Litigation

The umbrella collects warnings against legal proceedings — settling on the way to the magistrate before the case opens, and the apostolic rebuke against bringing brother-against-brother suits before unbelievers. See also Lawsuits for adjacent material.

Settle on the way

Jesus presses an urgent settlement-before-court principle in the Lukan parallel:

"For as you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, on the way work hard to be released from him; lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge will deliver you to the officer, and the officer will cast you into prison." (Lu 12:58).

The trip to court is itself the last window for resolution; once the magistrate takes the case, the chain of judge, officer, and prison runs to the end.

Brother going to law with brother

Paul's longest treatment of litigation runs through 1Co 6. The opening sets the question — saints taking each other to public courts:

"Dare any of you⁺, having a matter against the other, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?" (1Co 6:1).

The argument from saints' eschatological role appears next:

"Or don't you⁺ know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you⁺, are you⁺ unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1Co 6:2).

The argument extends to angels:

"Don't you⁺ know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?" (1Co 6:3).

If life-matter judgment is the saints' future, the present setting of the dispute should be inside the assembly:

"If then you⁺ have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you⁺ set them to judge who are of no account in the church?" (1Co 6:4).

The shame is that no wise person is found internally to mediate:

"I say [this] to move you⁺ to shame. What, can't there be [found] among you⁺ one wise man who will be able to decide between his brothers," (1Co 6:5).

The diagnosis of the situation:

"but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?" (1Co 6:6).

The whole condition is a defect — better to take the loss than to litigate:

"Therefore already it is altogether a defect in you⁺, that you⁺ have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather take wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?" (1Co 6:7).

The actual behavior, however, has been the opposite — the believers are themselves wronging and defrauding:

"No, but you⁺ yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that [your⁺] brothers." (1Co 6:8).