There is an interesting verse at 1 Corinthians 6:7, “Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?”
The concept is straightforward. It is based on two instructions from Christ in Luke 6:29 and Matthew 7:12. Christ instructs us to turn the other cheek and treat others the same way we want to be treated.
What makes 1 Corinthians 6:7 interesting is a topic in the margin of my Bible: Meekness. How is it meek to be wronged and defrauded rather than to pursue a lawsuit?
We get some help to understand this question in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” We can also look at 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”
The context in both chapters 6 and 8 is restraining liberty to preserve unity and build up the body of Christ. I studied this during passion week, and our family discussed it on the evening of Good Friday. It calls to mind the mannerisms of Christ when He faced betrayal, the criminal trial, scourging and the cross. He had all the authority and power to overcome them all and cast them into the pit of hell, but He instead remained as a lamb led to the slaughter.
What follows is an understanding of meekness as having the power and liberty to take a certain action but choosing to temper our action by a principle. That principle here is Christ. Because of our love for Christ and our love for others guided by Christ, we will choose to edify or build up the body of Christ than to exercise all of our liberties. Just because we have the freedom to undertake a certain action does not mean that action is appropriate within the body of Christ. The thrust of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians is to choose to build up the body of Christ rather than to indulge in our freedoms.
This is the essence of meekness. When we are wronged or defrauded, human nature compels us to respond in retribution. Meekness would have us instead take the action which builds up the body of Christ. In other words, everything we do should be aimed at building up the body of Christ and our own righteousness. Everything else must be discarded.
This, then, is the purpose of 1 Corinthians 13, in which Paul places love as the chief motive when we undertake any action. Having the ability to do many things, we must do everything in love to build up the body of Christ. Everything else, Paul says, risks arrogance.
In sum, I can do whatever I want, but I will temper my actions and choices according to love for God and love for neighbor. The edification of our own righteousness and the righteousness of others is first and foremost. This is the virtue of meekness.
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