성경 주석서

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Go to law before the unjust — All unbelievers are, 1. Void of Christ’s righteousness imputed; 2. Of true civil righteousness, as being self-seekers in all. 3. They oppress the saints, and draw them before the judgment seats,James 2:6; James 2:6 , where they are so ill dealt with oftentimes, that they come to be of Themistocles’ mind, who professed, that if two ways were showed him, one to hell, and the other to the bar, he would choose that which went to hell, and forsake the other.

And not before the saints — Christians first brought their causes before the bishops to be judged. And hence grew their power (as Paraeus noteth), which the Christian emperors first would not, and afterwards could not, take away from them. This raised papacy and prelacy to such a height, they would be princes as well as bishops.

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Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Shall judge the world — That is, the wicked, called the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea, Revelation 12:12 , in opposition to the burgesses of the New Jerusalem,Philippians 3:20; Philippians 3:20 . And let this comfort us under the perverse censures of worldly men, mad and beside themselves in point of salvation. The Lord seeth that their day is coming, Psalms 37:13 .

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Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Things that pertain to this, … — That serve to and satisfy the body only, being nec vera, nec vestra,Luke 16:11-12; Luke 16:11-12 .

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If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

If then ye have judgments — As the Corinthians, being many of them merchants, had many lawsuits. But if men’s hearts were not bigger than their suits, there would not be half so many.

Who are least esteemed — Rather than go to law before heathen judges. The lowest, if of any judgment, are high enough for such a purpose. Why should those sordida poscinummia, qui latrocinia intra moenia exercent, as Columella hath it, those Crumenimulgae, the unconscionable lawyers, make a spoil of us; and then when they die, build hospitals for fools, as one of them did, saying, Of fools I got my estate, and to fools I will leave it. Of those that go to law, we may well say, as Charondas once did of those that go to sea, Se non mirari qui semel mare ingressus sit, sed qui iterum, that he marvelled not at those that went once, but at those that would go again.

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I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

No, not one that shall be able — Our late judge Dier, if there came any controversies of poor men to be tried before him, would usually say, that either the parties are wilful, or their neighbours uncharitable, because their suits were not quietly ended at home. (The Practice of Quietness.)

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But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

But brother goeth to law — Once it was counted ominous to commence actions, and follow suits. Of common barreters, we may say as the historian doth of mathematicians, Genus hominum quod in nostra repub. et vetabitur semper, et retinebitur. (Tacit.)

But brother — Still Satan is thus busy, and Christians are thus malicious; that, as if they wanted enemies, they fly in one another’s faces, as did Epiphanius and Chrysostom, Luther and Zuinglius, Hooper and Ridley, Taylor and Lambert, those English exiles at Frankfort in Queen Mary’s days, and Knox, …

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Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

There is utterly a fault — Gr. ηττημα , a disgrace, a loss of victory: q.d. By your litigious lawing one another, you betray a great deal of weakness and impotency of affection. These be ignoble quarrels, Ubi et vincere inglorium est, et atteri sordidum. See Trapp on " Romans 12:21 "

Because ye go to law — Lightly for every small offence (which if Mahometans do, they are publicly punished), and with spiteful vindictive spirits; whereas in going to law, men should not be transported with hate or heat, but as tilters break their spears on each other’s breasts, yet without wrath or intention of hurt, so, … The French are said to be very litigious, and full of lawsuits.

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Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Nay, you do wrong — In person and name.

And defraud — Of goods and estate.

And that your brethren — Which very name should charm and allay all discords, as between Abraham and Lot, Genesis 13:8 . Aristotle could say, It is better to suffer wrong than to do it. And, I know how to bear injuries, Εγω μεν επισταμαι αδικεισθαι , said Chilo to his brother, who took it ill that he was not chosen to be one of the judges.

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