Where were the Corinthians taking their disputes instead of the church?

The Corinthians were taking their disputes to lawyers and civil courts—before the unjust—instead of bringing them to the local church body, its pastor, or church leadership. Paul corrects this, telling believers not to go to the world's courts but to keep such matters within the confines of believers.

Les teaches from 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 1, where Paul asks, "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?" The Corinthians had gotten into a real wrangle with fellow church members. Instead of taking the matter to the local church body, or to the pastor and church leadership—elders or deacons, whatever you call them—they were going to the lawyers and to the courts. Paul says that is what he is addressing: don't go to the world's lawyers and the courts with your problem; keep it within the confines of the believers. Les notes there may come a point when one must go to the world's judicial system, but the normal Christian approach is to keep disputes among believers.

1 Corinthians 6:1

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

What was happening in 1 Corinthians 6 with believers taking each other to court?

In 1 Corinthians 6, believers in Corinth were embroiled in disputes with fellow church members and were taking those matters before worldly lawyers and courts instead of resolving them within the local church body, before the pastor, elders, or deacons. Paul challenged them for going to law before the unjust rather than before the saints.