“The legal situation in Corinth probably was much as it was in Athens, where litigation was a part of everyday life. It had become a form of challenge and even entertainment. One ancient writer claimed that, in a manner of speaking, every Athenian was a lawyer. When a problem arose between two parties that they could not settle between themselves, the first recourse was private arbitration.” (emphasis added)– MacArthur pg. 136.

“Understanding who made use of civil courts in the ancient world may shed more light on the matter and explain Paul’s indignation. Persons of high status were prone to settle disputes through litigation. They had the upper hand in the courts because they could capitalize on their influence and wealth and could enhance their own reputation by injuring their opponent’s or increase their wealth with legal conquests.”– Garland pg. 199

“Civil cases are generally brought by private individuals or corporations seeking to collect money owed or monetary damages. A criminal case is brought by the local, state or federal government in response to a suspected violation of law and seeks a fine, a jail sentence or both.”

“Criminal courts try only violations of the criminal law statutes. Civil courts have jurisdiction over all non-criminal matters such as land disputes, equity, family and domestic relations cases. The actual in-court proceedings themselves are very similar. To convict in a criminal case, the defendant must be proven guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt" (not ALL doubt, just 'reasonable' doubt). Whereas in a civil case the defendant may be convicted based only on "a preponderance of the evidence" (the weight of the evidence).

A civil case is between two private citizens, a plaintiff & a defendant, with the only real possible outcome being money damages awarded. A criminal case is one that is filed by the state against a citizen for committing a crime, and a potential outcome is the loss of one's freedom.

In a criminal case, it is the government seeking to impose a penalty upon someone for doing an act prohibited by law. In a civil case, it is a private individual seeking a remedy in the form of damages (money) or a court order that someone do a specific thing or refrain from doing a specific thing. The goal of each case is different and the rules that govern the process are different.”

“When a mandated reporter has reasonable cause to suspect that a child whom the reporter sees in his or her professional or official capacity is abused or maltreated”.

Three things to remember when a Christian sins against you:

1. The saints are qualified to settle their own disputes. V.1-5

2. Nobody wins in a law suit between believers v.6-7

3. Repent and make restitution privately v.8-11