What does the Bible say about taking people to court?

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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• 1 Corinthians 6:1-20

  [1] Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? [2] 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? [3] Don't you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? [4] If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? [5] I say this to move you to shame. Isn't there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? [6] But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! [7] Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? [8] No, but you yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that against your brothers. [9] Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, [10] nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. [11] Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. [12] "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are expedient. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be brought under the power of anything. [13] "Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods," but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. [14] Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power. [15] Don't you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! [16] Or don't you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, "The two," says he, "will become one flesh." [17] But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. [18] Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin that a man does is outside the body," but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. [19] Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, [20] for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

• Matthew 5:25

  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

• Luke 6:30

  Give to everyone who asks you, and don't ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

• Romans 12:19

  Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord."

• 1 Timothy 5:8

  But if anyone doesn't provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

• Matthew 18:15-17

  [15] "If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. [16] But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

• Proverbs 16:7

  When a man's ways please Yahweh, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

• Romans 13:4

  for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn't bear the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

• Luke 12:11-48

  [11] When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; [12] for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say." [13] One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" [15] He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses." [16] He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. [17] He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?' [18] He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."' [20] "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?' [21] So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." [22] He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, don't be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. [23] Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. [24] Consider the ravens: they don't sow, they don't reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! [25] Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height? [26] If then you aren't able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest? [27] Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [28] But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? [29] Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. [30] For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things. [31] But seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. [32] Don't be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. [33] Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don't grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [35] "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning. [36] Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. [37] Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most assuredly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them. [38] They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so. [39] But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. [40] Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don't expect him." [41] Peter said to him, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?" [42] The Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times? [43] Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes. [44] Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has. [45] But if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, [46] then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn't expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn't know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful. [47] That servant, who knew his lord's will, and didn't prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, [48] but he who didn't know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

• Deuteronomy 1:16-17

  [16] I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him. [17] You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike; you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.

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