Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 6

The right attitude when Christians disagree

1 Corinthians 6:7-8

In many ways, Christians should behave in a completely different manner from how other people behave. Their thoughts and attitudes must sometimes be the opposite of other people’s thoughts and attitudes.

There are several reasons for that difference. Most other people care only about their lives in the present world. For Christians, however, the future world and the future age are much more important. Most people are eager to protect themselves, their possessions, their homes and their families. But Christians give all these things to God (Mark 10:29-30). Instead, Christians love God, and they love other people (Mark 12:29-31).

In 1 Corinthians 4:12-13, Paul described how he and the other Christian leaders behaved. People insulted them, but they spoke words of kindness. When people did evil things to them, they did good things. When people hated them, they showed love. That was how Jesus had taught them to behave (Matthew 5:43-48).

Now Paul urged the Christians in Corinth to behave in a similar manner towards each other. They were arguing so much that they were even taking each other in front of the city’s judges. They accused each other so often that they forgot Jesus’ command to show love to each other (John 13:34).

Those Christians needed to change their attitudes completely. It is better to suffer pain and loss than to cause these things. It is terrible to be responsible for a bad or an evil act - especially when your own brother suffers it.

And that was how Paul wanted the Christians to consider each other: as brothers. God is their Father, so they belong to his family. The relationship of Christians to each other is the same as that of brothers and sisters who love each other.

Next part: The kind of behaviour that is against God’s law (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

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