Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
Dare - implying treason against Christian brotherhood.
Before the unjust. Gentile judges are so termed by an epithet appropriate to the subject, which concerns justice. Though all Gentiles are not toward men unjust, yet in the highest view of justice which has regard to God, the Supreme Judge, they are so: Christians, regarding God as the only Fountain of justice, should not expect justice from them.
Before the saints. The Jews abroad were permitted to refer disputes to Jewish arbitrators. So the Christians were allowed to have Christian arbitrators. The bishops had jurisdiction in civil cases: criminal cases went to ordinary tribunals (Eusebius, 'Vit. Constant.' 4: 27; 'Rescript of Arcadius and Honorius, Cod. Justin.,' I. 4, 7).