Download Sermon Notes

“The legal situation in Corinth probably was much
as it was in Athens, where litigation was a part of
everyday life. It had become a form of challenge
and even entertainment. One ancient writer
claimed that, in a manner of speaking, every
Athenian was a lawyer. When a problem arose
between two parties that they could not settle
between themselves, the first recourse was
private arbitration.” (emphasis added)
– MacArthur pg. 136.
“Understanding who made use of civil courts in the
ancient world may shed more light on the matter
and explain Paul’s indignation. Persons of high
status were prone to settle disputes through
litigation. They had the upper hand in the courts
because they could capitalize on their influence
and wealth and could enhance their own
reputation by injuring their opponent’s or
increase their wealth with legal conquests.”
– Garland pg. 199
“Civil cases are generally brought by private
individuals or corporations seeking to collect
money owed or monetary damages. A
criminal case is brought by the local, state or
federal government in response to a
suspected violation of law and seeks a fine, a
jail sentence or both.”
“Criminal courts try only violations of the criminal
law statutes. Civil courts have jurisdiction over
all non-criminal matters such as land disputes,
equity, family and domestic relations cases. The
actual in-court proceedings themselves are very
similar. To convict in a criminal case, the
defendant must be proven guilty "beyond a
reasonable doubt" (not ALL doubt, just
'reasonable' doubt). Whereas in a civil case the
defendant may be convicted based only on "a
preponderance of the evidence" (the weight of
the evidence).
A civil case is between two private citizens, a plaintiff & a
defendant, with the only real possible outcome being
money damages awarded. A criminal case is one that is
filed by the state against a citizen for committing a crime,
and a potential outcome is the loss of one's freedom.
In a criminal case, it is the government seeking to
impose a penalty upon someone for doing an act
prohibited by law. In a civil case, it is a private individual
seeking a remedy in the form of damages (money) or a
court order that someone do a specific thing or refrain
from doing a specific thing. The goal of each case is
different and the rules that govern the process are
different.”
“When a mandated reporter has
reasonable cause to suspect that a
child whom the reporter sees in his
or her professional or official
capacity is abused or maltreated”.
Three things to remember when a
Christian sins against you:
1. The saints are qualified to settle their own
disputes. V.1-5
2. Nobody wins in a law suit between believers
v.6-7
3. Repent and make restitution privately v.8-11