Developing Discernment

Developing Discernment

In our 1 Corinthians class we just finished studying chapter six, where Paul addresses problems with the Corinthian Christians taking each other to court.

Paul says in 6:1-6: “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?”

There’s a lot to talk about here, but I want to focus on one point that I’ve missed before teaching this class.  Why didn’t the Corinthians ask each other to adjudicate their differences?  There are a lot of potential answers to that question, but one potential answer is something I hadn’t considered before.  What if the Corinthians looked around their church and didn’t see anyone they trusted to make good decisions?

A prerequisite for us to be able to follow Paul’s instructions in chapter six are two things we need to develop in our churches.

We need members who are able to be unbiased when dealing with confrontation.  If I were standing trial one of the most important things to me in the whole world would be an impartial judge.  And if that’s what I would want, that’s what I should be willing to offer.

Matthew 7:1-2: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

And impartiality is what God has always expected of his people.

Leviticus 19:15: “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”

James 2:1-4: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

Unfortunately, it seems that bias comes naturally to us.  So, we need to make sure we are people who work hard to fulfill the principle of impartiality so that we can be pleasing to our Creator and better able to serve our brothers.

It’s not enough to just be impartial, we also need to be people of discernment.  Even if I can find an unbiased judge, I won’t want to take my case before him if I don’t believe he’s capable of making good decisions.  Paul asks in v.5, “Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers?”  Believers are called to be people of wisdom and discernment.

Proverbs 3:21: “My son, do not lose sight of these - keep sound wisdom and discretion.”

Proverbs 16:16: “How much better to get wisdom than gold!  To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

Proverbs 24:3: “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.”

But in the same way that impartiality has to be practiced and refined, wisdom has to be gained and then developed.  One way to accomplish this is by asking God for wisdom.  This benefits not only ourselves, but helps equip us to better serve our brothers.

James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Additionally, we can work to develop discernment in ourselves and our families.  Our homes should be places where we explain to our children not just what to do, but why.  While abstaining from gossip, we can help our children see the folly of sin and how it harms the lives of those ensnared by it.  We can look deeper into scripture and into ourselves to see not only good and bad, but how our actions are a reflection of what’s inside us.

All of this can help us to grow in stature in favor with God and men, and allow us to better serve our brothers as we navigate 1 Corinthians 6 situations.

-  Eric Wise

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Victory

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or esteemed as nothing, and you smile inwardly, quietly overlooking oversight - that is victory.

When your good is evil spoken of, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you take it all in patient silence - that is victory.

When you don’t seek to draw attention to your good deeds, or desire praise; when you can accept being unrecognized - that is victory.



If you think you’re too small to make a difference
you’ve never been in a tent with a mosquito.

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