The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Brenda Rivera of Orlando, Florida from the tape, GC 1301-O, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 17."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.

Question

I have a question about 1 Corinthians 6:7, which reads “to have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you” and I want to know if that has anything to do with whether both parties are Christian or not, and in particular a manufactured product that’s defective and they don’t want to do anything about it?

Answer

Yes, I think that’s precisely what it refers to. Don’t take a brother to court.

Question (continued)

A brother as a Christian?

Answer (continued)

Right. I think it says that because it says that we are not to take the business of the family of God as it were before Pagan courts. In other words don’t let the world judge the church. Don’t you know that someday your going to judge even the angels? Why should you let the world judge you? So if Christians have a dispute, that dispute needs to be settled between them without having the world have to render a verdict. And in those days they were a very litigious group, like we like people are today, not like we are but like people are today. And Everybody wanted to sue everybody else, so there was kind of a sport to it in those days also and it was easy for believers to get involved it that, and everybody was screaming for his own rights and so forth. Paul says “rather be defrauded” in other words you should just be defrauded before you would sue a brother, because the testimony of the Lord is diminished.
 
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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