the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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1 Corinthians 6:4
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When these little squabbles come up, I don't understand why you'd trust outsiders with knowing what is right or wrong when they don't even know where right and wrong comes from.
So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint those who are of no account in the church as judges?
If then there are questions to be judged in connection with the things of this life, why do you put them in the hands of those who have no position in the church?
If then ye have judgments as to things of this life, set those [to judge] who are little esteemed in the assembly.
So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge?
If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?
How much more things pertaining to this life? If then ye have any controversies of things pertaining to this life, do ye set them to judge who are of no esteem in the church?
If therefore you have things belonging to this life which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the Church--is it *they* whom you make your judges?
If then yee haue iudgements of things perteining to this life, set them to iudge who are least esteemed in the Church.
If, then, you truly have judgments of this life, those being least esteemed in the assembly, you seat these as judges .
Therfore yf ye haue iudgmentes of temporall matters, take them that are despysed in the congregacion, and set them to be iudges.
if then you have the cognizance of such matters, why do ye set those to judge who are despised by the church? I speak it to your shame.
So if you have lawsuits dealing with matters of this life, are you appointing those as judges [to hear disputes] who are of no account in the church?
If then ye have to judge things pertaining to this life, do ye set them to judge who are of no account in the church?
If then you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church?
If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the church?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
of the things of life, indeed, then, if ye may have judgment, those despised in the assembly -- these cause ye to sit;
If you have ordinary cases that must be judged, are you going to appoint people as judges who mean nothing to the church?
So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?
So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church?
Why do you take everyday complaints to judges who are not respected by the church?
So if you require judgments about matters of everyday life, why do you put them in front of men who have no standing in the Messianic Community?
So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?
If then ye haue iudgements of things perteining to this life, set vp them which are least esteemed in the Church.
You have worldly affairs to be settled, and yet you have put men of bad reputation in the church on the judgment seat.
If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?
So if you have cases dealing with this life, why do you appoint as judges people who have no standing in the church?1 Corinthians 5:12;">[xr]
4 But if you have matters to be judged regarding the world, those who are little-esteemed [fn] in the church make you to sit in judgment.
But if ye have a controversy about a worldly matter, seat ye on the bench for you those who are contemned in the church !
If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church?
When you have things to decide about this life, why do you go to men in courts who are not even Christians?
If then ye have to judge things pertaining to this life, do ye set them to judge who are of no account in the church?
If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?
If, then, for matters of this, life ye have judgment-seats, them who are of no account in the assembly, these, are ye seating thereupon?
If therefore you have judgments of things pertaining to this world, set them to judge who are the most despised in the church.
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
Therefore, if you have courts with regard to ordinary matters, do you seat these despised people in the church?
If then ye haue iudgement of thinges parteynyng to this lyfe, set vp them to iudge whiche are least esteemed in the Churche.
So if you have such matters to be judged, why do you take them to those who are not part of the church? They mean nothing to you.
So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
If such matters come up, are you going to take them to be settled by people who have no standing in the church?
Therfor if ye han worldli domes, ordeyne ye tho contemptible men, that ben in the chirche, to deme.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
ye: 1 Corinthians 5:12
who: Acts 6:2-4
least: The apostle perhaps meant that the meanest persons in the church were competent to decide the causes which they brought before the heathen magistrates.
Reciprocal: Genesis 31:37 - set it here Matthew 11:11 - he that John 16:11 - judgment 1 Corinthians 6:2 - the smallest 1 Corinthians 6:3 - pertain 1 Corinthians 15:19 - this Revelation 2:26 - to him will I give
Gill's Notes on the Bible
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life,.... Not judgements relating to life and death, for these were not in the power of a Jewish sanhedrim now, and much less of a Christian community, but were wholly in the power of the Roman magistrates; but judgments relating to the common affairs of life, or what the Jews call דיני ממונות, "pecuniary judgments" b, in distinction from דיני נפשות, "judgments of souls", or capital ones. The Jews say c,
"that forty years before the destruction of the temple, capital judgments were taken from Israel; and in the days of R. Simeon ben Jochai, pecuniary judgments were taken away from Israel.''
Now this Rabbi lived many years after the times of the apostles, so that as yet the Jews had a power of exercising such judgments; and no doubt the Christian's also, who as yet were very little, if at all, distinguished from the Jews by the Romans: and therefore since such judgments were within the compass of their authority, the apostle advises
to set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church; meaning, not those of the lowest circumstances of life, and of the meanest abilities and capacities; for in the next verse he requires a wise man for such a business; but private persons, laymen, who were not in any office and authority in the church, in distinction from pastors, elders, and rulers, that were in office, power, and high esteem, whom he would not have troubled with cases of this nature; but should rather choose out from among the laity persons of the best judgment and capacity, to be umpires and arbitrators in such worldly matters, which do not so properly come under the notice and cognizance of spiritual guides. The phrase, "to judge", is not in the original text, where it is only καθιζετε, "set", or "put in the chair"; but is added in the Vulgate Latin version; and to which agree both the Syriac and Arabic versions; the former reading the words, "they that are despised in the church, set for you in judgment"; and the latter, "make them to sit judges". The Jews, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, besides their great sanhedrim of seventy one persons, and that other of twenty three in their cities of note, and their triumvirate in every synagogue, had also two sorts of benches, who judged of lesser matters; the one was called בית דין של מומחין, "the bench of authorized persons", experienced men, that were approved of, and had their authority from the sanhedrim; and the other was called בית דין של הדיוטות, "the bench of idiots" d, or private persons, or בית דין שאינן מומחין, "the bench of those who were not authorized" e, or had not their authority, from the higher courts; but being judged proper persons, were chosen by the people to arbitrate matters in difference between them; and these are the men the apostle means, at least alludes to, before whom he would have the causes brought.
b Misn Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 1. c T. Hieros. Sanhedrin. fol. 24. 2. d T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 32. 1. e Maimon. Hilch. Ishot, c. 17. sect. 13. T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 88. 2. Gloss. in. ib.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Ye have judgments - Causes; controversies; suits.
Things pertaining to this life - Property, etc.
Set them to judge ... - The verb translated set καθίζετε kathizete may be either in the imperative mood, as in our translation, and then it will imply a command; or it may be regarded as in the indicative, and to be rendered interrogatively, “Do ye set or appoint them to judge who are of little repute for their wisdom and equity?” that is, pagan magistrates. The latter is probably the correct rendering, as according to the former no good reason can be given why Paul should command them to select as judges those who had little repute for wisdom in the church. Had he designed this as a command, he would doubtless have directed them to choose their most aged, wise and experienced men, instead of those “least esteemed.” It is manifest, therefore, that this is to he read as a question: “Since you are abundantly qualified yourselves to settle your own differences, do you employ the pagan magistrates, in whom the church can have little confidence for their integrity and justice?” It is designed, therefore, as a severe reproof for what they had been accustomed to do; and an implied injunction that they should do it no more.
Who are least esteemed - (ἐξουθενημένους exouthenēmenous). Who are “contemned,” or regarded as of no value or worth; in whose judgment and integrity you can have little or no confidence. According to the interpretation given above of the previous part of the verse this refers to the pagan magistrates - to people in whose virtue, piety and qualifications for just judgment Christians could have little confidence; and whose judgment must be regarded as in fact of very little value, and as very little likely to be correct. That the pagan magistrates were in general very corrupt, there can be no doubt. Many of them were people of abandoned character, of dissipated lives, men who were easily bribed, and people, therefore, in whose judgment Christians could repose little confidence. Paul reproves the Corinthians for going before them with their disputes when they could better settle them themselves. Others, however, who regard this whole passage as an instruction to Christians to appoint those to determine their controversies who were least esteemed, suppose that this refers to the “lowest orders” of judges among the Hebrews; to those who were least esteemed, or who were almost despised; and that Paul directs them to select even them in preference to the pagan magistrates. See Lightfoot. But the objection to this is obvious and insuperable. Paul would not have recommended this class of people to decide their causes, but would have recommended the selection of the most wise and virtuous among them. This is proved by 1 Corinthians 6:5, where, in directing them to settle their matters among themselves, he asks whether there is not a “wise man” among them, clearly proving that he wished their difficulties adjusted, not by the most obscure and the least respected members of the church, but by the most wise and intelligent members.
In the church - By the church. That is, the pagan magistrates evince such a character as not to be worthy of the confidence of the church in settling matters of controversy.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Corinthians 6:4. Things pertaining to this life — They could examine all civil cases among themselves, which they were permitted to determine without any hinderance from the heathen governments under which they lived.
Who are least esteemed in the Church. — τους εξουθενημενους, Those who were in the lowest order of judges; for the apostle may refer here to the order in the Jewish benches, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, of which there were five, viz:-
1. The great Sanhedrin, consisting of seventy-two elders, which presided in Jerusalem.
2. The little Sanhedrin of twenty-five, in large cities, out of Jerusalem.
3. The Bench of Three in every synagogue.
4. The Authorized, or Authentic Bench.
5. The Bench not authorized, εξουθενημενος. This latter bench was so called because it received not its authority immediately from the Sanhedrin, but was chosen by the parties between whom the controversy depended. The apostle certainly does not mean persons of no repute, but such as these arbitrators, who were chosen for the purpose of settling private differences, and preventing them from going before the regular magistrates. The following verse makes it pretty evident that the apostle refers to this lower kind of tribunal; and hence he says,-
