Give unto God what is his to decide

 IN some respects a dispute arising among the membership of any church can be likened to a messy divorce litigation.  

What society generally looks upon as sacrosanct is subject to public comment and judgement by others who are or may not feel qualified to handle matters of such nature.  

And church matters should best be left with the highest authority – God himself – to arbitrate and settle through working the minds and hearts of those involved.

This is the point a Mt Hagen district court magistrate made this week when presiding over a case involving two opposing parties of the Kimininga Seventh-day Adventist Church in the city.

Church members are serving the highest office and should not bring their matters to court for a decision but address them in a council or board, the magistrate told the parties.

“Are you undermining the God of this universe, the magistrate asked the parties in a strongly worded rebuke.  

The learned magistrate, presumably well versed with the Bible, referred the parties to the sixth chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian church.

In Paul’s letter he urged believers to settle matters among themselves and not take them to a court of law.

We quote the King James Bible rendering of the pertinent scriptures here: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgements of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

“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? 

“But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 

“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong?”

The apostle’s teaching has been a guiding principle in church affairs throughout millennia.  

Whatever the nature of the case involving the Kimininga SDA Church, it is quite unfortunate that the parties involved are seeking relief from the secular court rather than resolving the matter from within their ranks.

It reminds us of a similar dispute involving another major Highlands based church whose opposing factions have had their day in court but the matter seems far from being amicably resolved for good.

Taking church matters to a secular courts is clearly running contrary to the great apostle’s teaching and we venture that any church issue resolved by a court of law and apart from divine intervention may never be truly settled.

The Mt Hagen magistrate’s admonition to the church members is reflective of how badly the State needs the church in all matters of national life. In her mind the church members in dispute are serving the highest office and should not bring their disputes to her court or any other for settlement. 

“… you should advise me and not me taking your position.  I depend on you to tell me.

“The law applicable in secular courts come from the Bible – the Ten Commandments – and why is the highest office (the church) undermining God’s laws and seeking human understanding?”

The role of the churches, and we mean denominations of whatever shade, can never be undermined.  

Even the unbeliever would have his moment of turning to the church for counsel and direction.

It is the duty of every church leader to be that shining light for society to see the way and follow. 

Agents of government and businesses in the pursuit of profit, may occasionally betray public trust.  

However, the church must –  if it truly is instituted by the God of justice, truth and sacredness – be strong enough to stand in the face of all going around and against it.

If state agencies look to the church for guidance and advice, like the Mt Hagen magistrate has pointed out, the church had better be worthy of such confidence. 

That confidence is reflected in the church’s ability to bring seemingly disparate views to a common understanding. That, in a nutshell, is what the secular world tries to emulate to build a happy and  harmonious world all  can live in.