(1) Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? (2) Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (3) Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (4) If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. (5) I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? (6) But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. (7) Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (8) Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
If what the Apostle hath said in these verses, was duly considered, and more especially, the authority by which the Apostle delivered it, was taken into the account, it would put an end to a thousand vexatious contests in life. There is some little difficulty to apprehend what Paul meant by the saints judging the world, and judging angels. And, yet, from the manner of speaking, which the Apostle useth, in saying, know we not, it should seem to be a thing so perfectly well understood, as admitted no question or necessity of enquiry. Certain it is, that the Lord Jesus spake of this judgment, when telling his disciples, that they which had continued with him in his temptations, he had appointed to a kingdom; and that they should eat and drink at his table in his kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Luke 22:28-30. See also Revelation 3:21; Revelation 3:21. And, as the saints of God have passed from death to life at regeneration, and being, justified freely in Christ, there is now no condemnation to them, the judgment which is to take place on the ungodly, they will behold on the great day, Romans 8:1. But how far those scriptures are intended to imply, that Christ's members are to be assessors with him, I leave with the Reader to consider.