1 Corinthians 6:1-8: a reflection

1Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? 5I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? 6But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! 7Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.

When Paul learns that believers in Corinth are taking one another to court before unbelievers, he rebukes them, and in doing so raises a striking question about how we handle being wronged. Why not rather be wronged? he asks. Why not rather be defrauded? Paul suggests that it would be better to accept being wronged, even defrauded, than to fight for our rights in a way that dishonors God and harms the fellowship, especially among believers. There is, he implies, a willingness to be wronged rather than to insist on our own rights that reflects the spirit of Christ. Rather than always fighting to get our due, to defend every right, we can sometimes accept being wronged for the sake of peace, of not dishonoring God, of not harming others. To be willing to be wronged rather than insist on our rights is a hard but real part of the Christian spirit. There is a grace in accepting wrong rather than always fighting for our due. Sometimes it is better to be wronged than to insist on our rights. The willingness to be wronged reflects the spirit of Christ.

Notice the striking question Paul raises: why not rather be wronged? He is not saying that injustice does not matter, or that we should never seek what is right; but he suggests that there are times when it is better to accept being wronged, even defrauded, than to fight for our rights in a way that harms the fellowship and dishonors God. The believers were suing one another before unbelievers, insisting on their rights in a way that was itself a defeat; Paul suggests it would be better to be wronged than to do this. This reveals a counterintuitive grace: the willingness to accept wrong rather than always insist on our due. This does not mean being a doormat to all injustice; but it means that we need not always fight for every right, that there is sometimes a higher good, peace, the honor of God, the good of others, that makes accepting a wrong better than fighting it. To be willing to be wronged rather than insist on our rights, when a higher good is at stake, reflects the spirit of Christ, who did not always insist on his rights. There is a freedom in not having to win every dispute, defend every right. Accepting wrong for a higher good can be better than insisting on our due. To be willing to be wronged is a grace worth learning.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is a grace in being willing to be wronged rather than always insisting on our rights, when a higher good is at stake. We can insist on our rights, fight for our due in every dispute, even at the cost of peace and the honor of God; but Paul asks, why not rather be wronged, suggesting that sometimes it is better to accept a wrong than to fight for our rights in a way that harms others and dishonors God. The willingness to be wronged, when a higher good is at stake, reflects the spirit of Christ. Do not always insist on your rights, fighting for your due in every dispute; be willing sometimes to be wronged for the sake of peace and God's honor, as Paul suggests. Be willing sometimes to be wronged rather than always insisting on your rights and fighting for your due, when a higher good like peace or the honor of God is at stake, as Paul asked the believers who were suing one another, why not rather be wronged, why not rather be defrauded; for there is a counterintuitive grace in accepting a wrong rather than always fighting for our rights, reflecting the spirit of Christ who did not always insist on his own, and though injustice matters and we need not be a doormat to all wrong, there is sometimes a higher good that makes accepting a wrong better than fighting it, and a freedom in not having to win every dispute or defend every right.

Lord, when Paul learns that believers in Corinth are taking one another to court before unbelievers, he rebukes them, and in doing so raises a striking question about how we handle being wronged. Why not rather be wronged? he asks. Why not rather be defrauded? Paul suggests that it would be better to accept being wronged, even defrauded, than to fight for our rights in a way that dishonors you and harms the fellowship, especially among believers. There is, he implies, a willingness to be wronged rather than to insist on our own rights that reflects the spirit of Christ. Show me the striking question Paul raises: why not rather be wronged? He is not saying that injustice does not matter, or that we should never seek what is right; but he suggests that there are times when it is better to accept being wronged than to fight for our rights in a way that harms the fellowship and dishonors you. This reveals a counterintuitive grace: the willingness to accept wrong rather than always insist on our due. This does not mean being a doormat to all injustice; but it means that I need not always fight for every right, that there is sometimes a higher good, peace, your honor, the good of others, that makes accepting a wrong better than fighting it. To be willing to be wronged reflects the spirit of Christ, who did not always insist on his rights. Take that to my heart, for there is a grace in being willing to be wronged rather than always insisting on my rights, when a higher good is at stake. I can insist on my rights, fight for my due in every dispute, even at the cost of peace and your honor; but Paul asks, why not rather be wronged. Keep me from always insisting on my rights, fighting for my due in every dispute; help me be willing sometimes to be wronged, Lord, for the sake of peace and your honor, as Paul suggested, reflecting the spirit of Christ who did not always insist on his own.