Faith Dilemmas for Marketplace Christians
When Can You Sue?
And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
—1 Timothy 5:8
THE apostle Paul’s message on lawsuits (referred to below) seems clear. Yet elsewhere Paul speaks supportively about the governing authorities “established by God” (Rom. 13:1). Presumably these include our current system of laws relating to property, ownership, and bankruptcy.
Is there a time to take advantage of the protection afforded by law? Paul himself used the law (the privileges of his Roman citizenship) to avoid a flogging in Acts 22:22-29. How shall we sort out principles we can rely on today?
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Howard was a young Mennonite in his early twenties. He supported his wife and new baby by working in an agribusiness firm. One day Howard was badly injured in a machinery accident. After a long convalescence, he was left with a significant physical disability and a large cash settlement.
Howard and his wife decided to use much of the cash to build a new house specially tailored to accommodate Howard’s permanent disability. As they looked for building sites, they were delighted to learn that a farmer who was a member of their congregation had acreage available along a creek. Unknown to most of the community, the farmer was in serious financial trouble and needed to sell some land to stay afloat.
Howard gladly paid cash for the property. When the house was completed, he and his family had a home that was comfortable but not lavish. By the time he finished paying for it, a good chunk of his cash reserves was gone. Nonetheless, he and his wife felt it was worth it because the special refinements allowed Howard to function as best he could with his disability.
Because Howard had paid in cash, no financial institution was involved in the sale. No one did a title search on the land. Howard himself neglected to do so because, after all, he was buying from a fellow church member. If a search had been done, however, he would have learned that the land was encumbered. In other words, someone else had first rights to the property even though Howard had paid for it.
Unfortunately, things got worse for the farmer. By the time Howard’s house was completed, the banks had begun to foreclose on some of the farmer’s property (including Howard’s house and land).
Howard was beside himself with anger and fear. Where could he turn now? He could no longer provide for his family the way he wanted to before the accident. He and his wife had counted on their paid-up home to let them live on their modest earnings. What would he do now? Rent a small apartment? Then how could he function properly, much less raise a family?
Friends advised Howard to sue. They said he had a good case. At the least he might win back the value of the house.
However, Howard wasn’t sure. He had been taught that Christians don’t sue one another. Scripture seemed clear on the matter (1 Cor. 6:1-7). His friends, however, said the Bible’s words were behind the times. Nowadays, they said, Christians sue all the time.
Questions to ponder and discuss
1. If you were a leader in Howard’s congregation, how would you resolve the problem between Howard and the farmer? Or should the church keep out of it and leave the problem for the courts to handle?
2. How would you interpret Howard’s dilemma in light of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:1-7? Does Scripture suggest an unrealistic stance?
3. In today’s complex business world, it is difficult to keep entirely out of court. From a Christian perspective, are some lawsuits more “acceptable” than others? If so, which ones?