commits a physical assault on another person (Romans 13:4). Further, self-preservation, self-defense from physical harm is, obviously, acceptable.
"What about legal nonresistance?" Matthew 5:40: “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat [undergarment], let him have thy cloke [outer garment] also.”
If we take these words too literally, Christians would have to institute nudist colonies and other intolerable results. Matthew 5:38-42 is a paragraph and must be taken in context and compared with other scriptures to assure proper, balanced interpretation. A famous and highly respected Bible commentator offers this practical advice:
“If the matter be small, which we may lose without an considerable damage to our families, it is good to submit to it [legal nonresistance] for peace’ sake.” Matthew Henry
Verse 40 must be taken in context with the entire paragraph (Matthew 5:38-42) which corrects how the Pharisees incorrectly taught that "an eye for an eye" allowed personal revenge, when, in the Old Testament, and “eye for an eye” spoke of equitable justice meted out by a governmental body.
The Apostle Paul stood up for his legal rights. But he did not seek revenge or retaliation. Paul and Silas were wrongfully beaten, imprisoned, and chained. Paul defended himself using Roman law (Acts 16:37).
Right Actions With Wrong Motivations: Your motive for taking legal action is crucial. Your motive is wrongful and will cause harm to all if legal action involves greed, revenge, anger, or other ungodly motives.
Christians and Christian Arbitrators may use non-Christian experts. Christians are aptly qualified to evaluate and resolve issues and disputes involving Christian disputants. However, there are times when specialized legal, technical, medical, or scientific knowledge necessary to help resolve the dispute may not be available from a Christian professional or expert. In those cases, it may be necessary to bring in a non-Christian with advanced or specialized medical, legal, scientific or technical knowledge to help the Christian decision-makers make a fair and just decision.
E. Conclusion
Know this, that lawsuits can take on a life of their own. Parties often dig in, fix their legal positions, and cases can become very contentious, stressful, and expensive to pursue. “Believers have the necessary resources to skillfully arbitrate the various issues and problems that pertain to life.” Going to court, while necessary in some instances, should, in general, be a rarity, and a last resort.
“We should seek godly, wise, Spirit-filled and directed counsel within the church to resolve our differences.”
"Church" includes any born-again believer, even the "least esteemed" believers (1 Cor. 6:4).
Notes:
Some groups (a minority in number) believe that a literal reading of this passage in the original Greek language does not refer to secular court lawsuits at all but refers instead to the improper use of unfit persons within the Corinthian church to render judgments.
An even smaller group of people believe that civil lawsuits are not “smallest matters,” and, therefore, 1 Corinthians 6 does not apply to lawsuits
A very small set of people believe that “brothers” refers to family relatives, not Christian brothers.
Copyright 2006, 2009. All rights reserved.
About the author: Matthew B. Tozer is a Christian attorney located in southern California.
1 Corinthians 6:1-11
King James Bible:
1Cr 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather [suffer yourselves to] be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren. 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
New King James Bible:
“1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor *homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Romans 13:1-7
King James Bible:
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore [ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour
New King James Bible:
13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Matthew 18:15-17
King James Bible:
Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
New King James Bible:
15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'* 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Matthew 5:38:42
King James Bible:
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
New King James Bible:
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'* 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
May a Christian sue (file a lawsuit against) another Christian?
Does the Bible permit Christians to sue at all?
My prayer is that God will guide you and grant you a proper and practical knowledge, understanding, and wise application of the principles contained in First Corinthians Chapter 6 and related scriptures.
A. Summary:
1. Christian Versus Christian Civil Dispute: According to 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, a Christian is not to civilly file a lawsuit against another Christian in a secular court of law. Rather, the disputed matter should be arbitrated or judged by a wise Christian or Christians. However, in our modern societal system, there are exceptional situations that may not fall squarely within this principle. Such special circumstances will be discussed later in this article. Lastly, if a fellow Christian will not submit to a Christian-based resolution system, then a number of commentators believe that, pursuant to Matthew 18:17, as a last resort, a lawsuit in the secular law courts may be permitted.
Sometimes, the issue is not black and white. In those “gray area” cases, ask God and yourself these questions:
“Is a lawsuit in secular court my only reasonable option, or is there another way to remedy my situation?”
"Do I have an improper motive in filing a lawsuit such as revenge, anger, hurt feelings, stubbornness, impatience, or greed?"
“Is the church equipped to resolve this legal dispute with my brother?”
“Are there Christian lawyers, retired Christian judges, or other professionally trained Christian mediators available to negotiate and/or adjudicate this legal dispute with my fellow Christian?”
2. Christian Versus Non-Christian Dispute: Secular Courts are ordained by God (Romans 13:1-7). Therefore, there is no prohibition against a Christian suing a non-Christian in a secular court.
B. Christian versus Christian Disputes
1. Historical Backdrop: Corinthian Christians in Paul’s time sued their fellow Christians in secular court. But, back in those days, not even the Jews used the secular courts. Rather, in those times, the Jews utilized Jewish arbitrators. Further, in Greek culture, watching civil disputes in the public courts was very popular entertainment. Therefore, legal disputes were very public events.
2. Paul's Response: “How Dare you!” (1 Corinthians 6:1-10 ): “How dare you sue a Christian brother in secular court!” (1 Corinthians 6:1-paraphrased). How dare you utilize “unrighteous” Corinthian judges to resolve inter-Christian disputes! (1 Corinthians 6:1). But Paul's point appears to be that the "Corinthian" judges, as a whole, or in general, were either unbelieving or corrupt or both. (Further, many of the judges/arbitrators were 60 year-old or older lay persons performing required civic duty, as I understand it).
“Law” (Verse 1): “[P]apyri discoveries in the last century reveal that Paul's word was used regularly in a legal context to mean a lawsuit.”
Christians will (with Christ) judge the world and angels. Therefore, believers can competently judge lesser (earthly) matters between two believers (1 Corinthians 6:2-4).
For Christians, spiritual and legal issues commingle and intertwine. Secular, government judges are either unqualified or not permitted to resolve the spiritual issues that may be involved in the dispute (1 Corinthians 2:14-16, 6:4). But wise Christians can discern and judge both the legal and spiritual issues (1 Corinthians 6:5).
Judging an openly “Christian versus Christian” legal dispute in secular court creates a bad witness (This conclusion is indirectly inferred in 1 Corinthians 6:6-7). Pagans will see Christians behaving just like they do and NOT demonstrating God’s love, which hurts the cause of Christ (John 13:5). It would be better to be defrauded by a Christian (and suffer financial loss) than to take them to secular Court because the cause of Christ is more important than money or possessions (See 1 Corinthians 6:7-8). This last point will be elaborated on later in this article.
3. Specific Situations: Many of the situations below may be considered “gray area” matters. Therefore, before deciding a course of action, you need to ask God for wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5). You are also admonished to seek counsel from wise Christians (Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, and 15:22). Lastly, before making a final decision, you ought to have God’s peace in your heart about which decision to make (Colossians 3:15).
a. Criminal Matters: The context of 1 Corinthians 6 is civil legal disputes, not criminal prosecution. With few exceptions, the Government prosecutes crimes. Therefore, a Christian may look to a secular court to prosecute anyone (including Christians) who committed a crime against them (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 1:13-14).
b. Christians Acting on Behalf of Others: When Christians undertake certain legally defined positions, they may, in certain circumstances, have a legal duty to pursue secular legal action (which could potentially involve other believers). Examples: Christian legal guardians; Christian executor of a will; Christian trustees; and Christian parents. These representative examples involve fiduciaries acting on behalf of the beneficiary, child or person of whom they are in charge.
c. Christians Covered by Insurance: In many cases, the person who caused your harm or damage is covered by insurance. Example: Automobile accident cases. What if that insured person is a Christian? In some states, you can sue the Christian’s secular insurance company directly. Therefore you don’t have to directly sue the Christian who harmed you. In other states, you must sue the individual even though the insurance company (surety) is paying for the damages and controlling the case. Obviously, a secular insurance company will rarely, if ever, agree to a Christian dispute resolution process.
For example, if you were seriously injured, out of work, and unable to provide for your family, what do you do if the negligent driver who caused your damages is a Christian? Remember, you have an obligation to provide for your family (1 Timothy 5:8). Therefore, in that situation, seeking fair compensation via an out-of-court settlement through a believer’s insurance company would appear reasonable. Moreover, if the insurance company is unreasonable or disputes liability, you may have to file a lawsuit (or go to trial) in order to obtain compensation for your losses. The Christian versus Christian issue is, I believe, incidental in this matter in nearly all of these types of cases.
What if your injuries were temporary and your own health insurance paid for your bills, but the automobile insurance company won’t pay you as much “pain and suffering” damages as you think is fair? There are sections later in this article that may help you make a wise decision.
In general, I believe that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company if the claim is pursued without malice or slander or greed. The following advice may be helpful to you: “Do not initiate anything without first saturating the matter with prayer.” God loves you and wants to guide you in the best path.
d. Christian Filing Bankruptcy: A Christian family of four earns $2,000 per month and has $50,000 in credit card debt, and owes $1,000.00 to their Christian auto mechanic. The Christian files bankruptcy and lists their automobile mechanic as a debtor as required by law. Does this violate principals outlined 1 Corinthians 6? I don’t believe so in most cases. This is a situation where the Christian mechanic is (in nearly all cases) incidental to the matter (other than being owed money). See also "Is Bankruptcy Scriptural? What does the Bible Say?" And "May a Christian File for Bankruptcy Relief?"
e. Christian Evicting a Christian From a Residence or Business Property: A Christian versus Christian landlord-tenant dispute, it seems, can be resolved via Christian mediation or arbitration in most cases. However, in some cases, going to the magistrate may be proper if the Christian tenant refuses to vacate, refuses to pay rent, and refuses to immediately seek a Christian mediator and/or arbitrator to quickly resolve the dispute.
f. Christian Versus Christian Divorce: This article does not address what Biblical grounds for divorce are. Here are, however, some scripture references pertaining to divorce: Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:2-12; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16.
A divorce proceeding is a civil matter. However, to obtain a “legal” divorce, some level of government court involvement will be required. The government regulates and grants divorces. Accordingly, divorce falls within Romans 13:1-7, and secular courts may be utilized.
Nevertheless, spiritual and legal issues combine and intertwine in divorce cases. Therefore, as between two Christians, a wise, neutral Christian, ought to be utilized, if possible, to assist in the resolution of the matter.
A number of Christian attorneys in or near your geographical area may offer divorce mediation as a cost-effective option. Alternatively, your church may have a dispute resolution process.
If more than one church is involved, you can have one pastor from each church be involved, and the two pastors can choose a neutral third person to produce a three person panel. Alternatively, you can hire a professional Christian mediator or arbitrator who can negotiate or adjudicate the matter alone or include members of your church or churches in the process. However, there are too many factual variables in a divorce to make one rule to fit all situations. In certain situations, it may be necessary or prudent to pursue the matter through traditional secular court.
g. A Christian refuses to have another Christian evaluate and decide the issue of dispute. What is a Christian refuses to follow 1 Corinthians 6? There are two primary points of view on this subject.
One view believes that if a Christian does not agree to resolve a matter within the Church, then the other Christian is free to sue him or her in civil court in order to seek to achieve justice. The other view is that the Christian should, out of mercy, just accept the wrong done to him or her rather than interjecting a Christian versus Christian dispute into the public area and thereby harming the cause of Christ.
In this matter, pray for wisdom and seek confidential counsel from wise Christians.
h. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: "What if a person is not truly a Christian?" This is another difficult issue. Some believe that one can sue in secular court if one is convinced the person is not really a Christian even though they profess or claim to be a "Christian. " Others declare that it is dangerous to judge a person as not being a Christian, and that one should play it safe and not sue the alleged wrongdoer.
This may be a factual issue needing to be resolved on a case-by-case basis. However, one should first seek to persuade the wrongdoer to agree to submit to either Christian mediation and/or Christian arbitration per 1 Cor. 6:1-8. If he or she is a member of your particular church, your church may have a dispute resolution system that can be utilized. Pray for wisdom and seek godly advice..
i. "What if I am sued by another Christian in a secular court?" If you are sued by another Christian, you could possibly contact them (or, if they are represented by an attorney, then contact their attorney), and request that, pursuant to 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, this lawsuit be put on hold, or referred by the court to a Christian mediator and/or Christian arbitrator agreed upon by the parties. In any event, in my opinion, you may defend yourself in a secular court in this situation.
If your adversary has a valid case against you, agree to a settlement quickly to avoid further costs, damages and/or attorney’s fees (Matthew 5:25). A speedy settlement will also diminish harm to the cause of Christ by taking the matter out of the public eye.
4. The above examples are illustrative and are not exhaustive. There may be other gray areas as well (e.g. foreclosure, quiet title, and others) while other disputes may fall squarely within 1 Corinthians 6 parameters. Nevertheless, in many or, if not most of these cases, the church or a private Christian mediator or arbitrator (or combination of both) should be able to negotiate and/or judge the matter.
5. Biblical Resolution Method: Matthew 18:15-17 states that a Christian, who is wronged by another Christian, should follow the following four step approach:
Step 1: Address the issue privately, alone with the other believer who you believe wronged you. It that does not resolve the dispute, then proceed to the second step:
Step 2: Repeat Step 1, except, this time, bringing one or two Christian persons to with you seek to help convince the other person of his erroneous ways. If this second step does not solve the problem, then proceed to the third step.
Step 3: Bring the matter before the church. This is where a Christian dispute resolution process comes into play or use of private Christian mediation and/or arbitration. As to this third step (bringing the matter before the church), you normally want to agree with the other party, in a signed writing, that any final decision by the Christian decision-maker(s) is legally binding on the parties. To create a legally enforceable binding agreement, you ought to seek legal counsel to help assure that a valid binding agreement is created. If, after a final decision about the matter is made, the wrongdoer refuses to repent and admit his or her wrongdoing or responsibility, then proceed to the fourth step.
Step 4: Expel the wrongdoer from the fellowship of the church (which modernly, perhaps, means the local fellowship or denomination, as the case may be). (See 1 Corinthians 5:5).
Matthew 18:17 states that "...if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” A number of commentators take the position that this verse implies or infers that, because all avenues have been exhausted, a believer can now, as a last resort, treat the person like an unbeliever and file a lawsuit against the alleged wrongdoing person in a secular court or law.
If you have a dispute that involves substantial money or property, you should, I believe, in most cases, seek advice from a knowledgeable attorney before implementing these steps above. Seeking legal counsel will build your knowledge base and, in most cases, help you make decisions with greater clarity. Also consider seeking counsel from a Pastor who can further add clarity to the matter.
C. Christian versus Non-Christian Disputes
1. The courts are instituted by God. The government court system is established by God to maintain law, order, and peace in the land (Romans 13:1-7). Christians may, in certain instances, use the secular court system. Even Apostle Paul cited Roman law and utilized secular courts protect his legal rights (Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-29, and 25:10-12).
2. Christians may use secular courts to resolve their legal disputes with unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 6 only applies to Christian versus Christian disputes, but does not apply Christian versus non-Christian disputes.
D. Final Words
God's glory is great gain. Christians still defraud other Christians today. Let assume, for sake of discussion, that a person can’t obtain dispute resolution within the church or by private Christian arbitration. And, after prayer and careful consideration, this person decides to suffer the material or financial loss rather than cause shame to the cause of Christ by suing publicly in a secular, worldly court. Remember this: “Anyone who accepts wrong for the sake of God's glory will not come out the loser.” Recall that Jesus suffered wrongly for us, to the glory of God (1 Peter 3:18, Philippians 2:5-11). “It is far better to lose financially than to lose spiritually.” It is “[b]etter to suffer wrong than to do wrong.” 1 Peter 2:18-25. On the other hand, pursuant to Matthew 18:17, some commentators believe that a Christian may, as a last resort, file a lawsuit in a secular court or law against another Christian who refuses to submit to a Christian-based resolution process.
Wise Christians are available to arbitrate disputes. Today, a believer is, in most cases, without excuse, in failing to find a wise Christian to settle or judge a legal dispute! Today, many Christian conciliation groups exist. Many Christian lawyers and retired judges are willing to provide their services. Many churches have a Christian dispute resolution infrastructure.
"What about justice?" But what if the cheater was not really a Christian, and he or she got away with wronging?
That person will ultimately receive justice. In First Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul turns to the wrongdoer who thinks he got away with his actions. Paul rebukes this person harshly. Some of these Corinthians were preying (not praying) crooks. Paul has a word for them: Practicing "thieves don’t go to heaven!” Those who have not a saving faith in Jesus, and, who, therefore, repent not and have a thieving, dishonest and/or immoral lifestyle will never enter the Kingdom of heaven!
"What about turning the other check?" Matthew 5:39 (“whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also”). Jesus' command to turn the other cheek is radical, but it is not absolute. Turn the other cheek means to allow yourself to be insulted without retaliation. Don’t retaliate or take revenge when you are insulted. However, the government may restrain evil by prosecuting a person who commits a physical assault on another person (Romans 13:4). Further, self-preservation, self-defense from physical harm is, obviously, acceptable.
"What about legal nonresistance?" Matthew 5:40: “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat [undergarment], let him have thy cloke [outer garment] also.”
If we take these words too literally, Christians would have to institute nudist colonies and other intolerable results. Matthew 5:38-42 is a paragraph and must be taken in context and compared with other scriptures to assure proper, balanced interpretation. A famous and highly respected Bible commentator offers this practical advice:
“If the matter be small, which we may lose without an considerable damage to our families, it is good to submit to it [legal nonresistance] for peace’ sake.” Matthew Henry
Verse 40 must be taken in context with the entire paragraph (Matthew 5:38-42) which corrects how the Pharisees incorrectly taught that "an eye for an eye" allowed personal revenge, when, in the Old Testament, and “eye for an eye” spoke of equitable justice meted out by a governmental body.
The Apostle Paul stood up for his legal rights. But he did not seek revenge or retaliation. Paul and Silas were wrongfully beaten, imprisoned, and chained. Paul defended himself using Roman law (Acts 16:37).
Right Actions With Wrong Motivations: Your motive for taking legal action is crucial. Your motive is wrongful and will cause harm to all if legal action involves greed, revenge, anger, or other ungodly motives.
Christians and Christian Arbitrators may use non-Christian experts. Christians are aptly qualified to evaluate and resolve issues and disputes involving Christian disputants. However, there are times when specialized legal, technical, medical, or scientific knowledge necessary to help resolve the dispute may not be available from a Christian professional or expert. In those cases, it may be necessary to bring in a non-Christian with advanced or specialized medical, legal, scientific or technical knowledge to help the Christian decision-makers make a fair and just decision.
E. Conclusion
Know this, that lawsuits can take on a life of their own. Parties often dig in, fix their legal positions, and cases can become very contentious, stressful, and expensive to pursue. “Believers have the necessary resources to skillfully arbitrate the various issues and problems that pertain to life.” Going to court, while necessary in some instances, should, in general, be a rarity, and a last resort.
“We should seek godly, wise, Spirit-filled and directed counsel within the church to resolve our differences.”
"Church" includes any born-again believer, even the "least esteemed" believers (1 Cor. 6:4).
Notes:
Some groups (a minority in number) believe that a literal reading of this passage in the original Greek language does not refer to secular court lawsuits at all but refers instead to the improper use of unfit persons within the Corinthian church to render judgments.
An even smaller group of people believe that civil lawsuits are not “smallest matters,” and, therefore, 1 Corinthians 6 does not apply to lawsuits
A very small set of people believe that “brothers” refers to family relatives, not Christian brothers.
Copyright 2006, 2009. All rights reserved.
About the author: Matthew B. Tozer is a Christian attorney located in southern California.
1 Corinthians 6:1-11
King James Bible:
1Cr 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather [suffer yourselves to] be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren. 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
New King James Bible:
“1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor *homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Romans 13:1-7
King James Bible:
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore [ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour
New King James Bible:
13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Matthew 18:15-17
King James Bible:
Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
New King James Bible:
15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'* 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Matthew 5:38:42
King James Bible:
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
New King James Bible:
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'* 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
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