SET THEM TO JUDGE WHO ARE LEAST ESTEEMED

There is no doubt that the apostle was genuinely horrified that some in the Corinthian assembly were resorting to the courts of law in order to resolve disputes with their brethren. The expressions ‘Do ye not know’ v. 2, and ‘Know ye not’ v. 3, indicate that the people concerned should not have been ignorant of the enormity of their carnal behaviour. Believers in the Lord Jesus will, one day, be involved in the administration of the millennial kingdom, exercising judgement over men and angels. This exercise of judgement is not one of hearing and weighing evidence before handing down a sentence, ‘For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son’, John 5. 22. Rather, one of the functions that will be appointed to us when we reign with the Lord Jesus in that day is a role in the administration of the kingdom. The nations of men will be judged by the restored nation of Israel which, in turn, will receive its instructions from the church in heaven. Such was the millennial scene witnessed by Jacob in Genesis 28 and promised by the Lord to Nathaniel, John 1. 51.

Seeing that such a dignified and glorious future was awaiting the Corinthians, why could they not exercise judgement in matters concerning the assembly? ‘If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church’, v. 4. There are different, equally acceptable, ways of looking at this verse. First, the apostle could be saying, ‘Seeing that you will one day exercise judgement over angels and men, why can the least of you not judge matters arising between yourselves?’ Then, he could be saying to them, ‘Ask those brethren for whom you have the least regard to settle the matter for you. If you are not happy to do that, how can you be happy to have ungodly men involved?’ Equally, Paul could be speaking of the ungodly judges as being of no account in the church, whatever their status in civil life. These possible renderings are complementary, not conflicting, and all help us to understand the apostle’s meaning. In any event, believers should be prepared to suffer loss rather than stoop to the carnal indignity of arraigning a brother before ungodly men.