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Quote :
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. —Matthew 5:39
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As in most Scriptural instances, there are multiple audiences. It seems to me that
Matt. 5:39 is between a Christian and a non-Christian, but
1 Cor. 6 is for when a grievance is between TWO Christians:
1 Cor. 6:1 When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life! 4 If then you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And so we should see that it is better to be
wronged by a "brethren"
than to take it to a Court. But the real answer is to
take it before the church, and in doing so,
not suffer being "slapped" carte blanche by the brethren.
So when our fellow "christians" (small "c") attack fellow Christians (capital "C") without merit, the church should NEVER stand by passively telling the victim to TURN THE OTHER CHEEK. Instead they should stand up and hold the assailant to the RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRUTH, and JUSTICE of JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.
Or so I believe Scripture would present! :)
Bobby Jo
PS This sure is a BUSY Topic!
