1 Corinthians6:5
Previous VerseTranslation
To your shame I say [this] – In the same way, is there not no one among you, a wise [one], who is capable to decide among between the brother of him? (See comment below.)
Paraphrase
I am saying these things to shame you because you have brought that on yourselves. Just like you would not appoint an untrustworthy person to be a judge over you, the situation is the same here. Are you telling me you can’t find a spiritually mature and wise person in your church body who can resolve disputes between brothers in the church? Are you saying you are forced to go outside the church for such decisions? Or are you saying you refuse to submit yourselves to the decisions of a leader in the church which are not binding in a legal manner, but you are willing to submit to a court that is legally recognized but is corrupt?
SUBMISSION TO A CHURCH LEADER
Paul was saying that people who decided to follow Jesus needed to be willing to allow spiritually wise and discerning leaders within the local church body to resolve disputes between them. They had to be willing to submit to any reconciliation that such a leader decided upon and submit to any discipline that he imposed upon them. A refusal to allow the church leader to do this was more than disrespectful to authority, it was disrespectful to the God of the universe who granted such authority, and in the future will grant even more authority.