NOTES for Co1 5:9-6:11
In essence, what we read today, as well as the preceding and following passages of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, is for the apostle a kind of cry from the heart. For the surrounding world, what the apostle writes about is improper but nevertheless within the usual order of things. The Church, however, belongs to Heaven; it is an enclave of the heavenly Kingdom surrounded by the kingdoms of this world. That is why he writes with such sorrow that it is impossible to be a member of the Church without observing the moral norms of the Kingdom of Heaven. Christians are always tempted to follow the much more indulgent moral views of their own time, whether the first or the twenty-first century, and to feel “righteous enough.” Thus, in our day, people say, “I am not a sinner because I do nothing unusual; I live like everyone else.” The apostle writes that in the Church this “like everyone else” is worth nothing. Different standards apply here.
For us, however, the most important point is what for the apostle himself is partly a digression from his main thought, when at the beginning of chapter 6 he speaks about lawsuits between Christians. Of course, the requirement not to sue one another in a secular court, but to resolve all disputed matters through the judgment of the Church, is important. These very words come to mind when disputes between denominations, parishes, and the like are discussed in the secular press or a secular court: “Is there truly not one wise person among you who could judge between his brothers?”
But here is the most important thing: “Why would you not rather remain wronged?” Behind these words lies the great mystery of righteousness. If you are a disciple of the Crucified One, then it is natural for you, like a sheep, to be led to slaughter. It is entirely unnatural for you to defend your rights in any court whatever. Something has been taken from us—by Uniates, Bolsheviks, or some other failures: “Why would you not rather suffer deprivation?” The wisdom of Jesus’ disciples is that either we try to stand up for ourselves, or we remain wronged and God stands up for us. Here, alas, no compromise is possible in which we trust in God while also seeking a little help ourselves from the “enforcers of this world.” How difficult this is!... But evil can be resisted only as the Teacher resisted it: by dying with Him.