Seeking God’s Kingdom Over Getting Even

Paul confronts a church taking its own people to court. First Corinthians 6:1–11 puts a hard question in front of believers: Why fight for personal payback in a way that hurts the body of Christ? The issue is not just whether a lawsuit can be won. The issue is what that fight says about the church’s trust in the Lord.

Paul is talking about civil disputes between believers, not heinous crimes. His warning does not require murder, kidnapping, or other serious wrongdoing to stay inside the church. God can use the legal system to bring justice for people who have been terribly wronged. But a dispute over money or property between brothers and sisters belongs before believers who can help settle it.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that God’s people will judge the world and even angels. That future makes their inability to resolve ordinary disagreements shameful. A lawsuit against another believer can count as a defeat before any judge gives a ruling. The demand to get even can injure the very body both sides belong to.

Christ gives a different example. First Peter describes his suffering without deceit, threats, or retaliation. Christ kept entrusting himself to the Father who judges righteously. His example gives weight to Paul’s difficult question: “Why not let yourselves be cheated?” Trust in God’s judgment makes room for accepting a loss rather than demanding payback at any cost.

Paul’s warning about inheriting the kingdom brings the issue closer to home. His list of sins is not ammunition for attacking unbelievers. The warning calls the church to examine its own heart. His reminder, “Some of you were once like that,” points to a changed life: cleansed, made holy, and made right with God through Jesus Christ and the Spirit.

Jesus’ words about treasure expose what drives the fight. Treasure includes money, but also whatever holds a person’s attention and heart. The kingdom of self demands security and satisfaction right now. The kingdom of God calls for righteousness and trust in a Father who already knows every need.

Jesus also gives a way to pursue reconciliation: a private conversation, witnesses if needed, and then the church. His command aims at winning a brother or sister back, not winning a fight. Even necessary separation leaves room for prayer and the love of Jesus.

God’s grace finally challenges the demand for an earthly reward. Christ died for sinners at their worst. That grace calls the church away from getting even and toward the One who judges righteously.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Winning the case can still mean defeat. Paul measures the dispute by more than the final ruling. A legal victory can still hurt the body of Christ when personal recovery becomes more important than fellowship and witness. The call to accept a loss exposes how easily a rightful claim can become a demand that matters more than the kingdom. [42:01]
• 2. Trusting God does not excuse wrongdoing. Paul’s warning concerns civil disputes between believers, not a demand to hide heinous crimes. God can use civil authorities to bring justice for serious harm. The distinction protects the call to reconciliation from becoming an excuse to keep wrongdoing quiet. [40:54]
• 3. Grace changes the demand for payback. Christ suffered without threatening those who hurt him, entrusting himself to the righteous Judge. His example does not make injustice good; it shows that retaliation is not the only possible response. The grace given to sinners challenges the belief that peace can come only after another person has paid. [44:05]
• 4. Treasure reveals which kingdom comes first. Jesus identifies treasure through the heart’s attachments, not merely the amount in a bank account. The demand for immediate security can take over a person’s thoughts until seeking God’s kingdom slips into second place. The Father’s knowledge of every need gives believers a reason to pursue righteousness without making self-protection their master. [48:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:33] - Reading First Corinthians in Context
• [30:25] - A Dispute Over Missing Money
• [32:56] - Civil Disputes Between Believers
• [38:22] - The Church’s Calling and Witness
• [42:01] - Why Not Accept the Loss?
• [43:26] - Christ Entrusted Himself to God
• [45:31] - Cleansed and Set Apart
• [47:36] - Treasure and the Kingdom of God
• [53:25] - Reconciliation and the Use of Legal Rights
• [57:25] - Examining the Church’s Own Heart
• [1:01:25] - Grace Instead of Getting Even

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
“When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers? Don't you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers! Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” [32:56]

1 Peter 2:23
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” [43:41]

Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [48:00]

Observation questions

1. In 1 Corinthians 6:1–6, how does Paul connect believers’ future role in judgment with their responsibility to settle ordinary disagreements? [38:47]
2. What distinction is made between civil disputes among believers and serious crimes? What place do civil authorities have in responding to serious harm? [35:38]
3. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, how does Paul move from warning about wrongdoing to reminding the church of its changed identity? [46:02]
4. In 1 Peter 2:23, what responses does Jesus refuse when he suffers, and whom does he trust instead? [44:00]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Paul describe lawsuits between believers as a defeat before the outcome is known? What can be lost even when someone wins money or property back? [42:38]
2. How does Jesus’ trust in the Father help explain Paul’s call to accept a loss? Why is refusing retaliation different from saying that wrongdoing does not matter? [44:33]
3. How does Matthew 6:19–21 help explain why a dispute over money can take over someone’s thoughts? What might that conflict reveal about the person’s treasure? [48:13]
4. Why should Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 lead the church to examine its own behavior rather than simply condemn outsiders? How does the reminder of God’s cleansing grace shape that examination? [58:20]

Application questions

1. Think of a recent disagreement, without naming anyone involved. What mattered most to you in that moment: recovering what you lost, proving you were right, restoring the relationship, or something else? How did that priority shape your response? [47:36]
2. In an ordinary disagreement over money or property, what would make accepting a loss difficult for you? What might help you consider that choice without pretending the wrong was acceptable? [42:20]
3. When someone treats you unfairly, how are you tempted to strike back through words, threats, or gossip? What could entrusting yourself to God look like in your next response? [01:02:28]
4. What has been occupying your thoughts when you wake up or go to bed? What might that reveal about your treasure, and what small change could help you put God’s kingdom first this week? [48:27]
5. Is there an ordinary conflict where a private conversation could open a door to reconciliation? If it is safe and appropriate, how might you approach that conversation with the goal of restoring the relationship rather than winning the argument? [53:40]
6. How can you help make our church a place where reconciliation is pursued without pressuring people to hide serious wrongdoing or avoid seeking protection and justice? [41:15]
7. Where might you need to acknowledge your own wrongdoing rather than focus only on what someone else has done? How could remembering Christ’s grace help you take a concrete step toward confession, making amends, or releasing a demand for payback? [01:01:39]