If therefore you have judgments of things pertaining to this world, set them to judge who are the most despised in the church.
βιωτικα μεν ουν κριτηρια εαν εχητε τους εξουθενημενους εν τη εκκλησια τουτους καθιζετε
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Wishing with special force to instruct us that we must not turn to outside judges in anything, he sees the objection that might arise and resolves it beforehand. The sense of his words is this: perhaps someone will say that among you there is not one wise man, or one capable of examining cases, but all are unfit for this. What then? Even if, he says, you had not one wise man, entrust the matter to the very least.
Wishing to turn them away from outside courts, he says: Perhaps someone will say that there is no wise man in the Church who can examine disputes. But if, in your opinion, there is not one wise man in the Church, it is better to appoint the despised as judges than unbelievers.
Thus the Apostle wished such matters to be judged by wise, faithful, and holy judges, men commended in various places, and not by people who moved from place to place while preaching the Gospel. But if there were no wise judges, then, as the Apostle wished, they should be appointed even from those of no account, so that the affairs of Christians would not be brought before the general public.
Matters of this life are those that concern the body, or fleshly matters. Since this should not be, he adds, "I say this to your shame." For there are also wooden vessels in the Church (2 Tim 2:20). By this he indicated harsh and imprudent people, who would choose inexperienced brethren as judges.
Whoever is most despised and least in the Church is still, the Apostle says, better than those whom they honor as learned. For he does not command that even the most despised in the Church should judge. The following words make this clear.
The very least in the Church is preferable to an unbeliever. Still, it seems that the Apostle passed over what is obvious: the perfect must beware of the greatest crimes.
"Set those who are despised in the Church." The meaning of the words is not entirely clear. According to Chrysostom's explanation, the Apostle foresees the objection that among Christians there are no persons capable of examining disputes. He requires them to prefer being judged by the least of their own people rather than going to pagans, merely because the pagans have wise judges. Christians who turn to pagan courts show that they acknowledge the pagans' superiority over themselves. This is certainly shameful for them, since pagans have no significance for the Church or in the Church. Christians themselves are destined to be judges of the whole world, and even of angels.
“How dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the impious, and not before the saints?” The Apostle Paul presents it as possible, though undesirable and even humiliating (v. 7), for Christians to have lawsuits among themselves (vv. 7 and 8). It could also become unavoidable for them to turn to judgment in these lawsuits. He does not deny the necessity of judgment. He only desires that Christians be judged by Christians, and that for examining matters arising among them they choose judges from among themselves. These should be prudent persons, able to judge between brethren, and possessing standing in the Church (vv. 4 and 5). By contrast, he strictly censures Christians when, though they are to judge the world, they turn for judgment in insignificant matters (v.
2), worldly matters (vv. 3 and 4), to the impious (v. 1), to those of no standing in the Church (v. 4), and to unbelievers (v. 6). Living in a Christian state, where judges are appointed from among Christians by a pious Sovereign, we cannot fear that we will be judged by unbelievers and impious men rather than by brethren in the faith. No one will dispute that it would be better if there were no court cases among us. Yet if they existed even among Christians of apostolic times, then they are an expression of human weakness that will belong to every age.
Further, the Apostle reproachfully points out to the Corinthians that it is improper for Christians to appoint as their judges those who are of no account in the Church, that is, pagan judges (1 Cor 6:4). He says that it cannot be that among the Corinthians there is “not one wise man who could judge between the brethren” (1 Cor 6:5). Lawsuits themselves are also improper for Christians, who are bound to live as brothers. “Why not rather remain wronged? Why not rather suffer loss?” (1 Cor 6:6-7), instead of seeking satisfaction in court for wrongs? By the word “rather,” the Apostle shows that he is outlining for the Corinthians only the ideal of higher moral perfection. He is not asserting that every complaint, even a lawful one, is already a sin.
If he shames the Corinthians simply because they have lawsuits, he has in mind the sinful and unchristian occasions for these lawsuits. This is clear from his further rebuking address to the Corinthians: “But you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:8-11).
Having established the internal, ecclesiastical judgment, the holy Apostle Paul rebukes Christians for lawsuits before unbelievers. He expresses the desire that, by mutual yielding, Christians should prevent every lawsuit, since lawsuits in general do not correspond to the Christian duty of enduring wrongs and oppression. The Apostle first proves the impropriety of Christians being judged by pagans from the profound moral distinction between them and the pagans. Christians are holy, or at least sanctified, and in baptism they are bound to keep every righteousness and do every good. Pagans are unrighteous, and therefore are always ready for a biased and unjust judgment. Consequently, it is unworthy for Christians to go for judgment into pagan courts.
The Apostle further says that among Christians there will always be their own people who can judge every matter righteously. Then he reveals that Christians will judge the world, that is, the pagan world, and even the angels, meaning the unbelieving ones. Concerning this last point, Chrysostom says: “The saints will judge, not by sitting down and demanding an account, but by condemning. Thus the Lord also said: the queen of the South will rise and condemn this generation, and the men of Nineveh will rise and condemn this generation (Mt 12:41). If we prove to be believers while they are unbelievers, they will not be able to appeal to ignorance.” Blessed Theodoret says concerning judgment over angels: “The Apostle called the demons angels because they were formerly angels. The saints will condemn them because, although clothed with flesh, they cared for divine service, while those in a bodiless nature loved wickedness.” In the judgment of Christians before pagans he sees a threefold guilt: “First, that a believer litigates; then, that he litigates with one of the same faith; and, worst of all, that he litigates before an unbelieving judge.” The Apostle also indicates these faults, but in another order.
This passage is somewhat obscure because it is indefinite who the “despised in the church” are. The first words are understandable: “if you have judgments concerning things of this life,” that is, if you have worldly matters or conflicts that must be settled judicially.
The last words are also understandable: “you set these,” that is, you place them in the judge's seat to judge you, or choose them as judges. But what the words “despised in the church” mean is not clear.
This obscures the whole text. “Despised in the church” can be understood in two ways. Either these are persons belonging to the Church, believing members of the Church, but such as occupy the lowest places in it and stand below others.
Or they are persons outside the Church, unbelievers, who for that very reason are considered in the Church to be worth nothing. For the Church and her members they mean nothing; they are despised.
If by these despised ones we understand persons outside the Church, then, placing this passage in connection with the preceding, we obtain this meaning: you are to judge angels, how much more things of this life?
Yet when you have worldly matters, you place in the judge's seat, or take as judges for yourselves, persons who have no significance in the Church as unbelievers. They are nothing before the Church and her members.
What incongruity! I say this to your shame. Today in the Greek text this passage is made interrogative. This does not change its meaning in the proposed form, but strengthens it by giving it the shade of reproving disapproval.
If by the despised themselves we understand persons belonging to the Church but unnoticed in the Church, then, connecting the present passage with the preceding, “you are to judge angels, how much more things of this life?” we may continue the discourse thus.
As for worldly matters, if you need to settle them among yourselves by outside examination, take the last of the believers for this and set them in the judge's seat.
The thought will be either this: take the very least of Christians, and even they will examine the matter. Or this: take whomever you happen upon, Christians, even the very least, and entrust judgment over yourselves to them.
Only do not go under any circumstances to Gentile judges. In the first thought, one hears the suggestion that worldly matters, both in themselves and especially among Christians, should be regarded as petty and utterly insignificant.
They are so insignificant that the least Christian can examine them. At the same time there is also a reproach: but you go to courts, as though with some important matter and to important persons, whereas both are insignificant.
In the second thought one hears the suggestion of aversion to judgment before Gentiles, as something in no way fitting for Christians. All our commentators read not “you set,” but “set,” and in their interpretation express the last of the thoughts given above.
In the words being interpreted they see an answer to an implied question. You say, do not go to Gentile judges; but to whom among our own should we turn? There is no one to judge, and of necessity one goes to the Gentiles.
Here are Chrysostom's words: “Wishing with special force to admonish us that we should not in any matter turn to outside judges, and seeing the objection that presents itself, he resolves it beforehand.
The meaning of his words is this: perhaps someone will say that among you there is not a single wise man or one capable of examining a case, but all are incapable of it.
What then? Even if, he says, you had not a single wise man, entrust this matter to the very least.
By pointing to the despised, he does not mean that the most incapable people should be in the place of judges. Rather, he shames them.
That judgment must be entrusted to people capable of examining cases, he expressed below in the words: ‘Is it so, that there is not one wise man among you?’
But in order to close their mouths completely, he says that even if there were not one wise man among them, it would be better to entrust cases to the judgment of the unwise than to go to law before those outside.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS