LORD’S DAY, JUNE 4
1 Corinthians 6:4-6
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

"Is it so, that there is not a
wise man among you?"

WISE MEN NEEDED!

Paul proceeded to expose the foolishness of the Corinthian Christians. The message of 1 Corinthians 6:4 can be restated thus: "All of you are going to live eternally and be judges over the earth. Why then are you looking to unbelievers to judge your earthly cases, whom you know are of no account in the church? These men will not live eternally, neither will they be judges over the earth in the future!" Therefore, when Christians have a dispute with one another, they must find a fellow brother, and not an unbeliever, to judge.

Who then would be a suitable brother to be a judge? Scripture demands that such a man must be "wise." This "wisdom" refers not to worldly but heavenly wisdom. He is one who knows the Holy Scriptures well, and is able to counsel and arbitrate. He is also one who lives by the Word, and is not a respecter of persons (cf. 1 Tim 5:21; Deut 1:13-18).

Alas, by going to the unbelievers for judgment, the Corinthian Christians were effectively claiming that there was not a single wise man among the congregation who could judge "the smallest matters" effectively. How could that be? Even if it were true that there was no wise man in the congregation, would that not be a serious indictment of the spiritual state of the church? No matter how you look at the issue, it was a shame to the Corinthian church.

Similarly, many quarrels and conflicts in the church can easily be resolved if only the parties are willing to humble themselves and seek godly counsel. Nevertheless, wisdom is often rejected for carnality, as lamented by Solomon. They would rather embrace the friends of the world than receive the words of godly, wise men in the midst of the assembly. That is the sad truth in many a congregation in modern Christendom!

THOUGHT: What does it mean to be a wise man of the Scriptures?
PRAYER: Lord, may my ears be open to godly wisdom.